In Pics: Leinster 53 Bourgoin 7
Click here for photos from Saturday’s Heineken Cup Pool Five clash between Leinster and Bourgoin at the RDS.
Pictured above: Leinster number eight Jamie Heaslip, who was rewarded with the Heineken Cup man-of-the-match honour on Saturday night, shows the affects of a bruising forward battle with Bourgoin. Heaslip, who turns 22 on Thursday, scored his first Heineken Cup try in the 53-7 win.
Jamie Heaslip, seen here celebrating his 63rd-minute try, admitted afterwards that, as disappointing as Bourgoin were: “It’s guaranteed that they won’t be like that next weekend” when the sides clash again at the Stade Pierre Rajon. Heaslip’s score was his second try in seven days after he opened his provincial account against Connacht in the Celtic League last week.
Leinster winger Robert Kearney shows just how evasive he can be against Bourgoin’s Jean-Francois Coux. Including his brace on Saturday, Kearney has now scored five tries in 11 games for the province.
The RDS seems hardly the place to be for Bourgoin’s dejected players as they await a conversion attempt by Leinster captain Felipe Contepomi.
Ireland full-back Girvan Dempsey continued his recent spate of impressive displays in Leinster blue, using his pace and positional sense to aid Leinster in their try hunt. A close second to Heaslip as man-of-the-match.
Skipper Felipe Contepomi stretching over for Leinster’s second try of the first half. The Argentinian star is back at the top of the 2005/06 Heineken Cup scoring charts thanks to his 23-point haul on Saturday night. The medical student is now on 60 points (after three rounds) with his nearest challenger being Leicester fly-half Andy Goode (48).
Robert Kearney dotting down the opening try for Michael Cheika’s Leinster. Afterwards, Australian coach Cheika said: “That would be the best we have played so far. Our commitment to the breakdown, our aggression making sure that we had clean ball to play with (was satisfying). I was happy with our defence even though I wasn’t too happy that we let them in for a try. It is something we have to work on for next week.”
Leinster and Ireland centre Gordon D’Arcy gets away from a cluster of Bourgoin forwards.
Flanker Keith Gleeson, one of Leinster’s six try-scorers, tries to hold onto possession as he is sandwiched in a tackle at the RDS.
**All photos by Billy Stickland and Andrew Paton of Inpho Photography**