Match report: Leinster Rugby 36-12 Stormers

January 25, 2025
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Ultimate Rugby

Dan Sheehan made a spectacular return from injury in Leinster’s bonus-point win over the DHL Stormers in the BKT United Rugby Championship at Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Ireland hooker and Andrew Osborne grabbed a brace alongside Jordie Barrett’s effort for a five-try haul that makes it 10 out of 10 wins in the URC for Leinster the season, and 14 out of 14 in all competitions.

Good work by Osborne and Luke McGrath, backed up by Henry McErlean’s perceptive kick, put Leinster on the front foot with an early 50:22. The long lineout was taken on by Barrett but it came to nothing.

The Stormers were over optimistic at the breakdown and gave away a penalty in a dangerous position. Ross Byrne slotted the lead points from 35 metres out.

When Leinster next earned a penalty in a kickable spot, this time from a scrum, Byrne decided it was best to go to the corner. Joseph Dweba knocked the ball on from the resulting lineout and a five-metre scrum was the platform for many carries. Byrne put Barrett into space and the All Black centre made an easy pass to Osborne for the opening try, converted by Byrne in the 12th minute to open up a 10-0 lead.

The South Africans went hunting for points to get them back into the game but RG Snyman’s hit forced a spill out of Ali Vermaak and Byrne cleared to halfway.

Stormers came again. An overthrown lineout looked to have killed their attack but Sheehan could not hold on. The visitors struck impressively as Manie Libbok created the room for Ben Loader to finish in the corner. Libbok converted to close the gap to 10-7 in the 22nd minute.

Snyman’s picture-perfect offloads to Byrne and Max Deegan were snapshots of excellence and Alex Soroka’s unorthodox long kick came forward off Deon Fourie to win Leinster an attacking scrum in enemy territory.

Another wonder play by Snyman and similar expertise by Barrett deserved better but Warrick Gelant won a turnover.

A lovely Garryowen by McGrath gave Lowe a chance to compete in the air and the scrum-half soon turned over a ruck on the touchline.

McGrath’s brave take down of Loader came at the cost of his withdrawal from the game after an accidental knee to the head.

A blistering Leinster attack, started by Charlie Tector’s work through contact, owed much to proficient passing for Lowe to send Sheehan hurtling towards the corner to score upon his return and give Leinster a 15-7 lead at the break.

The South Africans went hunting for points to get them back into the game but RG Snyman’s hit forced a spill out of Ali Vermaak and Byrne cleared to halfway.

Another wonder play by Snyman and similar expertise by Barrett deserved better but Warrick Gelant won a turnover.

A lovely Garryowen by McGrath gave Lowe a chance to compete in the air and the scrum-half soon turned over a ruck on the touchline.

McGrath’s brave take down of Loader came at the cost of his withdrawal from the game after an accidental knee to the head.

Leinster controlled much of the second half. The power of Alex Soroka in contact, Charlie Tector’s retrieval of Byrne’s Garryowen and fluid continuity were rewarded with a penalty. It prompted a period of sustained pressure that was neutralised by Dweba’s turnover on Deegan.

A Leinster scrum penalty was undermined by a crooked lineout in a sign of the inconsistent play by both sides. The Blues were spending a lot of time inside the 22 without coming away with points.

Brian Deeny prevented Jonathan Roche from countering for the visitors and a long ball from McErlean, followed by a precise kick by Byrne, kept the Stormers pinned down.

Sheehan’s recovery of a loose lineout set an attack in motion as Leinster searched for another score. The home side opted to take the tap option on a penalty just five metres out, backing their in phase play. Scott Penny fizzed a sweet pass across to an onrushing Barrett to blast through Evan Roos and Roche to touch down for his side’s third try. Byrne converted to give Leinster a 22-7 advantage in the 60th minute.

The pace of the game picked up as a typical Snyman offload was the genesis for a smart surge forward from Leinster. Osborne and Deegan hared up the right before Barrett’s pinpoint kick-pass found Sheehan ready to secure the bonus point. Byrne converted again to leave the score 29-7.

Lowe looked to have bagged Leinster’s fifth try shortly after as he claimed a loose ball and ran in untouched from halfway but his effort was rubbed out when Eoghan Cross spotted Deegan’s knock-on in the tackle that set the ball free.

The Leinster scrum churned out back-to-back penalties and Osborne’s opportunism in picking off an interception resulted in a fifth try, which Byrne converted for 36-7.

It looked like Stormers were in line for a second try when Lowe showed up to snuff it out before Roos peeled away from a maul for the consolation try.