Champions Cup
Leinster Batter Lyon at the RDS
Leinster have made it 15 wins from 15 so far this season with yet another big win
Leinster have made it five wins from five in Champions Cup Pool 1 with a comprehensive 42-14 victory over Lyon in the RDS this afternoon.
A brace of tries from Dave Kearney, along with further five-pointers from Josh van der Flier, Max Deegan, Sean Cronin and Andrew Porter saw the boys in blue ease to victory despite not being at their best throughout the game.
Leinster thought they had got off to the perfect start as Luke McGrath went over for a try after just 40 seconds, but it was chalked off with the scrum-half being offside.
They went over again moments later but again it again cancelled out as James Lowe knocked on in the build-up.
However, it was third time lucky with 10 minutes on the clock as Ross Byrne took a quick cross-field kick from a penalty, which Lowe took in before sending it inside to Kearney for the try. Byrne split the posts with the conversion to make it 7-0.
Four minutes on and they were over again through van der Flier who was fed by McGrath close to the line and he charged over. Byrne made it two kicks from two to push the hosts 14-0 ahead.
Lyon hit back just after the 20 minute mark as Virgile Bruni intercepted a pass and raced forward to touch down under the posts. Jonathan Pelissie knocked over the extras to cut into the hosts lead.
Leinster captain Scott Fardy thought he had scored his side’s third try only to have it ruled out for another knock-on.
However, on 31 minutes Leinster did have their third try and it was Kearney who finished off a period of pressure in the opposition 22 as Lowe unselfishly passed to him when he could have tried to score himself. Byrne hit the post with the conversion, but it still managed to go over to make it 21-7.
The away side hit back again after some pressure of their own in the Leinster 22 and with a penalty advantage they went over for their second try of the game through second-row Hendrik Roodt. Pelissie converted once again to make it 21-14 come half-time.
Leinster dominated the opening exchanges of the second-half and thought they had scored their fourth try of the afternoon on 45 minutes through van der Flier, but it was again ruled out, this time due to a forward pass.
The home side continued to put the pressure on inside the Lyon 22 and after a number of penalties the away side lost Felix Lambey to a yellow-card.
Leinster made the most of their man advantage and secured the bonus-point try on 50 minutes as Deegan finished off a number of phases in the Lyon 22 by barging under the posts. Byrne chipped over the conversion to give Leinster a 28-14 lead.
Things only got worse for Lyon on 63 minutes as Xavier Mignot was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes and again Leinster made their numerical advantage count as substitute Cronin went over off the back of a line-out from the resulting penalty. Byrne made it five from five from the tee to make it 35-14.
They had their sixth try of the game with nine minutes left on the clock as they made the most of some more time in the Lyon 22 and after a few phases Porter barrelled over for a five-pointer. Replacement fly-half Ciaran Frawley slotted the conversion between the posts.
The final 10 minutes came to nothing for either side as Leinster ran out 42-14 winners.
The win means that Leinster have claimed 24 points from a possible 25 in the pool stages and have continued their winning streak this season, extending the run to 15 on the bounce. Leinster will hope to finish the pool with a perfect record when they head to Benetton next weekend, while Lyon will hope to end their run in this season’s competition with a positive result against Northampton.
Player Ratings
Starting XV:
Jordan Larmour (7), Dave Kearney (8), Garry Ringrose (7), Robbie Henshaw (7), James Lowe (8), Ross Byrne (8), Luke McGrath (8); Cian Healy (7), James Tracy (7), Tadhg Furlong (8), Devin Toner (7), Scott Fardy (8), Rhys Ruddock (7), Josh van der Flier (8), Max Deegan (9)
Replacements (8)
Munster Rugby and the Crusaders are set to create history in 2024 with a world-first ‘Clash of Champions’ game on Saturday, February 3 (5pm).
The New Zealand franchise secured their seventh successive Super Rugby Pacific championship on Saturday in Waikato defeating Chiefs 25-20 to retain their title. They are the most successful team in the competition’s history having won 14 trophies and are world renowned for their history and record of success and excellence.
