Champions Cup: Leinster recover from slow start to see off Sale

PA Sport Staff

Leinster overcame a tougher-than-expected challenge from a much-changed Sale Sharks, pulling clear in the second half to seal a 37-27 Investec Champions Cup win at the RDS.

Despite not capitalising on Robbie Henshaw’s early sin-binning, Sale led 13-11 at half-time thanks to two Rob du Preez penalties and a slickly-crafted try from Connor Doherty.

An off-colour Leinster, six days on from winning in La Rochelle, were 10 points in arrears at one stage.

Josh van der Flier crossed just before the break, adding to Ciaran Frawley’s brace of penalties.

However, Leo Cullen’s men controlled most of final 40 minutes, with Jamison Gibson-Park touching down before James Harper’s return from the sin bin.

Henshaw and Ryan Baird took care of the bonus point and replacement Cian Healy added a fifth try before Tommy Taylor and Tom Curtis squeezed in late Sharks scores on the back of a Hugo Keenan yellow.

Despite rotating heavily from last week’s 28-5 victory over Stade Francais, Sale made a strong start as Telusa Veainu threatened close to the Leinster posts.

Henshaw got in to disrupt Doherty’s pass, only for referee Pierre Brousset to rule that he had played Veainu’s arm for a yellow card offence. Captain Du Preez’s penalty opened the scoring.

Player-of-the-match Van der Flier had a try ruled out for a knock-on from Baird, who was also held up before Frawley and Du Preez swapped penalties.

Sale silenced the home crowd in the 24th minute when Raffi Quirke’s grubber kick sat up for Du Preez to send Doherty speeding over from 35 metres out. Du Preez converted for a 13-3 lead.

Leinster’s superior scrum allowed Frawley to pull three points back before tighthead Harper was binned for repeated infringements.

Van der Flier grounded the ball off a late maul and the Ireland flanker then cut in from the left wing to set up Gibson-Park just two minutes after the restart.

Henshaw crashed in under the posts in the 56th minute, past Ernst van Rhyn’s attempted tackle. Frawley converted for a 23-13 scoreline.

Leinster’s quicker ruck speed had Keenan going close before Baird bagged the bonus point from close range and Frawley converted again.

Van der Flier denied Sale from a maul and Healy powered over in the 69th minute after a Ben Murphy pass bounced backwards off Baird. Champions Cup debutant Sam Prendergast converted.

Nonetheless, Sale rallied impressively late on. Keenan saw yellow for taking out Arron Reed after a kick and hooker Taylor scored from the resulting lineout drive.

Du Preez converted and also added the extras to replacement Curtis’ score, which saw Reed brilliantly take off from inside the visitors’ 22 and create the opening.

Still, their bonus point push came too late.