Leinster inflict Lancaster's heaviest Connacht defeat with seven-try rout
Leinster's Joey Carbery celebrates scoring a try with Jordan Larmour and Cormac Foley. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Stuart Lancaster suffered his worst defeat in charge of Connacht as his former side came to Dexcom Stadium and dished out a seven tries to one hammering between two understrength sides.
Leo Cullen’s men were accomplished throughout with seven different try scorers in a near flawless display which showed the depth of their squad.
Connacht may have been missing eight Irish internationals but Leinster were without more than double that as the URC champions showed the depth of their squad to make it 14 wins in a row over Connacht.
Leinster were full value for their 21-5 interval lead after bossing matters with 72% possession in an opening half where the champions also enjoyed 88% territory as Connacht just couldn’t get their hands on the ball.
Fintan Gunne and Joey Carbery dominated at half-back and Leinster kept the ball in hand, crossing the gain-line and recycling and were able to protect the ball in a half which opened in mild conditions but quickly descended into typical Galway weather at the end of the opening half.
Connacht, playing into those conditions, just could not get on top, constantly failing to find touch down the right into the greyhound stand and then often kicking direct out of play into the Clan Stand on the other side.
Leinster, with hooker Gus McCarthy leading a dominant pack where Max Deegan and Scott Penny were rampant, mopped it all up and the only surprise was that it took Leinster 17 minutes to get off the mark.
It came with a Penny and Gunne dummy run off a lineout, with No.8 James Culhane darting through to set up McCarthy who beat Shayne Bolton to score in the left corner.
Carbery added the conversion and then opened the home defence with a neat chip which Todd Lawlor hacked on and centre Connor Fahy was denied a debut try when winger Daniel Ryan forced him to knock-on.
The reprieve was brief for Connacht with Jordan Larmour, looking very sharp on his return from injury, crowning a fine performance when a Gunne break and multiple short recycles ended with Larmour coming off his wing to score and Carbery converting for 14-0 after 25 minutes.
Connacht responded from the restart, the only time they attacked inside the 22. Josh Murphy won a good penalty turnover and with backs joining the maul, they got the drive from the lineout for hooker Dave Heffernan, who scored in his first match back last week, getting over.
Connacht’s inability to clear their lines was punished eight minutes from the break with Leinster striking after Sean Naughton failed to find down on the right and Larmour broke to send full-back Lawlor over for his first try. Carbery’s third conversion made it 21-5 and Leinster should have wrapped up the bonus point but made a mess of a drive from a penalty to the right corner.
Connacht’s problems mounted when they lost flanker Sean O’Brien at half-time and impressive centre John Devine just after the break to injury.
Good work from centre Charlie Tector and a grubber from Gunne led to a penalty from Carbery after Bolton tackled Larmour on the ground and then Leinster struck for the bonus point.
Lawlor, Brian Deeny and Culhane were all involved but it was a looping pass from Gunne which took out several defenders which presented Deegan with an easy run in at the left corner to make it 29-5 after 52.
Carbery got over for Leinster’s fifth try after 60 minutes, but only after a review from TMO Olly Hodges when Deegan was checked for preventing Shamus Hurley-Langton from making a tackle from a scrum inside the 22. Carbery slotted the conversion into the wind from the left touchline to make it 36-5 going into the final quarter.
Former Blackrock College prop Alex Mullan became Leinster’s second debutant on the night as both sides emptied their benches in the final quarter.
Connacht’s tale of woe continued eight minutes from time when Leinster replacement Ciaran Mangan intercepted Josh Ioane’s pass inside his own half to score under the posts.
And the champions finished on a high when Gunne got their seventh try when he sniped over but by then most of the home supporters in the crowd of 12,000 had headed for home.
Try: D Heffernan.
Tries: G McCarthy, J Larmour, T Lawlor, M Deegan, J Carbery, C Mangan, F Gunne. Cons: Carbery (6). Pen: Carbery.
J Ioane; S Bolton (F Treacy 51), J Devine (S Gilbert 43), C Forde, D Ryan; S Naughton, C Blade (C Reilly 61); F van Wyk (J Cahir 51), D Heffernan (M Victory 51), F Bealham (F Barrett 56); J Murphy (N Murray 51), D O’Connor; S O’Brien (S Hurley-Langton 41), W Connors, P Boyle.
T Lawlor (C Gabriel 70; J Kenny, C Fahy (Gunne 70), C Tector, J Larmour (61); J Carbery, F Gunne (C Foley 57); A Usanov (P Dooley 61), G McCarthy (S Smyth 61), N Smyth (A Mullan 61); B Deeny, A Spicer (C O'Tighearnaigh 55); M Deegan, S Penny (A Soroka 72), J Culhane.
Hollie Davidson (Scotland).
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