Derby joy for Leinster

Leinster 21 Connacht 11

The visitors trailed by just three points with the last minutes evaporating from the clock before Leinster secured the ‘W’ with a Zane Kirchner try and Jimmy Gopperth conversion, but it was a close-run thing.

Leinster were better in some respects to the side seen in recent weeks. Their choice of front row, fared well and the centre combination of Noel Reid and Luke Fitzgerald fizzed and bubbled.

Yet Connacht enjoyed significant amounts of possession and territory and will know that they could have claimed that first victory in these parts in a dozen years if a few factors fallen their way.

Leinster spent most of the first quarter camped deep in the Connacht half, thanks in part to some woeful discipline by the visitors, for which lock Aly Muldowney was sent to the sin bin after just 10 minutes.

The home team took advantage with the game’s opening try three minutes after, but it took an astonishing eight minutes inside the opposition 22, and four penalty kicks by Gopperth to the corner, before Shane Jennings rumbled over from a maul.

Gopperth couldn’t convert the extra two into the teeth of a squally wind, but the Kiwi added a penalty on 17 minutes. That was the seventh penalty Connacht conceded to that point but it would be the last of the half.

Muldowney was back on by the time Connacht forced their first kickable penalty and, though Jack Carty was unable to profit, he reloaded and got off the mark after Kevin McLaughlin was done for a no-arms tackle on Kieran Marmion.

The screw was being turned now, despite one nice line break by Leinster’s Reid, and Connacht aped their hosts by eschewing a shot at goal to kick for the corner and seek a path over the end line.

Leinster defended the maul well but Connacht hammered away before Carty overcooked a cross kick to wing Danie Poolman who was all alone out on the right, but who just put a foot into touch.

Connacht still had time to engineer another wave, from which Leinster’s Tadhg Furlong was binned for offside at a ruck under the posts, and Carty slotted over for the three points.

Connacht’s task was made tougher when Gopperth tacked over two penalties in the next 11 minutes, the second coming for the sort of blatant offside by temporary replacement Willie Faloon that deserved a yellow card.

The men from the west were eight points down yet again and their response was impressive. Carty grubbered through and Kearney was dumped back over the end line. From the five-metre scrum, Connacht moved the ball right but their hopes of profiting from it were undone when Matt Healy’s thrust through the centre produced a knock-on courtesy of Luke Fitzgerald’s thunderous hit.

Within minutes, Leinster were down the far end with Isaac Boss being just held up over the Connacht try line.

Two scrum penalties by Leinster tighthead replacement Maks van Dyk gave Connacht some relief. The South African actually conceded a third, this time at a ruck, as Connacht advanced deep into the home 22, and when Devin Toner was sin binned for dragging a maul down, Connacht kicked to touch and mauled over through George Naoupu.

Carty couldn’t nail the strike into the wind from out on the touchline and the gap remained three points with four minutes to play.

There would be no grandstand finish for Connacht though, Kirchner touching down for Leinster at the death and Gopperth providing the wrapping.

Leinster scorers: Tries: Jennings, Kirchner. Cons: Gopperth. Pens: Gopperth 3.

LEINSTER: R. Kearney, Kirchner, Fitzgerald, Reid, D. Kearney, Gopperth, Boss, Bent, A. Dundon, Furlong, Toner, Douglas, McLaughlin, Jennings, J. Heaslip.

Replacements: Conan for McLaughlin (47).

Connacht scorers: Tries: Naoupu. Pens: Carty 2.

CONNACHT: Muliaina, Poolman, Henshaw, Aki, Healy, Carty, Marmion, Buckley, McCartney, Ah You, Roux, Muldowney, Muldoon, E. McKeon, Naoupu.

Replacements: Loughney for Buckley (70), Dillane for Muldowney (70), Faloon for E. McKeon (48).

Referee: I Davies (WRU).

Guinness Pro12: Cardiff Blues 21 Scarlets 9. Edinburgh 48 Treviso 0.