Dragons frustrate Leinster

Guinness Pro12: Leinster 14 Gwent Dragons 16: Leinster suffered a setback to their Pro12 play-off aspirations, as Tom Prydie’s 70th-minute penalty at the RDS yesterday meant they finished the weekend outside the league’s top-four spots.

Minus several internationals, Leinster’s prospects were further dented by first-half head injuries to Richardt Strauss, Tom Denton and Noel Reid which forced their withdrawals.

The Dragons took a surprise lead on 11 minutes, when centre Pat Leach broke through for a converted try. A brace of Jimmy Gopperth penalties reduced the deficit to a minimum, but a successful 39th-minute place-kick from Prydie put the visitors 10-6 ahead at the interval.