PA sports staff
United Rugby Championship leaders Leinster started the new year in a familiar fashion with a 41-12 bonus points win over Connacht in the RDS.
A try from David Hawkshaw and Tom Farrell put Connacht ahead just 19–12 at half-time, with Liam Turner, Brian Deeney and Jordan Larmore crossing for Leinster.
Larmor, Rob Russell, Ryan Baird and Josh Van Der Fryer scored a seven-try win for Leo Cullen’s men, who were only worried about losing captain Jonathan Sexton to a facial injury.
Connacht were without three of their Irish squad, with Finley Beerum and Mack Hansen out due to illness and Bundy Aki taking time off to manage his Irish squad.
Turner took a nice line at two minutes as Charlie Ngatay and Sexton combined put him on the right side of the post. Sexton failed to convert.
Murray brothers Dollar and Neal both pinched the lineout, and Connacht’s improved play paid off when Hawkshaw broke through tackles from Sexton and Russell for an excellent 16th-minute score, and Jack Carty was the only player to score. converted by
Leinster turned to a strong pack and young rock Deeney bounced back from close range to make Sexton 12-7.
At the 30th minute, an evasive Larmor linked up with Jimmy O’Brien, who’s kick cleared the hapless Carty and Larmor was happy to score a 7-pointer.
Connacht pulled back five of them before the break, with Carty deftly sending Farrell but the skipper mistaking the conversion.
Larmor scored a 44th-minute bonus point from a charming Jamison Gibson Park pass, but Connaught injured Hawkshaw in the process. Carty was immediately sent to the bin for being offside from a penalty.
Despite this, Connacht coped well while reduced to fourteen men, with Kaolin Blade igniting the attack again and Jarad Butler holding off Leinster Mall.
Sexton had to be substituted after a head-on contact while tackling Butler.
In his absence, Leinster finished in style, with Cormac Foley and Ngatai assisting Russell and Baird respectively, and van der Freyer setting the pace to make the left corner after Larmor was again involved in the build-up. rice field.