Connacht (9) 9
Pens: Donnelly (2)
Cons: Donnelly

Leinster needed two late tries from Gordon D'Arcy and a 100 per cent kicking record from Christian Warner to see off Connacht in the Magners League.

Connacht led 9-6 at half-time thanks to two penalties and a drop goal by Tim Donnelly with Warner replying with two penalties for an unimpressive Leinster.

Warner kicked three more penalties and then converted D'Arcy's tries in the 70th and 79th minutes to seal the win.

The victory takes Leinster into third position in the league table.

Connacht led 3-0 through a Donnelly penalty when D'Arcy appeared to have crossed the visitors' line but television match official David Keane ruled that he had been held up.

Warner levelled but Donnelly restored Connacht's lead before Warner converted his second penalty of the game.

A smartly hit 35-metre drop goal from Donnelly nosed his side ahead at the interval.

Nine minutes into the second period Warner converted a penalty from the 22-metre line and two further penalties from the fly-half put Leinster six points ahead.

Luke Fitzgerald then sliced through on an excellent run to pass for Jamie Heaslip who sent the supporting D'Arcy dashing over for a 70th-minute try.

The home win was completed nine minutes later when a flat pass from Shane Horgan sent D'Arcy through a gap on the left flank and the number 12 sidestepped his way past Gavin Duffy to crash over for another seven-pointer.

Donnelly missed three penalty attempts during the game which was watched by the league's biggest crowd of the season so far, 16,753 packed into the RDS.

Leinster: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; C Warner, C Whitaker; O Le Roux, B Jackman, S Wright; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; S Keogh, K Gleeson, J Heaslip.
Replacements: B Blaney, J F Gomez, C Jowitt, S Jennings, C Willis, J Sexton, R Kearney.

Connacht: G Duffy; O Trviranus, M Deane, A Wynne, K Matthews; T Donnelly, C McPhillips; B Wilkinson, J Fogarty, R Morris; M Swift, D Gannon/A Farley; R Ofisa/M McCarthy, J O'Connor, J Muldoon.
Replacements: A Flavin, R Loughney, D Gannon/A Farley/A Browne, R Ofisa/M McCarthy/C Rigney, C O'Loughlin, P Durcan, D Yapp.