RUGBY
Leinster retain Pro12 bragging rights
By Daire Walsh
For the second time in succession in this season’s Guinness Pro12, Leinster claimed the bragging rights over interprovincial opposition at the RDS on Saturday evening – when they finished with 11 points to spare (24-13) over defending champions Connacht.
With the westerners being less affected by international call-ups, it was anticipated that Leo Cullen’s charges would endure a tough night in the Ballsbridge venue. However, with Dan Leavy produced a man-of-the-match display from the back-row, the Blues secured a well-deserved victory, and now sit at the summit of the table (edging out the Ospreys and Glasgow Warriors on score difference).
It was a big week leading to this game for Joey Carbery and James Tracy as a result of their international call-ups for Ireland’s upcoming meeting with the All Blacks in Chicago, and they were both included in the match-day squad for Leinster’s latest league encounter.
Carbery was reunited with Jamison Gibson-Park at half-back, and while Tracy took his seat amongst the replacements, Adam Byrne made his first appearance at Pro12 level since February from the right-wing.
He was joined in the back-row by his UCD team-mate Barry Daly, as well as club captain Isa Nacewa – who was the only back to retain his starting place from the defeat to Montpellier in the European Rugby Champions Cup the previous weekend.
Ballymore Eustace native Craig Ronaldson was selected at inside centre for Connacht once again, and his brace of successful penalties helped the visitors to establish a 6-0 lead by the 14th-minute of the play. This proved to be the last significant contribution of the game by the former Lansdowne fly-half, though, as he was withdrawn because of a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) prior to the first-quarter.
Bundee Aki was an able deputy for Ronaldson, but thanks to nine points from the boot of Nacewa, it was Leinster who were in the ascendancy during the interval. The hosts had grown into the half as it developed, and when Byrne finished off a fine move in the right-corner on the stroke of 50 minutes (giving him three tries in just five first-team caps), they were threatening to create serious daylight between the teams.
Tracy entered the fray just after a fourth successful Nacewa place-kick, and when Daly crossed over four minutes from time, Leinster’s victory was emphatically secured. Shane Delahunt did clam a consolation converted try for Connacht in the dying moments, but Leinster will now be hoping for a fifth consecutive league win away to Zebre this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Naas enjoyed a very productive afternoon at Ballymacarn Park on Saturday, when they registered a magnificent 41-26 triumph over Ballynahinch in Division 1B of the Ulster Bank League. Will O’Brien, Fionn Carr, Eoin Walsh, Paulie Tolofua, Rob O’Connor and David Benn all claimed tries, and courtesy of 11 points from the boot of Peter Osborne, they are now up to fourth place in the second-tier table.