Following a comfortable 47-21 victory over Bath in the Investec Champions Cup clash at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Leinster.
Leinster player ratings v Bath
15 Hugo Keenan: Slightly rusty on his return from injury. Solid at the back but very much a case of easing himself back into proceedings. 5
14 Garry Ringrose: Shifted to the wing to accommodate Jordie Barrett effectively and he struggled defensively. Better moments in attack after the break but get him back at centre Leo. 5
13 Robbie Henshaw: However, the issue with that is that Henshaw impressed in Saturday’s victory. He carried hard all day and consistently got Leinster over the gain line. 8
12 Jordie Barrett: An outstanding start to his brief Leinster stint continued as the All Blacks star shone once again. Carried well, took some stunning lines and was also a creative presence in the midfield. Absolutely majestic at times. 8
11 Jamie Osborne: Like Ringrose, the youngster prefers to be at centre, but he had another good game on the wing. Showed some deft footwork in tight spaces and was also excellent under the high ball. 7
Prendergast ‘underwhelming’
10 Sam Prendergast: Just not quite there yet. Continues to stand too deep and, as a result, it led to errors from him and his team-mates in attack. One lovely moment aside, it was pretty underwhelming from the young fly-half. 5
9 Jamison Gibson-Park: Service was sharp and his kicking was accurate. Also grew in influence as the game went on, especially after Beno Obano was sent off. 7
8 Jack Conan (c): Named as captain with Caelan Doris on the bench and the number eight took his chance. Among Leinster’s better players with an all-action display. 8
7 Josh van der Flier: Not quite as influential as last weekend but the Ireland star was once again an absolute workhorse. 7
6 Max Deegan: Part of a hard-working loose trio but he wasn’t as prominent as his team-mates and was taken off early in the second half. 6
Set-piece dominance
5 James Ryan: Put in a good shift in the first half, but was replaced early in the second for RG Snyman, which proved to be a rather good decision. 6
4 Joe McCarthy: Much better from the second-row, who hasn’t quite reached the standards of last season. Was far more physical in the carry and dominated Bath in contact after the break. 8
3 Rabah Slimani: The signing of the season? Quite possibly. Leinster have had to rely too much on Tadhg Furlong over the years but Slimani has given them another excellent option, whether as a starter or off the bench. Took Obano to the cleaners. 8
2 Ronan Kelleher: Set-piece was generally very good while he was very energetic in the loose. Was effective on both sides of the ball. 7
1 Andrew Porter: Had a good battle with Will Stuart in the scrum but ended up getting on top as the Leinster set-piece marched their opponents backwards in the second period. 7
Replacements: It seems unfair having Snyman and Caelan Doris in reserve as they showed their world-class talent when they came on. The Springbok was outstanding in the carry, deservedly getting over for two tries, and he was joined in the physicality stakes by Doris, who made a number of dents in the Bath defence. 9
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/leinster-player-ratings-majestic-jordie-barrett-shines-once-again-as-irish-sides-unfair-bench-sees-rg-snyman-and-caelan-doris-dominate
