Ulster (0) 0

Magners League leaders Leinster handed out a Boxing Day hammering to bottom-placed Ulster at the RDS.

Ulster's latest awful display was capped by having Rory Best stretchered off with an ankle injury.

Three Felipe Contepomi penalties left the dominant home side 9-0 ahead at half-time and the Argentine added another penalty in the 50th minute.

Neil Best's sin-binning was punished by Cian Healy's try and Jamie Heaslip's late try increased Ulster's misery.

Leinster started minus Brian O'Driscoll, who was not risked because of an ongoing ankle problem, so Contepomi switched to centre with Jonathan Sexton starting at fly-half.

The home side dominated from the start and the Ulster line was threatened on a number of occasions before Contepomi kicked Leinster ahead with a ninth-minute penalty.

Leinster lost prop Ollie le Roux because of an apparent rib injury in the 15th minute but his replacement Healy went on to have a fine match.

606: DEBATE Give your thoughts after Ulster's latest defeat

Two more Contepomi penalties extended Leinster's lead to 9-0 at the interval with the third score coming while Isaac Boss was in the sin-bin after an illegal challenge on Gordon D'Arcy.

Paddy Wallace was just short with a long-range penalty after half-time but Ulster then suffered another blow when Neil Best conceded a penalty in front of the posts and was sin-binned into the bargain.

Contepomi duly added the three points and Ulster's woes were compounded when captain Best had to be stretchered off after appearing to land awkwardly.

Healy barged over for Leinster's first try on 57 minutes with Contepomi adding the conversion.

Ulster caretaker coach Steve Williams then introduced David Humphreys but it was far too late to change the course of this game.

Another Contepomi penalty was followed by Heaslip's try as Leinster stayed on top of the table.

Matt Williams is expected to be appointed as the new Ulster coach later this week and on the evidence of this match, he has quite a job on his hands.

Leinster: G Dempsey, L Fitzgerald, G D'Arcy, F Contepomi, R Kearney, J Sexton, G Easterby; O le Roux, B Jackman, S Wright, L Cullen (capt), M O'Kelly, S Jennings, K Gleeson, J Heaslip.
Replacements: G Brown for Kearney (74), C Warner for Sexton (73), C Keane for Easterby (69), C Healy for le Roux (17), B Blaney for Jackman (78), C Jowitt for O'Kelly (73), S Keogh for Jennings (41).

Ulster: B Cunningham, T Bowe, A Trimble, P Steinmetz, S Danielli, P Wallace, I Boss; J Fitzpatrick, R Best (capt), D Fitzpatrick, J Harrison, R Caldwell, N Best, K Dawson, M McCullough.
Replacements: D Humphreys for Steinmetz (58), P Marshall for Boss (76), N Brady for R Best (55), B Young for D Fitzpatrick (51), C del Fava for Harrison (58), G Webb for Caldwell (71), D Pollock for Dawson (62).

Att: 18,203

Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU)