Leinster came away from Rodney Parade with their first win in three visits, as they thumped the Newport Gwent Dragons 54-22 on a heavy pitch to move to the top of the GUINNESS PRO12 table.
Man-of-the-match Jack Conan was the star of the show with another two tries to his name, both in the first half, but he was ably supported by Ross Byrne at out-half, an all-action Joey Carbery at full-back and a host of others who left Newport with the maximum five-point return.
With Munster slipping up at home to the Scarlets, Leo Cullen’s men are the new PRO12 leaders – two points clear of their provincial rivals – ahead of next Saturday’s showdown with the Llanelli outfit at the RDS.
It was the Dragons who started the brighter with an early penalty for Dorian Jones, but Leinster did not look back after Conan’s opening 10th-minute try. The number 8’s converted score was all down to the exquisite elusive running of Carbery.
Having gathered an up-and-under just outside his own 22, the Clontarf clubman stood up three Dragons forwards before stepping into a gap and taking off. Dragons full-back Carl Meyer hauled him down short of the line but he had Fergus McFadden and Conan in support. Conan got the nod and over he went. Byrne adding the extras.
It got better again some ten minutes later when Max Deegan – on as a replacement for Peadar Timmins who had gone off for a head injury assessment – took a superb lineout before more Carbery magic and some grunt by the pack got Conan over for his second try. Byrne converted for a 14-3 scoreline.
To their credit, the Dragons fought back well and should have reduced the gap before half-time. However, a Jones penalty crashed off the crossbar and it was put out soon after to leave the visitors with an 11-point advantage at the break.
It was not long before the province’s attack clicked in the second half as Adam Byrne took off on a mazy run before popping the ball to Deegan. He linked with Conan who in turn found Jamison Gibson Park and the Kiwi darted over to make it 19-3 and his half-back partner Byrne made it seven points from out on the right.
Adam Hughes crashed over in the corner for the Dragons soon after and a recovery briefly looked on. Leinster had other ideas, though, and once they went up a few gears, there was no answer.
First Ross Molony claimed the bonus point in the 53rd minute after great work from the pack, and then James Tracy, Hayden Triggs and Luke McGrath (two) all got in on the act in a brilliant and clinical last 20 minutes from Leinster. Young number 10 Byrne orchestrated most and added seven successful kicks from eight for good measure.
Although Cullen’s charges will be disappointed to have conceded a try late on to Sarel Pretorius (adding to a Matthew Screech effort ten minutes earlier), they did deny the Dragons a bonus point of their own.
The final footnote from Rodney Parade was UCD prop Ed Byrne who made his long-awaited comeback when replacing Peter Dooley after 56 minutes. It was his first senior appearance for Leinster after 28 months out injured.
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