Jonathan Sexton after scoring Leinster's second try at the RDS
Jonathan Sexton pressed his claims for an Ireland recall against England as he notched 22 points for Leinster in the Magners League win over the Scarlets.
Ken Owens finished off a glorious move for the Scarlets but Isa Nacewa's reply put Leinster 13-11 ahead at half-time.
Rhy Priestland briefly put the Scarlets ahead after the break but three more Sexton penalties put Leinster 22-14 up.
Rob McCusker fumbled a glorious chance to get the Scarlets back into the game and Sexton's try sealed Leinster's win.
Leinster, minus the majority of their Ireland big guns, were further depleted in the fourth minute when number eight Sean O'Brien had to be stretchered off with an apparent ankle injury.
O'Brien, also pressing for selection against England, was injured just 24 hours after fellow Ireland hopeful Donnacha Ryan sustained shoulder damage while in action for Munster.
The Scarlets included Martin Roberts, Jon Davies and Owens who had all been made available by Wales coach Warren Gatland.
Sexton did kick Leinster ahead in the 11th minute but the Heineken Cup champions struggled against the lively Scarlets pack in the early stages.
Priestland levelled for the visitors four minutes later and they were soon ahead as hooker Owens finished off a sensational move started by flanker Johnathan Edwards in his own half.
Regan King, Edwards again and David Lyons were also involved in a classic example of fast hands and superb off-loading.
Fly-half Priestland missed the difficult conversion but the Scarlets appeared on course to register their second Magners League win of the season over the Irish province.
For the most part, Leinster laboured in the opening half hour but their first significant attack resulted in a try for Nacewa on 28 minutes.
Shane Horgan and Girvan Dempsey had both threatened the Scarlets line before the ball was recycled to the opposite corner with Nacewa presented with the simple finish.
Sexton kicked a superb conversion and repeated the dose four minutes later to increase Leinster's lead to 13-8.
However, the Scarlets were continuing to trouble Leinster and Priestland slotted his second penalty on the stroke of half-time after a Kevin McLaughlin infringement.
Leinster's Girvan Dempsey tackles Rhys Priestland at the RDS
Priestland kicked the Scarlets into the lead on 44 minutes but Sexton maintained his 100 per cent record with the boot to restore Leinster's advantage three minutes later.
From the restart, the Scarlets looked certain to score a try after creating an overlap but Daniel Evans failed to find King as Fergus McFadden made a vital interception.
Horgan's break from his own 22 set up another three points for Sexton on 57 minutes.
The Scarlets responded by putting Leinster under serious pressure but Malcolm O'Kelly's big hit helped lift the siege as the ball was turned over.
Another Horgan run into the Scarlets 22 resulted in three more points for Sexton in the 67th minute as there was now more than a score in it.
However, the Scarlets should have been right back in the contest three minutes later when McCusker embarrassingly knocked on two yards short of the Leinster line after he had charged down Shaun Berne's casual clearance.
To rub salt into Scarlets wounds, Leinster immediately went downfield to notch the decisive score as Sexton crossed the line after Berne's break and good work by young replacement Andrew Conway.
Sexton missed the conversion but it was his only failure from the boot in his seven attempts as he appeared to wrest the initiative from Ronan O'Gara in the battle for the Irish number 10 jersey.
Leinster: G Dempsey, S Horgan, F McFadden, S Berne, I Necewa, J Sexton, E Reddan; S Wright, B Jackman, CJ van der Linde, D Toner, M O'Kelly, K McLaughlin, S Jennings (cpt), S O'Brien. Replacements: A Conway for Horgan 74, E O'Malley for Berne 77, R Strauss for Jackman 62, M Ross for van der Linde 62, Stephen Keogh for O'Brien (5). Not Used: T Hogan, P O'Donohoe.
Scarlets: D Newton; D Evans, R King, J Davies, A Fenby; R Priestland, M Roberts; I Thomas, K Owens, D Manu, D Day, D Welch, R McCusker, J Edwards, D Lyons (capt). Replacements: P John for I Thomas 62, E Phillips for Owen 62, R Thomas for Manu 62, V Cooper for Welch 68, J Turnbull for Edwards 49. Not used: T Knoyle, G Maule.
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