Leinster Rugby v Edinburgh - Top Performers
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Cian Healy
The loosehead returned from injury tonight and looked keen to shake off any rustiness, from the first kick-off. He was devastating in the scrum, winning Leinster a number of penalties there. He was also a menace in the loose, carrying over the gainline and making a number of powerful hits in defence. In total he carried 15 times for a gain of 20m and made 14 tackles, missing none. Those are quite impressive stats for a man that typically carries in tight, around the ruck area. He was deservedly given the MOTM award for his efforts.
Devin Toner
The gargantuan second row was all over the field tonight, giving one of his most impressive performances in recent memory. He has been fantastic of late, going through a metamorphosis since Cullen and Lancaster have taken the reigns and becoming one of the men in blue’s key players. Not only is he a fantastic lineout option, his improved skillset enables him to be used as a link man, which he executed expertly in the build up to James Lowe’s try. He also paved the way for McFadden to get over early on, blocking down Kennedy and pouncing on the ball just one metre from the try-line.
Johnny Sexton
The Irish general puts on a show every time he is on the field. The consistency he shows puts him in the conversation for being one of the most valuable players on the planet. Again, he marched his pack around the field and put the Edinburgh back three under real pressure with his clever kicking game. He really makes this Leinster backline tick and his slick passing was on show throughout the contest. As always, he didn’t shirk the physical side of the game, making 8 tackles. He was also a threat with ball in hand and managed to get over for a try of his own late in the 2nd half, with a clever show-and-go.
James Lowe
The kiwi has been a revelation since arriving in Dublin last season. He was given the opportunity to put all of his skills on show tonight, as Leinster looked to bring him into the game as often as possible. His ability to beat the first defender and get his hands free for the offload are such an asset to the league champions. He managed to get over for one try, with an expert finish in the corner of the far wing. He was a thorn in the side of the Edinburgh defence all night and very well could have went in for a couple of other tries were it not for some refereeing decisions that didn’t go Leinster’s way. A total of 8 defenders beaten and 4 clean breaks show just how difficult it was to contain the left winger tonight.
