Back in form: Luke Fitzgerald
Leinster gave a struggling Bath side a harsh lesson in Heineken Cup rugby on Saturday as they demolished their visitors 52-27 at the Aviva Stadium.
It was a showing that sounded a warning to title rivals Toulouse and Saracens that Leinster are gunning for back-to-back crowns in Europe.
Fine tries from Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald (2), Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Rhys Ruddock and Ian Madigan saw them on their way to all five points in front of more than 40,000 supporters in Dublin that takes them six points clear of nearest Pool challenger Glasgow, who drew at Montpol.
The European champions did not take long to get into their stride and after Sexton hit the post with a penalty shot, good work from the forwards gave full-back Kearney the chance to crash over.
A contentious infringement at the scrum allowed Olly Barkley to register Bath's first points but Sexton restored the seven point advantage moments later with a 40-metre drop-goal.
After Barkley added another penalty, Leinster were reduced to fourteen men with Leo Cullen sent to the sin-bin and for a few minutes it looked like Bath may be able to take advantage.
The Irishmen hit back though and, after a Bath handling error, Kearney launched a terrific counter attack before slipping the ball to the impressive Fitzgerald to score under the posts.
Still a man down, Leinster were playing expansive rugby and after Fitzgerald was released to sprint up the left wing he had the presence of mind to look inside and find Sexton, who scored the third try of the game to make it 24-6. Bath looked streets behind their hosts.
Going into the second half, Leinster needed just one more try to secure the bonus point and they had to wait just 30 seconds to get it. Straight from the kick-off Kearney and Fitzgerald combined again to attack from deep and the Ireland winger raced down the left wing again before stepping inside to finish off one of the best tries of the Heineken Cup season so far.
Ten minutes later and Bath, having failed to cope with the hosts with fifteen men, were reduced to fourteen as Sam Vesty received a yellow card for an infringement at a ruck.
Leinster showed no mercy and after the forwards hammered away at the try-line, the busy Reddan sniped from the base of a ruck and was rewarded with the fifth try of the night.
The referee was in no mood to sympathise with Bath either as he sent hooker Chris Biller to the bin as well, reducing them to thirteen. Inevitably, Leinster capitalised on the two-man advantage and after more slick handling, replacement Rhys Ruddock scored in the corner.
World Cup winning fly-half Stephen Donald and lock Dave Attwood grabbed late consolation tries for the visitors before another replacement, Madigan, took the hosts past fifty points with a well-taken finish after some heavy pressure.
Ben Williams added another consolation for Bath with the last attack of the game but this was a crushing defeat which leaves the English with almost no hope of qualification at all.
The reigning Heineken Cup champions march on though and it would be a brave man to back agains Joe Schmidt's outfit retaining their crown in May after such a clinical showing.
The scorers:
For Leinster:
Tries: Kearney, Fitzgerald 2, Sexton, Reddan, Ruddock, Madigan
Con: Sexton 6, Nacewa
Drop: Sexton
For Bath:
Tries: Donald, Attwood, Williams
Con: Barkley 2
Pen: Barkley 2
Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Isa Nacewa, 13 Eoin O'Malley, 12 Fergus McFadden, 11 Luke Fitzgerald, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Sean O'Brien, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Leo Cullen, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Heinke Van Der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Nathan White, 19 Kevin McLaughlin, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Gordon D'Arcy.
Bath: 15 Sam Vesty, 14 Jack Cuthbert, 13 Matt Banahan, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 Nick Abendanon, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Simon Taylor, 7 Guy Mercer, 6 Francois Louw (c), 5 Ryan Caldwell, 4 Dave Attwood, 3 David Wilson, 2 Chris Biller, 1 David Flatman.
Replacements: 16 Ross Batty, 17 Nathan Catt, 18 Anthony Perenise, 19 Will Spencer, 20 Andy Beattie, 21 Chris Cook, 22 Tom Heathcote, 23 Ben Williams.
