Four-Try Sheehan Thrives Off Dominant Leinster Maul

Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan helped himself to four tries as Leinster had little trouble in beating Benetton Rugby 42-10 in the BKT United Rugby Championship at the RDS.

One of 11 players returning from the New Zealand tour, Sheehan scored a 28-minute hat-trick to give the hosts a 21-3 half-time lead.

Replacement Manfredi Albanese ended Benetton’s wait for a try, but Leinster racked up six in the end as Josh van der Flier, Sheehan and Luke McGrath added further scores.

Sheehan is the eighth player, and first from Leinster, to score four tries in a URC match. The last one to do so was Marcell Coetzee for Ulster against Zebre (November 2020).

The young front rower, who only turned 24 last Saturday, thrived off Leinster’s dominant lineout maul and was rewarded for his accurate throwing and eye for the try-line with a brilliant quartet of tries.

The obvious choice for tonight’s URC player-of-the-match honour, he already has an impressive scoring record in blue, taking his haul to 20 tries in 30 appearances.

The only blip on the night for Leinster was an early head injury for Caelan Doris who was forced off. Ciaran Frawley, who is South Africa-bound with the Emerging Ireland squad, had a shoulder knock.

He was taken off as a precaution early in the second half, while James Ryan’s pre-match withdrawal due to a tight hamstring was also precautionary. Ross Molony replaced him in the team with Joe McCarthy coming onto the bench.

Joaquin Riera’s break along the left touchline signalled a bright start for Benetton, but Leinster seized a fifth-minute lead when an eager Sheehan was driven over from a well-executed lineout maul.

Benetton winger Mattia Bellini was sin-binned just before that, for a pull-back on Dave Kearney near the visitors’ line, and out-half Frawley converted for a 7-0 lead.

Replacement Henry Time-Stowers lifted the Italians with a turnover penalty, but some aggressive carrying off a lineout preceded Sheehan’s second converted score in the 16th minute.

After Benetton number 10 Giacomo da Re turned a scrum penalty into three points, Samoan Time-Stowers foiled a Leinster maul, only for a subsequent drive to propel Sheehan over for his hat-trick.

Within six minutes of the restart, flanker van der Flier was released for the right corner and replacement Ross Byrne converted.

Leo Cullen’s men were at their most fluent early in the second half. Sheehan carried hard off a maul, spearheading ten pacy phases and quick handling that sapped the energy from Benetton’s defence.

Byrne, who had come on for Frawley at half-back, and Jordan Larmour both drew in defenders before opening the way for van der Flier to score out wide.

Leinster took a familiar route to the whitewash in the 52nd minute, Sheehan charging over from another maul with Byrne’s right boot making it 35-3.

Recent Italy debutant Albanese replied just five minutes later. Ignacio Mendy and Tommaso Menoncello both made good ground before Onisi Ratave’s well-timed pick from a ruck and pass sent the scrum half over.

Leinster captain Garry Ringrose had a try disallowed past the hour mark. It would have been an excellent score, Jimmy O’Brien’s silky break taking them out of their own half but McGrath was just in touch as he offloaded to the supporting centre.

The wily McGrath did manage to have the final say in the 71st minute, using the maul platform to finish smartly with a jink and fend. Byrne converted for a third time.

Giving his reaction afterwards, Leinster head coach Cullen said: “There were lots of good parts in the performance last week, but it was a much more consistent performance today. Overall we’re pleased.

“You’re never quite sure how guys are going to be, first game of the season for a number of players. We have a lot of respect for Benetton, we’ve had some tough days out against them in the past.

“They’re a very strong, physical team, so I thought the guys were good in terms of (being) nice and dynamic in lots of facets of the game. Dan getting a hat-trick in the first half and another one in the second half.

“That’s off the back of some of the good work from the forwards around the lineout maul, in particular. There were plenty of good things in the game, so we’re pleased.”