{"id":24846,"date":"2022-01-16T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T16:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24846"},"modified":"2022-01-18T09:02:59","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T14:02:59","slug":"leinster-ease-past-montpellier-in-89-7-heineken-champions-cup-blow-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24846","title":{"rendered":"Leinster Ease Past Montpellier In 89-7 Heineken Champions Cup Blow-Out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Leinster’s James Lowe (right) scores their side’s thirteenth try of the game (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Leinster cruised past an under-strength Montpellier to resume their Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a thumping 89-7 bonus-point win at the RDS Arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite some obvious rustiness, Leinster pocketed their bonus point by the 23rd minute and led 40-7 at half-time, with Masivesi Dakuwaqa mustering Montpellier\u2019s only response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ross Byrne, Ross Molony, Michael Ala\u2019alatoa and Jordan Larmour all touched down in the opening 40 minutes, with the province\u2019s first five conversions fired over by fly-half Byrne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Byrne finished the match with 19 points and Jonathan Sexton kicked 10 as Leinster took their try haul to 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heineken star-of-the-match Josh Van Der Flier (2), Jimmy O\u2019Brien, Dan Sheehan (2), Conan and James Lowe shared out the second-half scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A wilting Montpellier played the final 13 minutes without Fijian flanker Dakuwaqa, who was sent off for a swinging arm tackle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disruption caused by Covid-19 meant this was Leinster\u2019s first game in over a month and they quickly got down to business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conan was in acres of space for the third-minute opener before O\u2019Brien\u2019s pass was batted backwards by Henry Thomas, allowing Gibson-Park to pick up an opportunist second try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montpellier\u2019s teenage number 10 Louis Foursans then had a kick charged down by Ronan Kelleher, Byrne following up for a simple finish under the posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only real concern for Leo Cullen\u2019s men was on the injury front, as James Ryan pulled out beforehand with a minor muscle issue and Tadhg Furlong went off early on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second row Molony stretched over to make it 28-0, but Montpellier\u2019s attack sparked into life from the restart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boyne RFC product Karl Martin made the initial break and, with a knock-on ruled out, Dakuwaqa\u2019s lunging 27th-minute effort from a ruck stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marco Tauleigne was denied a second Montpellier try due to Guilhem Guirado\u2019s foot in touch, before a terrific pass from Gibson-Park played in prop Ala\u2019alatoa for Leinster\u2019s fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Livewire winger Larmour deservedly got on the scoresheet after 38 minutes, reaching over after a classy run by Caelan Doris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just three minutes after the interval, Van Der Flier scored from a fine Conan offload and Byrne converted for a 40-point margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kildare man O\u2019Brien soon accelerated through for a superb solo score from 40 meters out, with Byrne again converting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The newly-introduced Sexton added the extras to Van Der Flier\u2019s second try, as the flanker gobbled up Vincent Giudicelli\u2019s long lineout throw and sped clean through from Montpellier\u2019s 10-meter line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Into the final quarter, replacement hooker Sheehan galloped over from Lowe\u2019s return offload for Sexton to convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dakuwaqa was then dismissed for a loose challenge that made contact with Van Der Flier\u2019s head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheehan completed his brace from a lineout maul, and Leinster eclipsed their biggest European winning margin from 2003 \u2013 A 92-17 victory over Bourgoin \u2013 thanks to closing tries from Conan and Lowe.<\/p>\n

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