Referee: Romain Poite
Comments
GCP_JONES says...
@ruckman...@APV1
I went see Bath play about 3 seasons ago at the Rec aginst Bristol. I thought they were super. the criticism of your team recently was that lacked a bit of the dog. To my mind they invested well in pre-season, but let the wrong coach go.
Steve Meehen would have the current Bath side playing a lot better IMO, McGeechan's tactics seem to be to get the ball wide and get in quickly to the ruck, then go wide again and thats it.
You need more ball carriers in the Pack though.Wilson Caldwell and Atwood did well enough in that area but Your back-row did'nt turn up.
Posted 10:25 20th December 2011
D4tress says...
Leinster were in fine form, granted. But the two "legs" of the HC are massively different. There's a host of injuries from Rabo / 6N games to weather before knockout stages. I'd have a gut feeling that unless we're particularly unlucky and cop a host of injuries our strength in depth will see us around about the semis / final.
But knock out rugby is knock out rugby; you can't call it this far in advance.
Also - no disrespect to our visitors, but Bath are divisions behind Leinster. Plenty of AIL sides would have done Bath on Saturday.
On your marks... get set... terrible.
Posted 11:39 19th December 2011
APV1 says...
As a Bath fan, it hurt to watch. But Leinster were magnificent and deserved to win. Leinster : Quins HC Final..?
And let's not blame the ref.
@ crunchfit - I think BOD has a great career as a pundit and / or commentator ahead of him. Smart, respected, not (too!) biased and well-spoken. He could certainly give Barnes a lesson or two.
@ ruckman - I agree we have a few issues in the squad. Compounded by all of the recent injuries. We need to remember these times for the future, so that we're better prepared.
@ GCP_JONES - I agree that Wilson played better than many of his team mates. But that isn't saying much. Bath had a shocker and were soundly and deservedly beaten.
Posted 11:15 19th December 2011
jamesliveinhope says...
@ruckman - I agree with the sentiment but we have to be realistic (as do all English clubs at the moment) Vesty was only ever going to be a squad player. He is capable at a number of back positions but nothing more.
That he was on the pitch at all tells you something about how stretched the squad is at the moment. On a normal day, we would have had Bendy at 15, Banners and Biggs on the wing with Hipkiss at 13.
The reality of European competition at the moment is that, every season, the Irish and the French seem to move further ahead of the rest of Europe. You play against Leinster and you effectively take on an Ireland international team (still cannot understand why Welsh regions don't do better). You play against Toulon and, when we bring Vesty instead of Donald, they bring on Giteau or Pretorius instead of Wilkinson.
The flipside of course is that English clubs aren't hitting the financial casualty report like some French ones - I guess we have to ask which would we rather - European success or the loss of 25% of premiership names every couple of years
Posted 10:02 19th December 2011
GCP_JONES says...
@ruckman...
I thought D Wilson was one of the best Bath players on the field yesterday.
Posted 12:22 18th December 2011
gauca says...
Don't want to take the wind out of leinsters sail's, they were EXCELLENT and only conceded quick points when the game has been totally killed off.
However I watch my rugby in the UK and cannot believe the love affair that miles harrison and stuart barnes have for leinster. They were basically handing the title to Leinster in round 4!!!! what a set of imbeciles they really are. Do they not appreciate there's 2 rounds to go, domestic games, the knock out stages and a 6 nations sandwiched inbetween!?
Posted 11:33 18th December 2011
damo says...
did anyone notice the ref penalised Bath for nothing on occasion and threw cards out for little things also, Leinster were amazing but Bath left them win and the ref was so one sided in his decision making it made a mockery of the game. Worst refereeing display I have ever seen but fair play Leinster and particularly Luke he could have made the RWC his own only for poor selection on the part of Ireland
Posted 11:27 18th December 2011
ruckman says...
