Laney Late Show Lams Leinster
27 September - Leinster 30 Edinburgh 33
Three years ago, Duncan Hodge broke Leinster hearts at Donnybrook with an equalising penalty on the last kick of the game to earn a draw, which effectively ended Leinster's Heineken Cup campaign that year. Last night, another Edinburgh number 10, Brendan Laney, went one better by nailing a penalty from the halfway line on the final whistle to give Edinburgh an extraordinary 33-30 victory. A combination of two teams determined to play adventurous rugby, a fine, still Dublin evening, and positive refereeing led to a fast, open, hugely entertaining contest.
In a bizarre repeat of events during the Edinburgh-Borders game a fortnight ago, Derrick Lee crossed for the try that took the score to 30-28 to Leinster deep into injury time. Several Leinster players expressed the view that there had been an Edinburgh forward pass in the movement; David Quinlan appeared to make some rather unflattering remarks to the referee, Mr Watkins, and was instantly red carded. It was a brave decision by the Welshman, but the resulting penalty on the halfway line gave Laney a chance to emulate Ander Monro's prodigious feat at Meadowbank. Naturally, the consummate showman grabbed the opportunity with both hands; the ball sneaked between the posts; the final whistle went; and joy was unconfined in the Edinburgh camp.
Leinster will feel deeply disappointed that their own indiscipline cost them a draw. The bonus point for losing by under seven points will be little consolation. In truth, Leinster did not deserve to lose the game, and most of their fans will feel that they should have closed out the win. But they reckoned without the spirit and determination of this Edinburgh team, urged on by Blackadder and Burns in the final minutes. Gunners fans will be looking for the same spirit in next Saturday's revenge clash with Cardiff in the Celtic Cup quarter-final.
Before the game, Edinburgh must have felt that now was a good time to visit a Leinster team hit hard by Ireland's World Cup commitments. Leinster had other ideas. They began the match aggressively, pinning Edinburgh in their own half for much of the first quarter. Slick handling and quick recycling led to an early penalty for an Edinburgh offside, converted by young Leinster stand-off Leek. That was followed in the 10th minute by a try by his half-back partner Brian O'Riordan in the right corner, goaled by Leek. While Laney pulled three points back shortly afterwards, things were beginning to look ominous for the Gunners, particularly when Laney knocked on with the tryline at his mercy after fine work by Burns.
A missed tackle on the Edinburgh 22 allowed Leinster inside centre D'Arcy to scoot over for a soft try under the posts, again converted by the impressive Leek. But the Gunners were clawing their way back into the game - with Simon Webster looking particularly dangerous - and using the driving maul intelligently. After several minutes camped on the Leinster line, the ball came back from a ruck to Laney who feinted left, then stepped right and scored under the posts on 38 minutes, converting the try to take the score to 17-10 in Leinster's favour. The half ended with Simon Cross being yellow carded for killing the ball.
The second half began with Edinburgh keeping up the pressure on their hosts. They held out during Cross's absence, conceding just a Leek penalty. A deft grubber kick from Laney into the Leinster in-goal area almost led to a Webster try, before Laney slotted a difficult drop goal from wide left on 54 minutes to make the score 20-13 Leinster. Leinster hit back almost immediately with a fine try from D'Arcy, taking advantage of what looked suspiciously like crossing in the Leinster midfield. Surely that was game over for the Gunners?
But Edinburgh reacted the only way they know how - by going on the attack. It took frantic Leinster defence to keep Derrick Lee out, while shortly afterwards Webster knocked on agonisingly on the Leinster tryline. The Gunners pack had the edge in the scrummage and were beginning to get the upper hand in the loose before the most important of many turning points during the game - D'Arcy was yellow carded for handling in a ruck in the 72nd minute.
Shortly afterwards, Lee crossed in the corner for an unconverted try that took the score to 27-18. Edinburgh were playing intelligently, kicking into the gaps between the Leinster wingers. Tom Philip, who had taken the ball up well all game, scored in the corner with two minutes of normal time remaining, Laney missing the conversion.
When Leek calmly slotted a penalty in the 80th minute to take the score to 30-23, and the Leinster pack took a rolling maul twenty yards down the pitch after the restart, most in the 4,000 crowd must have felt that a home win was secure. But they reckoned without Lee and Laney's late late show.
MAN OF THE MATCH
The game saw many heroic Gunners performances, with all the youngsters stepping up to the mark. But for his haul of 18 points, the way he got his backs moving, and his intelligent line kicking during D'Arcy's crucial absence in the second half, this correspondent's vote goes to BRENDAN LANEY.
See Bill Lothian's verdict in the Evening News - http://www.sport.scotsman.com/rugby_superteams.cfm
For the opposition reaction, visit www.leinsterrugby.ie
Edinburgh: Derrick Lee, Simon Webster, Craig Joiner, Tom Philip, Conan Sharman (Southwell 62); Brendan Laney, Graeme Burns; Allan Jacobsen, Andrew Kelly (DiCiacca 63), Craig Smith (Brannigan 52), Guy Perrett, Alastair Kellock, Todd Blackadder (captain), Simon Cross, Andrew Dall (Hogg 50) Substitutes: Carlo Di Ciacca, Joel Brannigan, Nathan Pike, Allister Hogg, Rory Lawson, Alistair Warnock, Hugo Southwell
Leinster: Gordon D\'Arcy, John McWeeney, Christian Warner, David Quinlan, Brendan Burke; Matthew Leek (O'Meara 66), Brian O\'Riordan; John Lyne (Coyle 70), Gavin Hickie, Emmett Byrne, Leo Cullen (Captain), Ben Gissing (Kearney 70), Aidan McCullen, Shane Jennings (Breslin 26), Des Dillon Subbstitutes: Peter Coyle, David Blaney, Aidan Kearney, Niall Breslin, Brian O\'Meara, Gary Brown, James Norton
Referee: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Scorers:
Edinburgh: Laney (1T, 2C, 2P, 1DG), Lee (2T), Philip (1T)
Leinster: Leek (3C, 2P), O'Meara (1P), D'Arcy (2T), O'Riordan (1T)