Leinster spoil Connacht's party in thrilling interpro

It was meant to be a famous night for Connacht, but Leinster didn't get the memo.

The defending champions dampened the celebrations at the grand opening of the new and improved Dexcom Stadium, as Leo Cullen’s side came through a brilliant Interpro 34-23 to extend their winning run to 10 games in all competitions.

The win came at a cost for Leinster, and ultimately Ireland.

With the Six Nations looming in less than two weeks, Jack Boyle joined the daunting loosehead prop injury list when he was carted off with a lower leg injury just 20 minutes in, and the expected starter for Ireland’s opening game in Paris now looks a longshot to be available.

A record 12,481 people crammed into the Sportsground, more than 6,500 of them in the shiny new Clan Stand, and while they got a game the occasion deserve, the home fans were ultimately left disappointed.

It was Ciarán Frawley, against his future side, who ultimately delivered the crucial blow.

The full-back's try (below) with 10 minutes left to play was the insurance score the visitors needed, securing a four-try bonus-point, and keeping Connacht at arm’s length in the last 10 minutes.

Up until then, it had been a rip-roaring, back and forth Irish derby; the sides were level at 7-7, 10-10, 13-13 and 20-20 before tries for Charlie Tector and Frawley saw Leinster pull clear down the stretch.

Fintan Gunne and RG Snyman had scored the earlier Leinster tries, while Dylan Tierney-Martin and Harry West crossed for Connacht.

In dreadful conditions, even the kickers put on a show – Harry Byrne and Sam Gilbert combined for 11 kicks out of 11 in front of the posts.

Stuart Lancaster’s side were unlucky to leave the game with nothing to show for their efforts, having played their part in a thrilling game until the final quarter, with Sean Jansen in particular impressing in the back row.

The Sportsground had been a hive of activity all afternoon, and by 5.30pm the stadium was hopping, a spectacular atmosphere greeting the players as they emerged from a fog of green pyro.

The home side started with great intent, but two lost lineouts inside the opening five minutes saw them pinned back into their own 22, as Leinster went on an early assault.

A penalty afforded them the opportunity to pick and go from five metres out, and after Gus McCarthy, Caelan Doris, RG Snyman and Niall Smyth edged them towards the line, Gunne sniped for the opening try on seven minutes, converted by Harry Byrne for an early 7-0 lead.

The home side lost both Cathal Forde and Sam Illo temporarily to HIAs, but Bundee Aki’s introduction raised the roof, and their response was swift as they won back the restart, before a penalty came their way and allowed them kick to the corner.

Carries from Darragh Murray and Paul Boyle, among others, got them close, before Tierney-Martin snuck over and Gilbert converted to level the game at 7-7.

Boyle’s injury sobered the atmosphere somewhat, and the sides swapped penalties shortly after the opening quarter; Gilbert nudged Connacht 10-7 ahead following a Will Connors infringement, before Illo gave up a scrum penalty to allow Byrne level things at 10-10 on 25 minutes.

The tit-for-tat nature of the first half continued when a third lost Connacht lineout led to a penalty for Byrne, who restored the Leinster lead at 13-10 just before the half-hour, although it was a short-lived advantage as Gilbert’s second penalty of the evening made it 13-13.

Leinster pushed hard for a try late in the half, but Connacht had Jansen to thank after some excellent defensive interventions, including one huge tackle on McCarthy.

The home side started the second half brightly, and were frustrated to see Paul Boyle held up over the line, but on 48 minutes they struck for a sensational try for 22-year-old West, converted by Gilbert for a 20-13 lead.

West scored the try, but Jansen was at the heart of it as he crashed into two Leinster tacklers and freed the ball for an offload to Finn Treacy, who popped back inside to his centre to complete a marvelous score.

They had to survive a scare when Gunne broke free on 53 minutes, and were saved by a Cian Prendergast jackal penalty, although Forde missed touch with the penalty, inviting further pressure, and that territory eventually led to Snyman crashing over from close range on 56 minutes, with Byrne’s conversion once again squaring it at 20-20.

Just before the hour, Leinster struck for their third try as Tector ghosted through the middle of the defensive line to score under the posts, a dreadful defensive error on the home side’s part as the centre shrugged off tame tackle attempts from Aungier and Tierney-Martin.

Byrne maintained his 100% record off the tee to convert and make it 27-20, and with 13 minutes left to play Gilbert also kept his flawless record to knock over a penalty, as the home side reduced the arrears to four points.

With 10 minutes to play, Leinster put some daylight between the sides, Frawley scoring their bonus-point try after another well-worked move from a five-metre tap-and-go, their third time executing such a play, and Byrne’s fourth conversion made it an 11-point game at 34-23.

There would be no miracle comeback, as a fourth URC defeat in a row for Connacht left the province with a huge task ahead oi they’re to break into the Champions Cup places in the second half of the season.

Scorers:

Connacht: Tries: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Harry West

Cons: Sam Gilbert (2)

Pens: Sam Gilbert (3)

Leinster: Tries: Fintan Gunne, RG Snyman, Charlie Tector, Ciarán Frawley

Cons: Harry Byrne (4)

Pens: Harry Byrne (2)

Connacht: Sam Gilbert; Shane Jennings, Harry West, Cathal Forde, Finn Treacy; Josh Ioane, Caolin Blade; Billy Bohan, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Sam Illo; Josh Murphy, Darragh Murray; Cian Prendergast (capt), Paul Boyle, Sean Jansen.

Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar (for Tierney-Martin, 70), Denis Buckley (for Bohan, 49), Jack Aungier (for Illo, 8-18 HIA, and 49), Joe Joyce (for Murray, 61), Sean O’Brien (for Boyle, 61), Ben Murphy (for Blade, 72), Jack Carty (for Ioane, 63), Bundee Aki (for Forde, 8-18 HIA, and for West, 49).

Leinster: Ciarán Frawley; Joshua Kenny, Garry Ringrose, Charlie Tector, James Lowe; Harry Byrne, Fintan Gunne; Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Niall Smyth; RG Snyman, James Ryan; Alex Soroka (for Mangan, 56-62 HIA), Will Connors, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (for McCarthy, 49), Jerry Cahir (for Boyle, 19), Andrew Sparrow (for Smyth, 51), Brian Deeny (for Snyman, 71), Diarmuid Mangan (for Soroka, 45), Scott Penny (for Connors, 49), Luke McGrath (for Gunne, 56), Ruben Moloney (for Kenny, 78).

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)