Stade fail to turn up as Leinster go through paces

By JIM SHORT

Leinster…………… 43pts

Tries: Lowe 18, van der Flier 30, Sheehan 40, Doris 47, 61; Larmour 45, 68,

Conversions: Frawley 19, Prendergast 48, 62, 68

Stade Francais….7pts

Tries: Segonds 80

Conversions: Henry 80

CAELAN Doris says they will head to Leicester Tigers next weekend with a pep in their step after thrashing an understrength Stade Francais at the Aviva Stadium by seven tries to one.

“It’s all about next week now, anew challenge heading to Leicester,” said the Leinster No.8. “We have had some tough battles with them in recent years so we know what they will bring. We will need a pretty pragmatic performance but we are looking forward to getting stuck in.”

Doris scored two of their seven tries as the Parisians were chasing the game from the outset and only broke their duck in stoppage time at the end of the contest.

It was a far from flawless performance and they had to be content with a 17-0 lead at the break despite dominating the opening half.

It took them 18 minutes to get off the mark when Ireland winger James Lowe marked his return from injury in his first Leinster appearance of the season by scoring down the left.

Doris was the creator for Josh van der Flier out wide on the right before skipper Garry Ringrose set up Sheehan for their third try before the break.

The win came at a cost and Ireland coach Andy Farrell, watching from the stands, may have to alter his Six Nations plans after outside-half Ciaran Frawley limped off early after the restart, joining the Byrne brothers, Ross and Harry, in the casualty department just as Ireland are about to head into the defence of their Six Nations without Johnny Sexton on board for the first time in years.

Leinster cut loose after the break with Ringrose again creating the opportunity for Jordan Larmour to get over for the first of his brace to secure the bonus point.

Doris got over for two tries as the Stade Francais challenge wilted and Larmour completed the rout 12 minutes from time when Jack Conan set him up. Promising outside-half Sam Prendergast, who replaced Frawley, landed his third conversion of the evening.

Stade Francais, after emptying their bench, piled forward in the closing stages trying to break their duck and just when it seemed that Leinster would hold them out, the Top 14 side grabbed a consolation score with the clock in the red when Joris Segonds got over for a converted try.

But, as expected in front of a bumper crowd of over 42,000, their understrength side were outclassed in a mismatch.