Leinster v Sharks: Five takeaways as Harry Byrne inspires ‘ominous’ win with just ‘one positive’ for South African visitors

Adam Kyriacou 11 Oct 2025 8:04 PM

Following a 31-5 triumph for Leinster over the Sharks in their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash, here’s our five takeaways from the fixture at the Aviva Stadium.

The top line

After defeats to the Stormers and Bulls, Leinster picked up their first win of the campaign and it was third time lucky against South African opposition in the Sharks.

Tries from Jamie Osborne, Jimmy O’Brien, Josh van der Flier, Max Deegan and Gus McCarthy saw them grab five points with Harry Byrne converting three of those.

Ethan Hooker was the Sharks’ only scorer as they suffered a second defeat in three matches – the other was a draw – which sees them tumble down the URC standings.

Normal service resumed

It was never going to be anything but a blip and the build-up to this match one feared for the Sharks as Leinster were highly likely to bounce back in style at the Aviva.

That was very much the case as this five-try success was the epitome of comfortable for the reigning champions as they put the Sharks to the sword in a clinical effort.

It would not be surprising to see Leinster embark on one of their typical winning streaks and rise up the table in the coming weeks which is ominous for their rivals.

Leinster cutting edge

All three of their first-half scores were silky smooth and that continued in the second too when Deegan crossed the whitewash, with Leinster looking very much in synch.

When they click like this it is incredibly difficult for teams to live with them and Leo Cullen will be delighted with that first half especially, as his men found their mojo.

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The second half was not as electric from Leinster but that is credit to the Sharks who better fronted up after the break. However, the hosts did still show flashes of quality.

Sharks scrum a positive

While they struggled to fire a shot with ball in hand – the Hooker score came from an intercept – there was at least one positive for the Sharks this evening, their scrum.

Simphiwe Matanzima, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch enjoyed a spell of notable dominance, which was a catalyst for them having a run of possession and territory.

This is something to take from an otherwise sobering defeat but with further Springboks returning in the coming weeks, solidity up front can be a platform for progress.

Harry Byrne stars

With Sam Prendergast watching on from the stands this week, a rare opportunity was handed to Byrne to demonstrate to the coaching team that he is ready and waiting.

He certainly did that and was excellent throughout in a measured performance that included slick hands, smart option taking and solidity in contact that created holes.

Byrne was crowned Player of the Match and rightly so as he made a statement to not just Leinster but also Ireland’s coaching team that they should not forget his talent.

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