KO
It’s officially LOUD here at the Aviva Stadium! Myler will get the game underway, Saints playing from right to left as we look…
LEIN 0 SAINTS 0
4mins
Kick off almost recovered by Saints but they knock on trying to gather the ball. Leinster are awarded penalty for offside from the scrum and instead of going to touch, Madigan gets an attack going with a cross kick. With Saints tackling well on halfway, O’Driscoll slides a grubber to touch inside the visiting 22.
LEIN 0 SAINTS 0
5mins
Good first lineout, Hartley to Lawes and after Dickson’s solid box clearance, Jennings spills a straightforward pass. Saints scrum and when Dickson goes blind, Collins scorches past one man and looks to have the legs on Kearney chasing his own kick. Blatant obstruction from the full back denies the young wing a clear scoring opportunity, no yellow but Saints go to the corner.
LEIN 0 SAINTS 0
6mins
SAINTS TRY!! Clean lineout ball and while the maul doesn’t make it over the line, a few phases later North does courtesy of midfield partner Burrell. Just what the Saints would have wanted and Myler converts too. What a start for young Collins as well - he effectively created the scoring platform.
LEIN 0 SAINTS 7
9mins
Huge hit from Manoa brings Fitzgerald’s promising burst to an end and Collins makes a stern tackle on Kearney on the opposite wing, too. Play goes on though and Leinster have a penalty in midfield. Madigan steps up and after a brief pause, kicks the points.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
12mins
Day poaches back Myler’s restart and the Saints have already seen more time on the ball than they did for pretty much the whole opening quarter last weekend. Myler’s kick in behind is hacked clear by Kearney but Ken advances, collects and pins Leinster back into their own 22 with a smart touch finder.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
14mins
Saints getting stuck into the Leinster scrum and having put pressure on Heaslip on their ball, a big shunt is followed by Kearney spilling Myler’s kick. Lineout goes astray though and the game resorts to a kicking duel once more.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
19mins
Sterling work from Waller at the breakdown to win Saints a penalty and turnover ball. Scrappy a couple of times from the Saints but with North and Lawes splintering Leinster defenders the visitors are looking dangerous once again. Clark isn’t expecting a cheeky Myler offload though and spills 10m out, Leinster gaining further respite with a penalty from the scrum.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
23mins
Danger for Saints as O’Driscoll goes through a gap but with no supporting runners the ball is forced from his grasp by Ken’s tackle and hacked clear. Leinster run it back but another turnover sees North racing clear and having offloaded to Wood they’re awarded a penalty, too.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
25mins
Big call from Myler to go to the corner but as the maul gets going, Dickson gets his hands on the ball and the TMO is being asked about a possible grounding. Impossible to tell among a mass of bodies - no try but a penalty advantage was being played. Back to the corner.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
28mins
Heck of a defensive effort from Leinster as the phases run into double figures and they get their reward too. Dickson fumbles, Heaslip boots clear and Saints are pegged back almost to halfway.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
30mins
Not a sell-out, but plenty of noise being made by a Dublin crowd who are appreciating the defensive aspect of their side’s game. Mammoth clearing kick to touch from Kearney as well after he almost misjudged Myler’s high ball.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
34mins
Leinster putting boot to ball with great effect over the past five minutes or so but each time the Saints have gone through their routines and cleared impressively. Another hefty kick away by Myler and though the hosts return on the attack, there’s a wall of green and gold to meet them.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
37mins
Pretty much everything they touched turned to points last week, but so far Leinster have looked a little disjointed in the backs. Another mix up concedes a lineout and despite turning the ball back over, Reddan spills and gives Saints another set-piece opportunity.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
HT
Another mighty shove brings a penalty from the scrum and with a free play, Myler’s sends a cross kick Elliott’s way. It’s too high for the winger though and play comes back for Myler’s shy at the posts - but a rare hook and miss from the Saints fly half ends the half.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
HT
Just what the doctor ordered. It was a fierce start from the Saints and with North handing them a deserved lead just six minutes in they’ve also managed to absorb all that Leinster have thrown at them. Whatever the case, they’ve put last week firmly behind them which was of course the most important thing. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a little more to come…
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
40mins
Horror start. Manoa cleanly gathers the restart but Dickson takes his eye off the ball for a brief second and drops it some 8m from his own line. Ferocious line speed from the Saints defence has Leinster edging backwards and even with McGrath’s burst to within touching distance, blue shirts are being pushed in the wrong direction again.
LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
45mins
Super defensive intensity from the Saints but they do concede a penalty on the left and Madigan brings Leinster to within a point.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 7
46mins
Saints respond well and a penalty won goes right into the corner. The drive is well stopped again though and after a couple of carries, Leinster turnover right on their own line. Saints run it straight back though and another penalty is kicked to a great position.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 7
56mins
Another attack breaks down and they'll have to keep their patience here. They'll also have to keep tabs on Fitzgerald and just about do, turning the wing over after his scintillating counter break.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 7
54mins
Frustrating for the Saints as a pair of penalties to the corner yield no reward. Pressure very much still on Leinster though and they'll put into a 5m scrum.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 7
60mins
Leinster now having their turn in the ascendency but Saints swarm another breakdown and Clark is the man in focus for pinching that one back. Pockets of noise around the Aviva as the Saints travellers respond in fine voice.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 7
62mins
What a chance as Ken goes scorching through from North’s offload. Brilliant running from the Samoan but the final pass is agonisingly behind Elliott and Leinster somehow survive the onslaught.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 7
64mins
Or do they? A Hartley lineout isn’t straight, but as he and the pack respond in the scrum, Myler has a kickable chance and duly hits the mark.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 10
66mins
Plenty of noise coming from pockets of Saints fans around the Aviva Stadium and the men in black, green and gold will need every bit of help they can get if Leinster bring an expected onslaught. Kearney makes another half break but Leinster have yet to convert one of those and Fotuali’i is like a limpet over the next breakdown for another Saints penalty.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 10
68mins
Manoa departs after a hefty shift for the Saints, just as Leinster keep a maul off the ground to win the put in. Whatever the outcome now, the pride Saints came to Dublin to restore is already assured. Will there be glory to go with it?
LEIN 6 SAINTS 10
70mins
Dublin cranks it up a notch as we move into the final 10. Madigan’s penalty puts Leinster into the Saints 22 as well but Cronin fluffs his lines and Fotuali’i kicks them back to halfway.
LEIN 6 SAINTS 10
72mins
Relentless stuff and huge carrying from the men in blue and Saints are forced into conceding a penalty, centre field. Madigan reduces arrears and we’re now all set for a monumental seven minutes of rugby.
LEIN 9 SAINTS 10
73mins
Brilliant from Elliott! A roar goes up as he stands under a high ball but having gathered, a cool as a cucumber pirouette takes him round the Leinster chasers and serves up another penalty at the breakdown. It’s a long, long way out and though Myler misses, crucial seconds have gone from the clock and Leinster’s clearance is sliced.
LEIN 9 SAINTS 10
76mins
Saints maul a 22m lineout to within 10 but an attempted kick is hoofed clear and Elliott has to be smart just to maintain possession. He does though and referee Garces spots another infringement at the breakdown. On the same spot as the last one, this time Myler opts to go for the line rather than the posts.
LEIN 9 SAINTS 10
77mins
Whatever happens it’s going to be a heart-stopping finish. Saints using the maul effectively again to edge into Leinster’s 22. Outrageous from Fotuali’i, who catches everyone off guard and hooks over a left footed drop goal!
LEIN 9 SAINTS 13
82+2mins
A rip-roaring finish! Heaslip charges through and Saints are now well and truly under the cosh in their own 22. Simply epic defence from though through almost 20 phases though and when Heaslip spills in contact, Elliott races the length to make double sure, time on the clock already well up!!
LEIN 9 SAINTS 18
FT
That’s it!! SAINTS WIN IN DUBLIN!!
LEIN 9 SAINTS 18
FT
What is it about the Saints and Irish teams in the Heineken?! If you thought last year was the bounce back to end all bounce backs, you were wrong. Simply epic stuff at the Aviva Stadium and Saints are well and truly back on track.
LEIN 9 SAINTS 18
TIMELINE
6mins SAINTS Try North Con Myler 0-7
11mins LEIN Pen Madigan 3-7
40mins SAINTS Miss pen Myler
HALF-TIME LEIN 3 SAINTS 7
62mins SAINTS Pen Myler 6-10
72mins LEIN Pen Madigan 9-10
74mins SAINTS Miss pen Myler
78mins SAINTS DG Fotuali’i 9-13
80+2mins SAINTS Try Elliott 9-18
FULL-TIME LEIN 9 SAINTS 18
LEINSTER
R Kearney; D Kearney, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Fitzgerald; Madigan, Reddan; McGrath, Cronin, Ross, Toner, McCarthy, Ruddock, Jennings, Heaslip
Reps - Dundon, Bent, Moore, Cullen, McLaughlin, Cooney, Gopperth, Kirchner
SAINTS
K Pisi; Elliott, North, Burrell, Collins; Myler, L Dickson; A Waller, Hartley, Ma'afu, Lawes, Day, Clark, Wood, Manoa
Reps - Haywood, E Waller, Mercey, Dickinson, Dowson, Fotuali’i, G Dickson, Stephenson
Heineken Man of the Match: Samu Manoa
Referee: Jerome Garces
Att: 48,000
