O’Driscoll Returns On Winning Night For Leinster

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll ended his six month absence from rugby by coming on as a second half replacement in Leinster’s 24-19 Celtic League win against Ulster on St Stephen’s night.

…Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll tries to get past Ulster centre Andrew Trimble, the man who filled the former’s Ireland number 13 shirt against Australia and Romania last month, at Ravenhill on St Stephen’s night…

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll ended his six month absence from rugby by coming on as a second half replacement in Leinster’s 24-19 Celtic League win against Ulster on St Stephen’s night.

CELTIC LEAGUE: Monday, December 26

ULSTER 19 LEINSTER 24, Ravenhill (Att: 12,500)

Scorers: Ulster: Try: Tommy Bowe; Con: David Humphreys; Pens: Humphreys 4

Leinster: Tries: Gordon D’Arcy, Girvan Dempsey; Con: Felipe Contepomi; Pens: Contepomi 4

TIMELINE: 9 minutes – Leinster penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 0-3; 16 mins – Leinster penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 0-6; 26 mins – Ulster try: Tommy Bowe – 5-6; conversion: David Humphreys – 7-6; 29 mins – Ulster penalty: David Humphreys – 10-6; 31 mins – Leinster penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 10-9; 34 mins – Ulster penalty: David Humphreys – 13-9 – HT – ULSTER 13 LEINSTER 9; 43 mins – Leinster try: Gordon D’Arcy – 13-14; conversion missed – 13-14; 54 mins – Leinster try: Girvan Dempsey – 12-19; conversion: Felipe Contepomi – 13-21; 62 mins – Ulster penalty: David Humphreys – 16-21; 65 mins – Leinster yellow card: Guy Easterby; 75 mins – Ulster penalty: David Humphreys – 19-21; 78 mins – Leinster penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 19-24; FT – ULSTER 19 LEINSTER 24

ULSTER: Bryn Cunningham; Tommy Bowe, Kevin Maggs, Andrew Trimble, Paul Steinmetz; David Humphreys, Isaac Boss; Bryan Young, Rory Best, Simon Best (capt), Justin Harrison, Matt McCullough, Neil Best, Neil McMillan, Roger Wilson.

Replacements used: Justin Fitzpatrick for Young (55 mins). Not used: Nigel Brady, Ryan Caldwell, Stephen Ferris, Kieran Campbell, Adam Larkin, James Topping.

LEINSTER: Girvan Dempsey; Brendan Burke, Gordon D’Arcy, Kieran Lewis, Robert Kearney; Felipe Contepomi (capt), Guy Easterby; Ronnie McCormack, Brian Blaney, Will Green, Bryce Williams, Malcolm O’Kelly, Cameron Jowitt, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacement used: David Blaney for B Blaney (46 mins), Brian O’Driscoll for Kearney, Eric Miller for Jowitt (both 52), Emmett Byrne for Green (58), Brian O’Riordan for Heaslip (70), Ben Gissing for O’Riordan (78).

Sin-Bin: Guy Easterby (Leinster) (65 mins)

Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)