I'm very pleased Mr Craig is so committed to Bath's future - but for his vision to really work, recruitment must be better.
There are reasons that leics let the likes of Vesty go - he's not up to the pace of top class rugby. Bath MUST address their front row problems - Wilson is a big disappointment, and his rugby has not developed, Flatman for some time has just looked like he is going through the motions, beech is fine in the loose but not in the set, Catt will never be a good enough scrummager to perform at the top level and Perenise has struggled with his scummaging since his arrival.
In addittion, the likes of Simon Taylor are well past their best, and now ineffective at this level.
Much recruitment and releasing must be done before any chance of emulating past glories become reality.
Posted 09:23 18th December 2011
carpelone says...
Fantastic game, was a pleaure to watch! Sexton plays HC games with superb confidence and skills, Fitzgerald was absolutely great.
Sure Leinster are one of the contenders, if not THE contender.
Posted 08:18 18th December 2011
crunchfit says...
Sorry about all these points, but did anyone else really enjoy BOD on the Sky broadcast? Very sharp analysis on the Leicester Clermont game, same for the Leinster Bath game as well as the extra Leinster insight he gave before the game, durring and after. Wouldn't mind it more regularly. He gives very good analysis of opponents defence and offense.
Posted 23:10 17th December 2011
J_HDK says...
@papachinzo ... Shhhhhhh... Let them come onto the punch whoever their qf opposition may be.
Posted 23:09 17th December 2011
liam2me says...
It was a showing that sounded a warning to title rivals Toulouse and Saracens! Since when were Saracens considered title rivals to anything outside of the AP? Typical English media trying to cling on to hope for their p!$$ poor sides
Posted 23:03 17th December 2011
crunchfit says...
Also, a statistic appears which says Leinster and Bath have 4 visits each to the opponents 22, and Leinster have scored 16 while Bath have scored 6. Why does he question the accuracy of the statistic because he says one of Leinster's was an intercept try. Why does that even matter?
Posted 22:51 17th December 2011
crunchfit says...
Sorry, just wrote that point while I was watching the match and Toner set up another, which I didn't notice (25th minute as well as towards the end of the match). Schmidt has really done a great job with him. Setting up two tries. Brilliant. Maybe there's another I didn't notice...
Posted 22:42 17th December 2011
crunchfit says...
Rewatching the match now, and the points are hitting me now (not the pints, they're wearing off). It's good to see that Toner can become an effective part of the team. Never expected him to be any good outside the line out (which he has been genuinely world class at, at this level at least). Still can't get over the fact that he dummied another human being and set up a try.
Posted 22:40 17th December 2011
twotone says...
Good game from Leinster. Good to see them rebound from last weeks awful mistakes. Great to see Fitzgerald getting in shape right in time for the 6 nations.
Have you noticed the two stars above the leinster logo on their jersey. They're off center, as if they've already reserved space for the third one....cocky for sure but they might just pull it off,
Posted 22:30 17th December 2011
crunchfit says...
@papachinzo
Not sure about 2, as I've had a fair few pints, but I saw one certainly which I still don't understand why Poite stopped player for and ruined a great try.
Posted 22:09 17th December 2011
papachinzo says...
Leinster should have really scored another two tries, If only the referee had aloud them to play on rather than pull them back for their penalties...
"sounded a warning to title rivals Toulouse and Saracens", Saracens?!
Posted 20:46 17th December 2011
leinster_goy says...
is it just me or is luke the lion really starting to regain his 2009 lions form? terrific performance tonight, great to see you back fitzy. earls the headless chicken doesn't hold a candle to you
that being said, the lack of discipline in the first 20 minutes was a worry, as were the leaked tries at the end. glasgow at firhill will be arguably the toughest match of this pool for leinster, they'll need to be at the top of their game for that, defensively and especially sexto from the tee
on another note, great to see stuart barnes' beloved bath get roundly trounced
Posted 20:03 17th December 2011