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Leinster aim to end their longest losing run on the road against a Montpellier side still smarting from their painful losing start to the European Rugby Champions Cup. - 21/10/2016 11:51
Leinster aim to end their longest losing run on the road against a Montpellier side still smarting from their painful losing start to the European Rugby Champions Cup.
The former European champions have not won in their last six away ties in the competition since winning at Castres Olympique in October 2014.
However the omens are good as they head to the Altrad Stadium, for their second French challenge in eight days, on the back of a handsome victory over the same opponents.
Leinster made the perfect start in Pool 4 as hooker Sean Cronin scored twice to set-up a bonus-point win over Castres in Dublin.
But head coach Leo Cullen admits his team must sharpen up before taking on Challenge Cup winners Montpellier.
“It’s definitely more important we take any chances we get because we are unlikely to have as many opportunities in Montpellier,” said Cullen.
“They are a very pragmatic team with a pragmatic coach so we need to be nailed on when we are given opportunities. It’s about capitalising on what we are creating. We were pleased with the outcome against Castres, but we were frustrated with the feeling that we left a lot of chances go.
“There’s always a hundred things to fix and we have to brush up on defending lineouts because that’s an area where Montpellier are strong, but it’s nice to do that off the back of a positive result.”
Montpellier head coach Jake White insists his players are hungry to right the wrongs of their narrow defeat at Northampton Saints where an 80th-minute penalty by Stephen Myler snatched a 16-14 win for the hosts.
Now Rugby World Cup winning coach White says his men are desperate to kick-start their Pool 4 campaign against Leinster.
He said: “I hope the players learn from this experience and bounce back against Leinster. We have to prepare properly for next week so this loss doesn’t hurt as much.
“That game just shows how fine the margins are in professional sport. We had two chances at the end to win it but we've ended up losing the game. It’s disappointing.”
Leinster have Johnny Sexton and Sean O'Brien back from injury but are without injured flanker Rhys Ruddock (calf) and could also face a familiar foe in former Ireland scrum-half Tomas O’Leary.
The two-time European Cup winner has joined Montpellier from Leinster’s arch-rivals Munster, as a medical joker, in time to play in this weekend’s second round of the Champions Cup.
Match Facts
- Montpellier have yet to defeat Leinster in the European Cup. They met in the 2011/12 pool stage with the clubs drawing 16-16 at Stade de la Mosson and Leinster winning 25-3 at the RDS.
- That game in Dublin marked the lowest points total Montpellier have recorded in the competition.
- Leinster have failed to win in their last five pool games on the road (D1, L4).
- Leinster’s Joey Carbery beat 11 defenders last weekend, the most of any player in Round 1.
There was no stopping Nemani Nadolo as he led Montpellier to a 22-16 European Rugby Champions Cup triumph over Leinster. - 23/10/2016 15:06
There was no stopping Nemani Nadolo as he led Montpellier to a 22-16 European Rugby Champions Cup triumph over Leinster.
The giant winger rumbled over for a first-half try before capitalising on an interception after Vincent Martin had gone over after half-an-hour. But Leinster grabbed a crucial losing bonus-point in the last play of the game when Isa Nacewa darted over and converted his own try.
The point keeps Leinster top of Pool 4 on six points, but only two points separates them and bottom side Northampton Saints after two rounds.
Montpellier had most of the possession and territory in the first quarter but failed to turn pressure into points. Instead it was the Irish province who finally broke the deadlock after 26 minutes. Leinster rumbled a rolling maul into Montpellier territory before it was brought down illegally. Surprisingly, Isa Nacewa took the kick instead of Sexton, and made no mistake to make it 3-0.
But Montpellier hit-back four minutes later. Vincent Martin scooped up a loose ball 30 metres from the try-line and scorched past Jamie Heaslip and Mike Ross to score at the posts. Frans Steyn atoned for an early penalty miss to slot the conversion to put the hosts 7-3 in-front.
And it got even better for Jake White’s men just before the break. Full-back Joffrey Michel drew his man to give Nadolo a one-on-one against Rob Kearney, and the Fijian giant ran over the Ireland full-back to score at the corner. Steyn landed the touchline conversion to make it 14-3 at half-time.
Steyn extended their advantage with a penalty, but Nacewa clawed three points back from the tee. But star of the show Nadolo bagged his second try of the game and Montpellier’s third to put them beyond Leinster’s reach. Leo Cullen’s men had held firm to stop a driving maul and earn a turnover. But when Heaslip peeled off the back of the scrum and attempted a pass to Zane Kirchner, Nadolo was there to intercept and run-in unopposed.
Nacewa landed a third penalty to make it 22-9, and he was at it again when Jamison Gibson-Park found his skipper racing down the left wing to score. And he showed nerves of steel to land the crucial conversion to seal a losing bonus-point.
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