Ulster must play the territory to avoid suffocation of inevitable Leinster backlash
Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey looked ahead to tonight’s top-of-the-table clash on our Rugby Weekly podcast. By The42 Team Friday 8 Jan 2021, 8:30 AM Jan 8th 2021, 8:00 AM 13,459 Views 20 Comments
James Ryan tackles former team-mate Jack McGrath, now of Ulster.
Image: Billy Stickland/INPHO
Image: Billy Stickland/INPHO
Updated Jan 8th 2021, 8:30 AM
IT’S RARE THAT the top two teams in a conference and, indeed, the two teams with the most match points in the Guinness Pro14 overall, enter a summit meeting with so much to prove, and so many areas in which to improve.
Connacht win thriller to secure first away win over Leinster in 19 years
Johnny Sexton went off injured midway through the first half as Andy Friend’s side pulled off a famous victory. Garry Doyle By Garry Doyle Saturday 2 Jan 2021, 9:35 PM Jan 2nd 2021, 9:35 PM 50,804 Views 72 Comments
Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Connacht 35
THIS WAS A proper festive treat. Not just in terms of Connacht’s performance – which was superb – but also with regard to the excitement gifted to this contest by Leinster’s second-half comeback, the resilience Connacht showed to see off that threat and then their joy at the final whistle as they greeted their first away win over Leinster since 2002.
Saints alive now but Leinster will kill their European hopes by 3pm
Leo Cullen’s side will see off their English challengers today to move a step closer to the Champions Cup quarters. By Garry Doyle Saturday 19 Dec 2020, 8:08 AM Dec 19th 2020, 8:08 AM 7,224 Views 14 Comments
Harry Byrne makes his first European start.
Image: Robbie Stephenson/INPHO
Image: Robbie Stephenson/INPHO
THE YEARS CHANGE, the script doesn’t. Season after season, Leo Cullen drops in a European debutant or two but after all the fuss that stemmed from the five greenhorns he selected against Bath back in January 2016, we’ve almost reached the stage where we don’t even notice the new guys come along.
Leinster set to keep the foot down as Saints make maiden RDS trip Leo Cullen brings in six Irish internationals but warns against complacency
Sat, Dec 19, 2020, 06:00
Leinster v Northampton Saints, RDS, Saturday, 1pm – Live on Virgin Media/Channel 4/BT Sport
Already atop Pool A as one of only two sides to obtain a five-point haul in that half of the draw last weekend, an imposing-looking Leinster side have the chance to maintain their push for a place in the knock-out stages and, potentially, something more than that.
Although it’s early days yet, by close of business on Sunday evening we will be halfway through the pool stages, and the prize for topping Pool A would not only ensure playing the second leg of the quarter-finals at home, but would have the additional carrot of home country advantage in the semi-final stages.
Updated / Saturday, 19 Dec 2020
15:18
Dave Kearney dives over for Leinster s third try
Leinster were far from at their best but did enough to pick up another Heineken Champions Cup bonus-point win as they saw off an understrength Northampton at the RDS.
It was a tighter contest than expected in the first half, with tries from Josh Murphy, Cian Healy and Dave Kearney giving injury-hit Leinster a 22-14 interval lead.
Fraser Dingwall and Champions Cup debutant Tom James hit back for Saints, who fielded a much-changed side following last week s home loss to Bordeaux.
Jamison Gibson-Park and Nick Isiekwe swapped early second-half tries, leaving out-half Ross Byrne to kick Leinster home with two closing penalties.