Under-strength Leinster push Connacht aside

Leinster 21 Connacht 6

They may have eleven players at the World Cup and eight others injured, the latest James Norton slipping off a seaside pier this week and breaking his hip, but Leinster finally have a prized Celtic League win to ease that pain, and crack a smile onto coach Gary Ella’s face.

It was a particularly disturbing Friday the 13th last season when Connacht plundered a 26-23 victory away from Donnybrook, but although this year has been akin to a Leinster nightmare so far, Ella’s side can at least take in two Halloween trips to Scotland with one win from five attempts in their suitcases.

A poor first half was offset by some excellent open play running particularly by the visitors. Former Ireland wing Matt Mostyn was kept out by Leinster full back Brendan Burke and the corner flag on 16 minutes, as Connacht masterminded one of the few sights of either sides’ try lines, under their arms.

22-year-old Burke, who signed a new two-year contract this week, had to be taken off with a swollen ankle ten minutes later however, taking the number in Leinster’s sickbay currently to nine.

Brian O’Meara notched three first half penalties, opening his account in the fifth minute and concluding the first-half with a 35 metre effort to give Leinster a 9-6 half-time lead. The westerners’ Elwood had offered Connacht’s replies, the second on 37 minutes as Leinster back row Des Dillon was sin-binned for killing the ball ten metres from the home line.

A second yellow card, five minutes after the break, for Leinster front row Emmet Byrne brought their season’s tally to one red and six yellow. But a period of ascendancy saw out-half Matt Leek slither through a gap on the Connacht ’22 on the hour mark for a deserved try, converted by O’Meara.

A further try, a first for flanker Niall Breslin on 65 mins buried a rudderless Connacht effort, with the last score of the game, taking the home side off the bottom of the League.

Scorers: Leinster: Breslin, Leek try; O’Meara 3 pens, con; Connacht: Elwood 2 pens

Leinster: B Burke; J McWeeney, J Downey, D Quinlan, G Brown; M Leek, B O’Meara; E Byrne, G Hickie, P Coyle, L Cullen (capt), B Gissing, N Breslin, D Dillon, S Jennings.

Replacements: D O’Shea for Burke (26 mins), A Kearney for Cullen (ht), N Treston for Breslin (48-51 mins), Treston for Coyle (72 mins), D Blaney for Hickie (76 mins), N Ronan for Breslin (79 mins)

Yellow Card: D Dillon (40-50 mins), E Byrne (45-55 mins)

Connacht: M McHugh; M Mostyn, D Yapp, T Allnutt (capt), C McPhillips; E Elwood, C Keane; R Hogan, B Jackman, F Boiroux, D Browne, A Farley, M Swift, J O’Sullivan, T Carter.

Replacements: C O’Loughlin for Keane (49 mins), D Hewitt and S Moore for Allnutt and Elwood (57 mins), P Neville for Carter (60 mins), J Fogarty for Jackman (66 mins), A Clarke for Hogan (70 mins)

Referee: Hugh Watkins (WRU)