Leinster In Ruthless Form As They Set Up Bulls Clash

Leinster put their European Cup disappointment behind them to hammer Glasgow Warriors 76-14 in a brutally one-sided United Rugby Championship quarter-final at the RDS.

Richie Gray’s sin-binning was punished with three tries, including Joe McCarthy’s first for Leinster, as the Irish Shield winners galloped into a 26-7 half-time lead.

Dan Sheehan bagged a brace and the electric Jordan Larmour also crossed as Glasgow’s initial seven-point advantage – thanks to Zander Fagerson’s fourth-minute effort – was ominously washed away.

Leo Cullen’s men finished with an eye-watering 12 tries – a new URC record for them – as Caelan Doris, Michael Ala’alatoa, Jamison Gibson-Park, Garry Ringrose, Larmour, Ciaran Frawley, Luke McGrath and Jimmy O’Brien completed the rout.

Warriors’ only consolation was replacement George Horne’s converted score on the hour mark. Leinster march on to host the Vodacom Bulls in next week’s semi-finals.

James Ryan coughed up a couple of early penalties, Glasgow turning down a simple place-kick before prop Fagerson powered over from close range with Ross Thompson converting.

However, the hosts immediately profited from Gray’s yellow – his right arm caught Gibson-Park’s face at a ruck – and the resulting lineout drive saw Sheehan score.

Out-half Ross Byrne converted and also added the extras to Larmour’s 16th-minute effort, the winger released for the line after Gibson-Park had regained possession from a batted-down pass.

Young lock McCarthy picked from a ruck to extend Leinster’s lead, the TMO review ruling out a knock-on. Byrne slotted the extras to make it 21-7.

Sam Johnson reignited the Glasgow attack with a rampaging run before Gregor Brown was denied a try when Larmour ripped the ball away.

A late attack delivered Sheehan’s ninth try of the season, and Leinster needed just under three minutes of the second half to work Doris over for their fifth try, converted by Byrne.

Glasgow full-back Ollie Smith went to the bin for a deliberate knock-on, with Ala’alatoa then burrowing over for Byrne to convert.

Larmour was twice released out wide, setting up back-to-back tries for Gibson-Park and Ringrose as the Blues passed the half-century mark.

Leinster hit another gear during the third quarter, attacking in the wide channels and getting the best out of the fleet-footed Larmour.

With Smith off the field, Larmour carved through with two brilliant sidesteps and fed Ringrose for a real peach of a score that began back inside the hosts’ half.

Kiran McDonald offloaded for Horne to grab Glasgow’s second seven-pointer, but sharp hands from Robbie Henshaw and O’Brien made it a deserved double for Larmour.

Frawley, with an interception, and replacement McGrath rubbed salt into Glasgow wounds before O’Brien wrapped up a record-breaking day for the URC title favourites. Replacement Harry Byrne tagged on two conversions.

Centre Johnson and skipper Ryan Wilson toiled away for a well-beaten Warriors side who were overwhelmed in the end.

Sheehan and Doris were very effective for Leinster, but Larmour – following up on his excellent round 18 display against Munster – showed how devastating he can be as a running threat, picking up another URC player-of-the-match medal.