Champions Cup Pool 5: Leinster v Bath, 16 January

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Leinster Rugby v Bath Rugby 
Saturday 16 January 2016
KO 17:30
RDS Arena, Dublin

Live on Sky Sports / beIN Sports

Referee Pascal Gauzere (France)
Touch Judge 1 Maxime Chalon (France)
Touch Judge 2 Jean-Luc Rebollal (France)
Fourth Official Eric Gonthier (France)
TMO Eric Gonthier (France)
Assessor Jerry Wallis (England)
Citing Commissioner Alberto Recaldini (Italy)

A. Head to Head

8 Played 8
6 Wins 2
2 Losses 6
0 Draws 0
215 Points 153

B. Tournament Form

Leinster Rugby
19/12/15: Leinster 16 - 20 Toulon
13/12/15: Toulon 24 - 9 Leinster
21/11/15: Bath 19 - 16 Leinster

Bath Rugby
10/1/16: Toulon 12 - 9 Bath
19/12/15: Bath 10 - 36 Wasps
13/12/15: Wasps 23 - 25 Bath

C. Teams

Leinster Rugby

15. Zane Kirchner; 14. Isa Nacewa, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Ben Te'o, 11. Dave Kearney; 10. Ian Madigan, 9. Luke McGrath; 1. Peter Dooley, 2. James Tracy, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Ross Molony, 5. Mike McCarthy, 6. Rhys Ruddock, 7. Josh Van Der Flier, 8. Jordi Murphy

16. Sean Cronin, 17. Jack McGrath, 18. Martin Moore, 19. Tom Denton, 20. Sean O'Brien, 21. Eoin Reddan, 22. Johnny Sexton, 23. Noel Reid

Bath Rugby

15. Anthony Watson; 14. Semesa Rokoduguni, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Kyle Eastmond, 11. Matt Banahan; 10. George Ford, 9. Chris Cook; 1. Max Lahiff, 2. Rob Webber, 3. David Wilson, 4. Stuart Hooper, 5. Dom Day, 6. Matt Garvey, 7. Francois Louw, 8. Leroy Houston

16. Ross Batty, 17. Nick Auterac, 18. Henry Thomas, 19. Charlie Ewels, 20. David Denton, 21. Jonathan Evans, 22. Rhys Priestland, 23. Tom Homer

Mike Ford being asked about losing to a Developmental XV from Leinster.

Ouch!

Ref probably should have handed out 2 other yellows split evenly. I seem to remember some hands in the ruck and a supporting player being taken out by Bath 5m from their line. Leinster taking out Cook should have been another. Day got booked for literally making no effort rather than game situation and I have no problem with that (considering its a penalty even when the player gets trapped and they make an effort).

Leinster looked good; how much of it was due to starting Madigan? He does seem to be a big match player.
Madigan, Teo and Ringrose would be deadly for the next 5 years (at least assuming health of course). Don't know who is to blame for losing 2 of those but guess Sexton is costing the necessary salary for Teo (where did Worcester get the money?) and the playing time for Madigan. Who is the new Leinster 12?

I would have gone for no yellow for Day but yellows for the one 5m from Bath's line, the taking out of a Bath player without the ball and the tip tackle ...

RDW_Scotland wrote:What has happened to Bath this season? They've been really bad tonight.

I don't think ford is up to the job as coach.

Maybe last season was an anomaly. It happens. This season Bath are simply not a very good team. In the Premiership, a middling position.

People can say Bath lost to an A team etc but Leinster played some of their best rugby in the Pro 12 at the start of the season when these lads were playing.

No idea why Bath seem to be playing like a bunch of strangers at the moment.

That Leinster team is a very ominous sign for other participants in the Pro12 this season.

Wow, was not expecting that result. Bath are not as good this season as they were in the encounters last year.

Leinster's 3rd choice front row (with the second choice front row on the bench and Healy-Strauss-Ross not involved at all) were better than their replacements, great around the park and solid in the scrum.

Molony has bulked up since the start of the season and was not out of his depth at all.

The back row performed as a unit with great drive and dynamism.

Little luke mcgrath had good tempo in his game, even strips the ball from a LH in the maul at the start of the second half to get a counter-attack move going.

I thought discipline was bad though. There could have been 2-3 cards to each side in the game and if anything the card that was dished out was probably for the least likely act to draw a card.

Highlights again the good work being done in the Academy. These guys need to be given a chance, if anything to ensure that the 'first choice' options know there is geniune competition for places and they can't be taking their place in the XV for granted.