Connacht (3) 6 Pens: Keatley (2) Leinster (5) 18 Tries: Nacewa, D Ryan Con: Sexton Pens: Sexton (2)  Isa Nacewa got Leinster's first try against Connacht |
Leinster's recent revival continued as they saw off Connacht in a low-key Magners League match in Galway. Joe Schmidt's side, seeking a fourth consecutive win in all competitions, led 5-3 at half-time thanks to winger Isa Nacewa's 14th-minute try. Connacht missed out on a losing bonus point as Frank Murphy's pass was intercepted by flanker Dominic Ryan for Leinster's second try in injury-time. Ian Keatley kicked Connacht's points with two penalties. Jonathan Sexton landed two for Leinster, plus a conversion. The visitors used the set-piece to set up Nacewa's opening score. Former Ulster scrum-half Isaac Boss charged through a gap at the back of a line-out near halfway, and looped a long pass out to the left for Nacewa to gather and score a well-executed try. A ruck offence by Sean O'Brien allowed Keatley to claw back some territory and after a similar infringement from Cian Healy, he opened Connacht's account with a 34th minute penalty. Keatley should have sent the hosts ahead but missed his penalty to the right of the posts. Sexton slotted a 49th minute opportunity from a left-sided position to make it 8-3 but Keatley's second penalty restored the two-point gap. Leinster fly-half Sexton replied in the 65th minute after good carries from Shane Horgan, replacement Gordon D'Arcy and man-of-the-match Richardt Strauss. As Connacht pressed towards the end, Ryan snatched Murphy's pass on the Connacht's 10-metre line and sprinted clear for a sucker-punch score.
Connacht: Duffy, Fanning, Ta'auso, Matthews, Carr, Keatley, F. Murphy, Wilkinson, Cronin, Hagan, Swift, McCarthy, O'Connor, Ofisa, Muldoon. Replacements: Nathan for Fanning (70), Nikora for Keatley (60), Upton for McCarthy (78), Taylor for O'Connor (70). Not used: Flavin, Fa'amausili, Loughney, Willis. Leinster: R. Kearney, Horgan, O'Malley, McFadden, Nacewa, J. Sexton, Boss, Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Toner, O'Brien, Jennings, Heaslip. Replacements: D'Arcy for R. Kearney (40), Reddan for Boss (65), Shawe for Ross (65), Hines for Cullen (59), D. Ryan for Heaslip (70). Not used: Harris-Wright, van der Merwe, Conway. Att: 5,000 Ref: George Clancy (IRFU).
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