Connacht - and Jack Carty - masterclass ends Leinster's winning streak

Connacht had standout performers all over the pitch, with Conor Oliver, Sammy Arnold, Caolin Blade and Tom Daly all playing starring roles

BIG PERFORMANCE: Connacht’s Jack Carty powers over during the PRO14 clash with Leinster at the RDS. Carty’s 25 points is the highest tally scored by one player against Leinster in the pro era. Picture: Dan Sheridan

On a freezing cold January night, a handful of the travelling Connacht party sensed there was something special in the air.

By any measure their chances of causing an upset appeared slim. They hadn’t won in Dublin since 2002 and a combination of injuries and Covid had stripped the squad list of a few names. Leinster hadn’t lost in the Guinness PRO14 since April 2019, a run stretching 26 games. On their last visit to the RDS, a stadium they had never won in, Connacht were on the wrong end of a 47 point mauling.