Top Performers - Benetton vs Leinster

Jamison Gibson-Park

Another fantastic performance by the little general. His vision paved the way for Adam Byrne’s first try with a clever kick in behind, which was pounced on by the winger in the corner. His box kicking was a real asset all afternoon for the champions, as they won the ball back on a number of occasions. The ability of the kiwi to clear the ball quickly from the ruck area allowed Leinster to test the Benetton defence out wide. Crisp handling from the nine led to Conor O’Brien crashing over with his first touch of the ball.

Robbie Henshaw

The centre was keen to show off his whole skillset today, as he looked to nail down his spot on the Irish XV, after a number of new options have been picked by Joe Schmidt for the November internationals. He carried well with ball in hand, making 74m on 17 possessions. He was a huge asset in getting over the gainline for the men in blue. He also kicked well when called upon, testing the Benetton back 3 with accurate stabs in behind.

Rob Kearney

Leinster kicked a lot in Italy today and the Irish fullback was deployed to try and win the ball back on a number of occasions. As usual, he was more than capable of completing that task but also was a key contributor to Leinster’s counter attack. The Louth native made the most metres of anyone on the pitch, beating a whopping 7 defenders in the process. Could we be seeing a revival of the Kearney of old, coming into his last couple of years of professional rugby?