Analysis: Leinster could have done so much more for Jimmy Gopperth’s drop goal

We swear, this is the last story we will do on Leinster’s gut-wrenching loss in Marseille.

Matt O’Connor’s side will not win the Champions Cup this year. They have a crucial Guinness PRO12 game against Ulster on Friday night. It is just about time to move on.

Before we do, however, we just want to take a closer look at Jimmy Gopperth’s 78th minute drop goal attempt against Toulon.

The scores were level, at 12-12, and Leinster were on the attack.

75:55 – It all began when Devin Toner pressured Juan-Fernandez Lobbe into a mistake at the line-out. Richardt Strauss was quick to pounce on the loose ball. Ali Williams refused to roll away and Wayne Barnes whistled for a penalty. ‘I had the ball’ the Kiwi protested as he walked back to join his team-mates.

76:54 – Jimmy Gopperth kicked for the line. On the Toulon twenty-two, Jamie Heaslip claimed Strauss’ throw, handed off to Sean O’Brien, and Leinster set up a maul.

77:27 – O’Brien is brought to ground so Leinster go wide. Ian Madigan finds Ben Te’o, who crashes up the centre. With Leinster on the twenty-two, and Gopperth standing in the pocket [37m from goal], this is the good opportunity for the Kiwi to have a crack at the posts. Eoin Reddan opts, instead, to feed Jordi Murphy.

77:40 – Again, Gopperth is in the pocket. This time he is 35 metres out and still centrally placed. Perhaps confident he has time to play with Reddan hits O’Brien. The Tullow Tank gains five metres and now we see Reddan get visibly excited. Toulon may be aware that a drop goal is coming but Reddan gives the game up by signalling for Gopperth. This is it.

77:48 – Reddan’s pass to Gopperth is good. What the out-half could do with now is some of his Leinster colleagues to screen his kick. This is the situation as Reddan passes. Devin Toner and Jamie Heaslip are the two nearest Leinster players. The Toulon players that will attempt to pressure Gopperth are Sébastien Tillous-Borde and Chris Masoe.

77:51 – Toner, all 6ft 10in of him, lets Masoe canter by him unobstructed. He is playing by the rules, of course, but he surely could have made the No.8’s task a lot, lot tougher. Heaslip does a half decent job of slowing the forward – giving him a sly bump as he runs by. As the move plays out, however, Masoe is a metre away from Gopperth when his kick releases. Tillous-Borde is a metre further back..

Here is the play in GIF form.

In a game decided by centimetres – Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal reckons Gopperth’s kick went 5cm wide – Leinster’s forwards should have done more to give their out-half as much time and space as possible

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