McFadden is Leinster ace
GUINNESS PRO12
LEINSTER…………………………………………. 23
GLASGOW WARRIORS………………………… 18
Daire Walsh
Thirteen points from the boot of Fergus McFadden proved decisive in the RDS last night, as Leinster maintained their 100% home record in the Guinness Pro12 with a hard-earned triumph over current champions Glasgow Warriors.
The visitors included eight World Cup participants in their match-day squad, and having kept Leinster on the back-foot during the early exchanges, they eventually opened the scoring on 14 minutes, when prop Zander Fagerson drove over powerfully from five metres for a converted five-pointer.
Leinster reduced their deficit courtesy of successful penalties from McFadden in the 17th and 21st minutes respectively, before a brace of accurate Duncan Weir place-kicks offered Glasgow a 13-6 interval cushion.
The sin-binning of hooker Pat MacArthur for a heavy tackle on opposite number Aaron Dundon provided Leinster with a numerical advantage on the resumption, and a well-worked converted try by scrum-half Luke McGrath restored parity.
Glasgow did rally with a similar effort from powerhouse winger Taqele Naiyaravoro, but Gregor Townsend’s charges suffered a hammer blow when the same player was issued with a yellow-card for deliberately preventing a Fergus McFadden touch down 15 minutes from time.
McFadden comfortably added the bonuses to the penalty try that followed, and after Weir was crucially wide of the mark from a 69th minute penalty, the Kildare native sealed Leinster’s third victory of the season with the final kick of an eventful contest.
Scorers for Leinster: L McGrath try, penalty try, F McFadden 3 pens, 2 cons.
Scorers for Glasgow Warriors: Z Fagerson, T Naiyaravoro try each, D Weir pen, con.
LEINSTER: I Nacewa; G Ringrose, B Te’o, N Reid, F McFadden; C Marsh, L McGrath; M Bent, A Dundon, M Moore; R Molony, M McCarthy; R Ruddock, J van der Flier, J Conan.
Replacements: J Tracy for Dundon (40), P Dooley for Bent, T Furlong for Moore (both 50), I Boss for McGrath (59), D Ryan for McCarthy (70), C Kelleher for Te’o (76).
GLASGOW WARRIORS: S Lamont; T Naiyaravoro, R Vernon, F Lyle, R Hughes; D Weir, M Blair; A Allan, P MacArthur. Z Fagerson; T Swinson, S Cummings; R Harley, S Favaro, R Wilson.
Replacements: A Ashe for Swinson (29), H Blake for Favaro (51), M Cusack for Fagerson, K Bryce for MacArthur (both 59), J Yanuyanutawa for Allan, R Clegg for Lamont (both 69), G Hart for Blair (70), G Peterson for Cummings (72).
Referee: I Davies (WRU).