Benetton Treviso 20 Leinster 21

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Benetton Treviso 29 Munster 19

Brendan Macken was the star of the show at Anglesea Road yesterday with a hat-trick as Leinster A, on World Cup-winning All Black Brad Thorn’s debut, comfortably dispatched Connacht A.

TWO seasons ago, Leinster travelled to France as reigning Heineken Cup champions for a semi-final against Toulouse, a club that considers itself that bit more regal than every other one with pretensions of royal status in Europe.

The Leinster management counted the cost of Saturday night’s defeat to the Glasgow Warriors with Kevin McLaughlin and Dominic Ryan sustaining ankle injuries.

THIS was more like it.

Luke Fitzgerald hasn’t recovered from the knee injury sustained last weekend against the Ospreys in time to make Leinster’s match day 23 for their home encounter with the Dragons tomorrow night (KO 7.35pm).

EUROPEAN kings Leinster made a nightmare start to the RaboDirect Pro12 after being blown away by the Ospreys in Swansea last night.

THE problem with dress rehearsals is that people continually fluff their lines. That’s one reason why pre-season friendlies have to be treated with a certain amount of scepticism, especially when coaches make so many changes that at one stage last night, substituted players were coming back onto the field to replace substitutes.

LEINSTER have offset the upcoming departure of Scottish lock Nathan Hines to Clermont Auvergne by signing Natal Sharks second-row Steven Sykes, who wants to represent Ireland.

Leinster rugby have announced today the signings of Natal Sharks secondrow Steven Sykes, Connacht tighthead prop Jamie Hagan and Canterbury Crusaders outhalf Matt Berquist.

Canterbury will travel to Wellington for next weekend’s Air New Zealand Cup final after defeating Hawke’s Bay 31-21 in Christchurch.