Leinster's reserves showed once again that they are as good, if not better, than a mid-table URC side, snatching a last play win against the Lions in South Africa.
Whether they would care to admit or not, you would imagine that a lot of Leinster fans were less concerned about the result, and more closely following the performance of Player of the Match Sam Prendergast, the U20s star who was making his competitive debut for Leinster.
He delivered the goods, with his marshalling of the backline a particular treat, as he took the ball to the line and whipped out crisp, delayed passes.
After a strong start from Leinster with an early try from Vakh Abdaladze , the Lions slowly built a lead and managed to get as far as 15 points ahead mid-way through the second half.
At the same time, Leinster found themselves with 13 men, after yellow cards for Nick McCarthy and Chris Cosgrave, but came back late on with tries from Rob Russell and Cosgrave.
This left the scores at 36-36, and Prendergast with an easy penalty kick to win it at the death, to give him six made kicks from seven, as Leinster's unbeaten season continued.
Sam Prendergast And Leinster Steal A Win In South Africa
Vakhtang Abdaladze marks his first Leinster start in the perfect fashion with an early try against the Lions.
📺 Live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. pic.twitter.com/NcyuRdM9qo— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) April 15, 2023
Liam Turner is over to briefly regain the lead for Leinster, but the Lions respond with two tries.
📺 Live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. pic.twitter.com/ldugvnyuyb— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) April 15, 2023
Leinster find a way back into the contest as Michael Milne just about gets over.
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URC FT: Lions 36-39 Leinster
Chris Cosgrave’s stunning finish sparks an excellent comeback win for Leinster with debutant Sam Prendergast kicking a winning penalty at the death.
📺 Live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. pic.twitter.com/EAlgqJwBLp— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) April 15, 2023
Sam Prendergast secures the comeback WIN with the last kick of the game on his DEBUT for @leinsterrugby! 👏 #BKTURC #URC | #LIOvLEI pic.twitter.com/KvssaCDHJv
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) April 15, 2023
READ HERE: Tom Stewart Breaks URC Try Record To Give Farrell Another RWC Headache
The win also completed a stunning day of business for the province after the announcement that World Cup winning coach Jacques Nienaber will be joining next season.
"We are delighted to confirm that Jacques Nienaber will be joining Leinster Rugby next season," said head coach Leo Cullen.
"Jacques is a world class coach with a winning track record at the very highest level of the game, and we’re all looking forward to learning from him over the coming seasons.
"With the addition of the South African teams to the BKT URC Championship and the Heineken Champions Cup, Jacques’ in-depth knowledge and experience of working with the Springboks will be a great addition to the group.
"We are all really excited to welcome Jacques and his family to Leinster after the Rugby World Cup and I’m sure all Leinster fans will give him a warm welcome when he arrives."
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