Leinster start brightly without Irish stars

WITH almost half their first team away in France and a revamped RDS providing the backdrop, this Magners League opener threatened to be a step into the unknown for Leinster.

Instead, it was a familiar tale for the crowd of 9,632 who spilled out onto the Ballsbridge streets on Saturday evening.

Watching Michael Cheika’s team has rarely been dull and so it proved again as they rewarded the impressive crowd with three magnificent tries. The result was never in doubt but the evening was not a complete success. The lack of a fourth try deprived them of the bonus point their dominance deserved and it was in chasing that fourth touch down deep into injury time that they coughed up a sloppy try.