A POWERFUL front-row proved the game-breakers by earning a penalty-try to ease Leinster to a hard-fought win over the Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

LEINSTER are in an unfamiliar position. Their success over the past three seasons has come with apparent ease, yet tomorrow they find themselves in a must-win scenario.

THAT’LL do. Leinster last night recorded a perfunctory win to keep their Magners League play-off hopes firmly on message while Jonathan Sexton came through a useful 80 minutes unscathed.

JONATHAN SEXTON returns to the number 10 jersey at the RDS tonight for Leinster’s Magners League clash against fellow play-off contenders the Scarlets (7.35pm).

Leinster 30 Treviso 5

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt has admitted that the next fortnight will be crucial to his team’s hopes of reaching the Magners League play-offs.

LEO CULLEN will become only the fifth player in Leinster’s history to reach the 150 cap mark when he leads the side out for tonight’s Magners League clash away to third-placed Cardiff Blues at the Cardiff Park Stadium (kick-off 6.30pm).

FAR from a bright beginning for new Leinster coach Joe Schmidt as his side were given a lesson in organisation, intensity and clinical finishing by Shaun Edwards’ London-based boys in a friendly at Donnybrook last night.

CARDIFF BLUES are set to pay as much as €100,000 compensation to Ulster after Xavier Rush completed his transfer U-turn. The former All Black signed a two-year contract with the Irish province back in February but has now opted to stay at Cardiff.

IT was billed as the dream send-off for Leinster coach Michael Cheika but the inspired Ospreys danced all over the script in this inaugural Magners League Grand final at the RDS on Saturday.

LEO CULLEN’S shoulder injury has given Leinster’s senior statesman, Malcolm O’Kelly, a golden opportunity to wrap up his illustrious career on a high in the Magners League final at the RDS (6.30pm) on Saturday.

Stand-in captain Shane Jennings will lead Leinster into the Magner’s League final on Saturday.

Captain Leo Cullen has been ruled out of the extended Leinster squad to play Munster in the Magner’s League semi-final at The RDS on Saturday.

SHANE HORGAN and Alan Gaffney led the tributes yesterday for Girvan Dempsey who is to retire from professional rugby at the end of the month.

Jonathan Sexton has failed to recover from a broken jaw allowing Shaun Berne to line out at out-half for Leinster against Toulouse in Saturday's Heineken Cup semi final at Le Stadium (kick off: 3.45pm Irish time).

LEINSTER’S Heineken Cup hopes received a major boost yesterday with the news that both Brian O’Driscoll and Eoin Reddan will return for the province in tomorrow’s Magners league game away to Connacht.

THEY have yet to claim the honour of being their nation’s best, nor have they won a Heineken Cup, but Michael Cheika had little hesitation yesterday in describing Clermont Auvergne as the most complete side in France.

AN OUTSIDER doesn’t get to captain Leicester Tigers without being a deserving recipient; neither, even, does a homegrown player get to lead Leinster in the face of a challenge from national captain and rugby’s iconic Brian O’Driscoll.

ALAN GAFFNEY might be going ‘home’, but he doesn’t expect to feel at ease in Thomond Park on Friday night.

MICHAEL CHEIKA hailed match-winner Jonathan Sexton but damned Leinster’s attitude as his side sneaked to a fortuitous Magners League win over Connacht at the RDS on Saturday.

THE BIG guns will return to Leinster next week and they’ll be patting their teammates in the extended squad on the back after they completed their third win during the Six Nations.

IRELAND half-back pair Sam Cronin and Barry Keeshan will be keen to return to some unfinished business when they face their Scottish counterparts in a Club International at Donnybrook tonight (7pm).

MUNSTER have the ideal opportunity to atone for their disappointing performance against the Newport Gwent Dragons when they face the Llanelli Scarlets in a postponed Magners League game at Musgrave Park on Thursday, (7.35pm).

LEINSTER’S young guns steered them back to the top of the Magners League table and now they have a four-point lead over champions Munster with a game in hand.

LEINSTER will have plenty of experience to help guide them through an expected tough Magners League experience against Cardiff Blues at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday (4pm).

THE highs and lows of professional rugby were very evident at the RDS on Saturday evening as Leinster clocked up their fourth win over the Scarlets who must be sick of the sight of them by now.

SHANE JENNINGS will captain a Leinster side that is boosted by the inclusion of the four other Ireland internationals in the pack for tonight’s Magners League encounter with the Scarlets at the RDS (6.30pm).

LEINSTER have included internationals Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan and Jonathan Sexton in their squad for Saturday’s Magners League clash with Scarlets at the RDS (6.30pm).

LEINSTER have included three internationals in the ‘A’ side to face the Exeter Chiefs in today’s British & Irish Cup clash in Sandy Park (3pm).

IRELAND internationals Girvan Dempsey, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Malcolm O’Kelly and Mike Ross have been named in the extended Leinster squad for Saturday’s British & Irish Cup clash against Exeter at Sandy Park on Saturday (3pm).

LET’S dispense with the basic arithmetic first.

THE inactivity caused by the big freeze of recent weeks showed in Leinster’s lacklustre performance for much of this Heineken Cup clash against Brive on Saturday night before the champions upped gears to secure a bonus point victory.

Jonathan Sexton and Shane Jennings return to the Leinster squad ahead of the Friday’s Magner’s League tie at home to Glasgow.

THE Leinster team to face Connacht in today’s Magners League derby at the Sportsground (4pm) has been named and Ireland trio Girvan Dempsey, Trevor Hogan and Mike Ross come into the team for the trip to Galway in a side that includes nine Ireland internationals in the starting line-up.

LEINSTER consultant coach Alan Gaffney says that despite defeating Ulster, his squad are looking for a marked improvement against Connacht in their Magners League match at the Sportsground this weekend (Saturday, 4pm).

LEINSTER signed off on their magnificent 2009 with a positive result on St Stephens’ Day, but judging by their muted reaction this win over an understrength Ulster won’t last too long on the showreel.

LEINSTER’S injured out-half, Jonathan Sexton, may return to full fitness in time for the province’s Magners League trip to Connacht on Saturday week.

BARELY a week has passed in the last six months when the unholy alliance between sports and cheating hasn’t raised its ugly head and one of this year’s most controversial incidents was on the menu again yesterday.

MICHAEL CHEIKA has declared his confidence in back-up out-half Shaun Berne despite admitting he had attempted to recruit fellow Australian Matt Giteau on a short-term contract last week.

Prop Stan Wright returns to an extended Leinster squad ahead of the Heineken Cup encounter with The Scarlets at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday.

MICHAEL CHEIKA has tasted victory as often as he has defeat against Munster but the Australian now wants his side to establish clear bragging rights in one of world rugby’s most passionate rivalries.