Bonus Point Reward For Fast-Starting Leinster

Leinster began the inaugural United Rugby Championship in bonus-point style as they handed Vodacom Bulls a 31-3 beating at the Aviva Stadium.

Match Photo Gallery: Leinster 31 Vodacom Bulls 3

The loosening of the Covid-19 restrictions brought the attendance up to 19,419, and the PRO14 champions put their best foot forward against the recent Currie Cup winners.

Captain Jonathan Sexton sent over a penalty and converted tries from Josh van der Flier and Andrew Porter – all inside the opening 14 minutes – as Leinster’s fast start earned them a 17-3 half-time lead.

Johan Goosen had kicked the Bulls’ first URC points, but the hosts’ defence held firm and further scores from replacements James Tracy and Ross Byrne sealed a convincing victory.

Sexton’s fourth-minute penalty got Leinster up and running, with Goosen putting the kick-off out on the full and the Bulls quickly being pinged at the scrum and breakdown.

Some nice passing set up van der Flier to thunder over, the player-of-the-match breaking through a gap before bouncing off David Kriel’s attempted tackle to score.

A second seven-pointer followed in the 12th minute, the Bulls losing a lineout and Ciaran Frawley tapped back Sexton’s lobbed kick for Garry Ringrose to send prop Porter over from close range.

Just when the Bulls were building momentum, James Ryan stole a lineout and van der Flier forced a penalty. The latter also denied Cornal Hendricks a try, but Goosen’s simple 22nd-minute penalty opened the visitors’ account.

That try continued to elude the South Africans despite some impressive phases. Madosh Tambwe weaved over on the left but had his scored chalked off for a prior knock-on.

Into the second half, Leinster emerged scoreless from a promising early spell, James Lowe’s decision to take a quick tap ultimately.

They increased their lead in the 56th minute, the Bulls getting fingertips to a lineout but Rhys Ruddock retrieved it and a well-directed maul put Tracy over before Sexton converted in his final act.

The Bulls’ last try-scoring chance was foiled by a double tackle on Elrigh Louw. Leinster soon countered slickly from a kick, Frawley the instigator and a pace-laden attack finished with Ringrose putting Byrne over on the left.

Ruddock had some excellent moments, but his back row colleague van der Flier deservedly won the player-of-the-match honour.

The dynamic 28-year-old openside was everywhere, taking his try with great aplomb and it was no surprise to see him involved in the build-up to Byrne’s bonus point effort.

Speaking in the aftermath, head coach Leo Cullen said: “We’re pleased, delighted to get a win because we knew the Bulls were going to be tough opposition. It was great to run out in front of a big crowd here.

“Hopefully that builds over the course of the next few weeks and months ahead. Amazing to have supporters back in the stadium – and I think you see the lift that it gives the players, in particular.

“Guys have worked hard over pre-season, started the game which kind of settles you in. I think the Bulls were more dominant in that second half of that first period, but we managed to hold them out.

“Overall, yeah, we’re pleased. Had to work hard for it, a lot of tired bodies inside (in the dressing room). Big thing for us now is to try and recover well and get ready for the Dragons next Sunday.”

Debutant prop Michael Ala’alatoa commented: “It’s been an awesome couple of weeks, transitioning from New Zealand, and a good couple of weeks of training under the belt.

“Good to get a competitive game out here at the Aviva. Pretty fast game so I think my lungs need a bit of improving! I think they’ll get better as the season goes on.

“We had a good plan going into the week around wanting to play an attacking style of rugby. We did that for most of the game. We kind of let them off the hook with some discipline towards the back end.

“But if we improve on that next week, it’ll be hard for teams to stop us. It’s exciting to be a part of it.”