Barry Daly’s amazing one-handed catch and score wasn’t even Leinster’s best try as Leo Cullen’s men maintained their winning start at the RDS.
If you have followed Leinster closely for the past decade, Friday’s bonus point victory over Cardiff may have sparked a sense of deja vu. Leinster were slow to get going, edged ahead before the break, stretched away early in the second half and ran in the bonus point tries in the final 10 minutes.
The hosts had already lost Rob Kearney to a hamstring injury, at half-time, when replacement hooker Sean Cronin copied starting No.2 James Tracy and ran in a try. Whereas Tracy pounded over from two yards out, Cronin picked and pumped from 40 yards. It only got better from there.
Ross Byrne picked out Barry Daly with a lovely kick across the pitch and the UCD star managed a superb, on-handed take behind his head before touching down.
Wow !!! Úd iontach ag Barry Daly do @leinsterrugby #LEIvCBL pic.twitter.com/wBVf7hQcTo
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) September 8, 2017
Úd iontach indeed.
That score was soon eclipsed, though, by a stunning team try that gobbled up 50 yards and included offloads from Andrew Porter and Isa Nacewa before Jack Conan’s pass skipped off Josh van der Flier and right into the arms of try-scorer Nick McCarthy.
Conan was awarded man-of-the-match after the 37-9 victory and van der Flier ended the game with three turnovers to his name. However, the stand-out performer for the Blues was Luke McGrath.
The 24-year-old is now closing in on 100 caps for the province and has been the starting scrum-half for 18 months now, having taken over from Eoin Reddan before the veteran slinger hung up his boots. McGrath had been tipped as one to watch as far back as 2012 and he is fulfilling a lot of prophecies.
At the RDS, last night, he exuded a quiet authority and ran both his backline and pack with a minimum of fuss. His kicking out of hand was absolutely superb and he pinned Cardiff back on too many occasions for their liking.
He is already one of the leadership corp at Leinster and while he does his fair share of bellowing on the pitch, he is often eager to set the tone and tempo. He leads and drives by example.
No more so was this evident then his three tackles on beleagured, back-pedalling Cardiff players in the space of six seconds, midway through the second half. With Leinster looking comfortable but non-threatening – 16-9 ahead – McGrath was already thinking of the bonus point.
Alex Cuthbert, Steve Shingler or Josh Navidi. McGrath didn’t care who he was tackling, he was making a damn point to his teammates. We’re not done here.
So enjoyable watching @LukeMcGrath93 put the smack down on unexpecting victims. Love to know his tackle count for the game
— luke fitzgerald (@lukefitz11) September 8, 2017
Luke McGrath channelling namesake Paul at the Giants Stadium; three tackles in a row…
— david kelly (@dk3lly) September 8, 2017
@bloodandmud – shit good. Only got 'goods'. Luke McGrath's triple tackle in Leinster V Cardiff and Barry Daly's air work for his try
— Sean (@SeanSeankirwan) September 8, 2017
While his passing may not have the same zip as Conor Murray, McGrath is right up there with the Munster man when it comes to tactical awareness, eye for gaps, sniping runs and the courage to back himself with big plays. Ireland coach Joe Schmidt praised him for his courage against England, earlier this year, and that was on show at the RDS again.
One imagines that Murray will be the main man for Ireland once the November Series comes around but McGrath is not going anywhere. For the first time in about six years, Murray will have to be at his best to hang onto that Ireland No.9 jersey.
