Leinster earn bonus point in Durban defeat to Sharks

Leinster suffered a defeat against the Sharks in Durban in the United Rugby Championship, but secured a late bonus point. The Journal and news24.com both reported on the match, while The Irish Times noted that a young Leinster team was outmuscled by a physical host team. The victory moved the Sharks to the top of the early table, according to news24.com. Durban is situated on the eastern coast of KwaZulu-Natal. [1][4][5][10]

The Journal reported that the contest was tight from beginning to end, but was ultimately decided up front where the visiting team was outmuscled in the set pieces. The two packs traded penalties in the early scrums before the contest shifted in favour of the home side. The Irish Times similarly reported that Leinster was outmuscled up front during the physical encounter in South Africa. [1][4]

The Sharks were boosted by the return of three Springbok internationals, namely Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche, and Thomas du Toit, following their national team duty. The Journal reported that the presence of the trio was strongly felt throughout the battle. Head coach Leo Cullen saw his Leinster side depart South Africa with three points in total, after earning two points in a narrow loss to the Lions the previous week and one point in Durban. [1]