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Leinster player ratings vs Sharks | 2024/25 URC
By Ian Cameron
Leinster player ratings: A Leinster side that could be accurately described as a B team have beaten the Springbok-laden Sharks 10-7 in a tense affair at King’s Park.
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A remarkable win for Leo Cullen’s heavy underdogs. Here’s how we rated the players.
1. Cian Healy – 6.5
The Ireland veteran rolled out every dark art in the scrum to keep Springbok tighthead Vincent Koch at bay. Not the prettiest of outings, but when is it ever for the veteran loosehead? Survived. Enough said.
2. John McKee – 6.5
Discipline-wise, he tiptoed along the edge, giving away a couple of needless infractions. On the plus side, he tackled like a caffeinated gerbil, swarming Sharks carriers and proving a right nuisance in the tight.
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3. Thomas Clarkson – 6
The Ireland rookie just about weathered Ox Nche in the early scrums but eventually got roasted, a late 54th-minute penalty concession just metres from the Sharks’ line standing out. Showed plenty of street smarts at the breakdown against a mixed set-piece.
4. Diarmuid Mangan – 8
A big physical presence who relished the Shark-infested waters. Threw himself into collisions like a man absolutely convinced he’s bulletproof. Won some important collisions and never stopped grafting.
5. Brian Deeny – 7.5
Carried well, making dents in the Sharks’ defensive line. Nearly got folded in half in one meaty collision in the 67th minute, but soldiered on. A thoroughly decent shift from the Wexford native.
6. Alex Soroka – 7.5
Full of endeavour and aggression, even if the ref had his number early for discipline. Bounced back well and finished the game looking like he’d been through several rounds with the entire Sharks back row. Gave it absolutely everything.
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7. Will Connors – 5
Had the ignominy of giving away an early penalty and then departed after just 25 minutes with a painful-looking injury. Hard to judge, but his cameo didn’t scream ‘start me next week.’
8. Max Deegan – 8
Maybe Leinster’s stand out up front. His 30-metre gallop early on caught the Sharks napping and he never let up. Anchored the pack brilliantly and gave the Durban faithful plenty to worry about every time he had ball in hand.
9. Fintan Gunne – 8.5
Box kicks? On point. Passing? Sublime, including the bullet to put Henry McErlean away for Leinster’s first try. And just when Sharks fans thought his boot might waver, he pinned them back in their own half late on. By the end, he’d turned them into fresh chum.
10. Ciaran Frawley – 4
Oh, Ciaran. Nine months ago, he drop-goaled Ireland to a win in this very stadium. This time, the kicking fairies didn’t get the memo. Missed a sitter in front of the sticks and threw in a few iffy passes. Redeemed himself slightly with a crucial try-saver on 56 minutes, but still a day to forget for the Ratoath man.
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11. Andrew Osborne – 3.5
Largely anonymous. Struggled to hang on to the ball – knocking on repeatedly – and never truly got going. A forgettable outing for a player who’s otherwise impressed of late.
12. Charlie Tector – 5.5
The Kilkenny College product was a useful foil outside Frawley in terms of distribution, but missing five tackles is a stat that won’t be clipped for the highlight reel. Showed glimpses of spark that might placate the coaches, but he’ll know there’s more to come.
13. Liam Turner – 6
Spent most of the match trying to coral Jurenzo Julius, and it turned into a real cat-and-mouse affair. Did enough to keep the Sharks centre from running riot, but not without the odd scare. Honest shift.
14. Tommy O’Brien – 7
Full of industry on both sides of the ball, even if his body took a pounding in the process. Headed for an HIA after one crunching tackle but returned undeterred. Showed little respect for the many Boks in Sharks colours and was tireless in defence.
15. Jimmy O’Brien – 8
Had hardly any room to work with, and when he did get the ball, a wall of black jerseys met him. Still, he was rock-solid under the high ball and seemed to thrive in the swirling coastal breeze. Resilient display in tricky conditions.
REPLACEMENTS
16. Lee Barron – 5
Athletic for a hooker but let his enthusiasm run wild, conceding a crucial penalty in the 71st minute that he’ll want back. Too many errors overshadowed his bright moments.
17. Michael Milne – 6.5
The Burr man did what he could in a scrum that felt like cliffhanger cinema for most of the game. Did earn one vital penalty, showing that not all sets ended in pain. A decent contribution off the bench.
18. Rory McGuire – N/A
Not on long enough to show much of anything. No rating.
19. Alan Spicer – N/A
All 6’10 and 138kg of him got a cameo, but not nearly enough to warrant a rating. We wait with bated breath for the big man’s extended run.
20. Scott Penny – 8
Tackled like a badger in heat (whatever that means) and nabbed a brilliantly taken try off a slick Leinster move. Another cameo that underlined his knack for popping up where it matters.
21. Oliver Coffey – N/A
Another player who didn’t get the minutes to warrant a rating.
22. Ross Byrne – 7
Steadied the ship with his typical calmness. No fireworks, but more than enough assurance to see out the dying stages and keep the Sharks from nipping back in.
23. Henry McErlean – 7.5
Showed real attacking energy in his cameo, finishing off Leinster’s first try after that gem of a pass from Gunne. A lively cameo from the youngster that helped swing momentum.
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Credit to the Leinster development and to Cullen with the ‘grit’ of a Nienaber team starting to show. Deegan was immense, and Cian Healy was worth a little more in that front row than a 6.5 suggests. He controlled the pace of the scrums and communicated in conversation with the ref. Must have been a special win for him.
Gunne had a super debut. Its not an academy team, they have been blooded and are hardened from two previous SA tours and many Leinster caps between. Some inexperienced players but that wouldn’t count as the system makes that less relevant.
Leinster now have an experienced deep squad of 35-40 who each can come on and play without a big drop in standard. The team 2 years ago was academy in that sense. Not now.
All that said and as hard as Leinster made it, the Sharks should have been able to put them away. The reactions to some of the mistakes seemed to indicate that there is an ongoing issue of inaccuracy. Even at start of this season Sharks were blowing teams away and looked completely different.
Sharks players not accurate but a far bigger problem is the useless coaching set up. Tactically so naive. Running the ball from all quarters against a rush defence in humid conditions is just dumb. Simon Zebo said yesterday that if Rassie Erasmus coached the Sharks they would be the best team in Europe. They have a huge talent pool but terrible coaches.
Leinster were quite brilliant - especially on defence. They remind me very much of the 2019 Boks - kick, chase, defend like demons, force opponents into mistakes and strike off turnover ball. Will be intriguing to see how they go the rest of the season, especially against the French giants in the Champions Cup. They have the best defence in Europe but has that come at the expense of a cutting edge on attack? Having a Nienaber-esque defensive mindset against Toulouse and Bordeaux Begles won’t work.
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