Leinster’s final push decisive

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.

A try from Isaac Boss, 16-points from the boot of Jonathan Sexton and the penalty try awarded by Andy Macpherson was enough to see Joe Schmidt’s men home against a spirited Dragons side.

The win sees Leinster surged to second in the table, albeit locked on 55 points with Ulster and Ospreys but with the superior points difference but still 12-points adrift of Munster.

It was Leinster’s third win on the trot and sees them continue to build momentum ahead of their Heineken Cup quarter-final with Leicester in two week’s time.

Schmidt said: “It ‘s pretty suffocating up there but I’d rather be there than fourth and looking up. It’s a real relief for us but there’s still four more games to go.

“I’m delighted with the result. It was a pretty flat performance from us and we lacked a bit of cohesion but thankfully we survived Newport and we know how tough that is.

“Everything we do now is going to help or hinder us in our preparation for the Heineken Cup. I saw Leicester’s result this weekend and that’s going to be very tough.”

Schmidt’s men entered the cauldron in Newport short 11 Ireland internationals, including Eoin Reddan who was a late withdrawal, and without a win at the Dragons’ lair in four years.

But a composed second-half performance was enough to see them secured a well-earned victory.

Sexton nudged his side into the lead with a penalty after just three minutes.

Leinster continued to press and strung together several phases after Sexton fired a penalty into the corner. The ball came back to Fitzgerald in the left hand corner and his quick footwork threatened to break the Dragons’ defence but his pass missed Sexton running on the loop.

The hosts took the lead with a try against the run of play on 20 minutes. Fitzgerald fielded a Dragons kick inside his own half and evaded the chasers. He then launched a counter-attack deep into the hosts’ half but was stopped in his tracks by Welsh international Aled Brew and lost the ball. Wayne Evans scooped the ball to Hughes who went around Kevin McLaughlin before racing 60 metres to score despite the valiant chase of Shane Horgan. Tovey added the extras to hand the home side a 7-3 lead.

Two minutes later Tovey extended the advantage with a long-range penalty.

Leinster hit back shortly before the half-hour mark. Lewis Evans got caught by Leinster’s chase after fielding a kick close to his own try-line and was penalised. Leo Cullen fancied his side’s chances and Sexton went to the corner. From the ensuing Devin Toner driving lineout Boss burrowed over from close-range.

Sexton slotted the conversion to level the scores but Tovey soon nudged the hosts back in front with his second penalty to bring the score to 13-10 at half-time.

It took Sexton just two minutes after the restart to level the scores before he nudged Leinster ahead on 54 minutes.

Isa Nacewa chipped over the top and into space only to be tripped by Brew. The powerful wing was shown yellow and Sexton stepped up.

Tovey quickly drew the scores level before Horgan looked to have grabbed a decisive try on 54 minutes following another Nacewa break. But TMO Tony Rowland adjudged the veteran wing had touched down short.

Leinster got the crucial score on 57 minutes when Macpherson awarded a penalty try after a succession of scrum re-sets, much to the displeasure of the vocal Rodney Parade crowd.

Sexton added the conversion to stretch Leinster ‘s lead to 23-16.

On 63 minutes Sexton added his sixth successful kick to open up a ten-point advantage and seal the win.

Newport Gwent Dragons scorers: Try — A Hughes; Con — J Tovey; Pens — J Tovey (3)

Leinster: Tries — I Boss, Penalty; Cons — J Sexton (2); Pens — J Sexton (4);

DRAGONS: M Thomas; W Harries, A Hughes, T Riley, A Brew; J Tovey, W Evans (J Evans, 77); P Price (H Gustafson, 54, P Price 60, H Gustafson 77) , L Burns (S Jones, 63) , D Way, L Charteris, (capt), A Jones, J Bearman, L Evans, T Faletau

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; S Horgan (D Kearney, 63), E O’Malley, F McFadden, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, I Boss; H van der Merwe (J McGrath, 69) , R Strauss (A Dundon, 80) , S Wright (S Shawe, 69) , L Cullen, (capt), D Toner (N Hines, 53) , K McLaughlin, D Ryan, R Ruddock (J Heaslip, 53) .