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Leinster player ratings vs Lions | 2023/24 URC
By Ian Cameron
Leinster player rating: After their statement win against La Rochelle, Leinster were brought down to earth with a bump in Johannesburg in the URC.
In a humbling match for Leo Cullen's men, here's how the players rated:
1. Cian Healy - 4/10
One burst up the field aside, it was a tough day at the office for the veteran. Taken off just after halftime.
2. Lee Barron - 5
Found himself outmatched in lineouts and rucks, with the Lions exploiting every error.
3. Thomas Clarkson - 5
Managed to hold his ground at times, but was largely overwhelmed by the Lions' aggressive scrummaging. Struggled in the thin Jo'burg air.
4. Ross Molony - 4
Had difficulty organizing the lineout and couldn't impose his physicality as the Lions dominated aerially.
5. Jason Jenkins - 4
Failed to make a significant impact on a return to home soil, with the Lions' pack getting the best of the tight exchanges.
6. Diarmuid Mangan - 4
Looked off the pace at this altitude and struggled to keep up with the dynamic Lions' back row.
7. Scott Penny - 7
One of the few bright spots, Penny was energetic and effective at the breakdown, showing resilience despite the team’s struggles. Leinster's best carrier.
8. Max Deegan - 6
A competent performance from Deegan despite Leinster being on the back foot for much of the game. If he wants to kick on his career you suspect he must leave Leinster, as he's too good to be a third choice.
9. Luke McGrath - 5
Had a challenging day with slow service and pressure that the Lions capitalized on, disrupting Leinster’s flow.
10. Harry Byrne - 5
Despite the unfavourable scoreline, Byrne tried to spark his team’s attack, showing initiative and creativity under pressure. However, his efforts were largely thwarted and some blame must rest on his shoulders given Leinster's lack of direction.
11. Andrew Osborne - NA
Substituted early due to injury, Osborne had limited opportunities to shine before being removed.
12. Charlie Ngatai - 5
Showed patches of his ability, but the Lions' midfield defence was too robust to allow any real impact.
13. Liam Turner - 4
A disallowed try aside, there were too many errors from Turner. Found it difficult to find space and break lines, with the Lions' shutting down options.
14. Rob Russell - 4
Lacked service and opportunities, largely invisible against a rampant Lions' backline.
15. Ciaran Frawley - 7.5
Despite the team’s overall performance, Frawley showed composure at the back and was reliable under high balls and in counter-attacks. Went over for two tries against the run of play.
REPLACEMENTS:
16. John McKee - 5
Came on to stabilize but faced similar challenges as the starting hooker against a relentless Lions.
17. Michael Milne - 4
Like the rest of the front row, struggled to make an impact in the scrum, ceding over 30kg to replacement tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who ate him for dinner.
18. Michael Alaalatoa - 5
Couldn’t turn the tide in the scrum, with the Lions maintaining their upper hand.
19. Conor O'Tighearnaigh - 5
Limited impact and couldn’t shift the momentum in Leinster’s favour.
20. Rhys Ruddock - 5
Brought experience, but it wasn't enough to thwart the Lions' dominance.
21. Cormac Foley - 5
Had minimal impact in changing the game's pace against a well-organized Lions defence.
22. Sam Prendergast - 7
Coming off the bench, Prendergast brought a much-needed spark to Leinster's play in the second half. His urgency provided a clear uplift, helping to shift the momentum for the visitors.
23. Ben Brownlee - 4
Struggled to get into the game during his limited minutes on the pitch. Getting swapped aside by Emmanuel Tshituka didn't help his rating.
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Latest Comments
At least he no longer writes articles related to the All Blacks. The suggestion with these ratings is that the ABs have a lot more left in the tank... Which is nonsense, this was a nail biter of a test of the highest standard and both sides we're going at it hammer and tongs. As is often the case in rugby, the team that managed to score the most tries won.
Go to commentsWho, the ABs? Oh for sure, they punched above their weight in that cup, but also had got a lot better than anyone had thought they could (except perhaps SAn's) well out from the WC (to the point where you were disappointed not to win it). Then they've probably done the most post analyzing of their RWCs in the past, due to all their failures, they knew how to maximize their itinerary and that first game against France was of less importance than any one off test was against. At least a test like this weekends had meaning, even if it's not surrounded by any overarching point. That first match in the RWC though, along with the Ireland v SA game, were totally meaningless. Everyone already knew they were only going to be up against each other, and that's why NZ were only at around 70% during it.
So you're quite right, it was pointless to make as much out of it as this author did. The same pretty much goes for 2 years prior as well, because that's obviously before the above happened. NZ were at least trying very hard in that game, and although it needed some Ntamack magic at the end, France looked pretty comfortable, or should I say, NZ very poor. That picture obviously turned around this year, but still with that fabulous French flair scoring some crazy tries to win it again.
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