Following Munster’s recent URC success in Cape Town, it will be the first time ever the reigning champions of the URC and Super Rugby face off against each other.
Former Munster Head Coach Rob Penney has already been confirmed as the new Crusaders Head Coach from 2024 and their pre-season campaign will see them embark on their first-ever international tour for fixtures against Munster and Bristol Bears.
Munster Rugby CEO, Ian Flanagan said: “We are delighted to welcome the Super Rugby champions to Munster, hosting a groundbreaking fixture against the Crusaders.
“We hold a proud and rich history of playing touring sides and I’ve no doubt next February’s game will be a special occasion for all involved.”
Colin Mansbridge, Crusaders CEO, said: “The Crusaders are thrilled to be coming over to Ireland and the UK to face some stiff competition away from home.
“NZ and Australian clubs have been working on the World Club Competition for years, so when an opportunity for Super teams to play Northern Hemisphere counterparts came up, it was just too good to pass up.
“Munster have a history of giving touring sides a pretty hard time, so they present particularly tough competition. There’s also the added connection with our new Head Coach Rob Penney who coached there,” Mansbridge said.
The venue within Munster, and ticket details, will be confirmed in due course. MRSC members will be contacted directly regarding a pre-sale.
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2024 Crusaders Ireland and UK Fixtures
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Munster Rugby v Crusaders, Venue TBC, 5pm;
Friday February 9, 2024
Bristol Bears v Crusaders, Ashton Gate, 7.30pm;
Images & Content from Munster Rugby
The draw for the pool stages of the 2023/24 Champions Cup took place earlier this afternoon in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Leinster Rugby have been drawn in Pool 4, alongside La Rochelle, Stade Francais, Leicester Tigers, DHL Stormers and Sale Sharks.
Leo Cullen’s team will face La Rochelle, Stade Francais, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks in the four pool matches, with two matches at home, and two matches away.
The top-four teams from each pool will advance to the Round of 16, with the fifth-placed teams moving into the EPCR Challange Cup.
All fixture details will be confirmed in due course.
2023/24 weekends
Round 1 – 8/9/10 December 2023
Round 2 – 15/16/17 December 2023
Round 3 – 12/13/14 January 2024
Round 4 – 19/20/21 January 2024
Round of 16 – 5/6/7 April 2024
Quarter-Finals – 12/13/14 April 2024
Semi-Finals – 3/4/5 May 2024
EPCR Challenge Cup Final – Friday 24 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Champions Cup Final – Saturday 25 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Images & Content from Leinster Rugby
Munster will face Bayonne, Exeter Chiefs, Toulon and Northampton Saints in the pool stages of the 2023/24 Champions Cup.
Munster were drawn in Pool 3 which also includes the Glasgow Warriors.
Munster were drawn as a Tier 1 side alongside La Rochelle, Toulouse and Saracens.
The four highest-ranked clubs from each of the pools will qualify for the knockout stage.
Fixture details will be confirmed at a later date.
Draw
Pool 1
Saracens
Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Vodacom Bulls
Bristol Bears
Connacht Rugby
Lyon
Pool 2
Stade Toulousain
Cardiff Rugby
Bath Rugby
Racing 92
Harlequins
Ulster Rugby
Pool 3
Munster Rugby
Aviron Bayonnais
Glasgow Warriors
Exeter Chiefs
RC Toulon
Northampton Saints
Pool 4
Stade Rochelais
Stade Francais Paris
Leicester Tigers
DHL Stormers
Leinster Rugby
Sale Sharks
2023/24 WEEKENDS
Round 1 – 8/9/10 December 2023
Round 2 – 15/16/17 December 2023
Round 3 – 12/13/14 January 2024
Round 4 – 19/20/21 January 2024
Round of 16 – 5/6/7 April 2024
Quarter-finals – 12/13/14 April 2024
Semi-finals – 3/4/5 May 2024
EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday 24 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Champions Cup final – Saturday 25 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Images & Content from Munster Rugby
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