Connacht vs Leinster

It was the away side that made a bright start and silenced the home crowd. After some nice work by the forwards, Cormac Foley got over the line in just the ...

Connacht win the line-out and drive to the line. Leinster ball now. Connacht secure ball but don't use it quick enough. Audible scream let out by the Leinster man. Penalty to Leinster from the scrum. And on an extremely greasy pitch made even worse by the torrential rainfall, Connacht inexplicably kept going to the tail of their line-out.

Match report from the Sportsground where Leinster Rugby beat Connacht Rugby 10-0 in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

John Porch’s long kick and Peter Dooley’s strength over the ball enabled Connacht to apply pressure. Caelen Doris and Ngatai took the ball up. A tremendous break by Sheehan up the right enabled Leinster to get in behind where the ball was shifted left for Russell to test John Porch on the touchline. As ever the set-piece was proving pivotal, Porter crunching a penalty at the scrum and a lineout indiscretion providing another chance for Leinster to turn the screw. Too many times, the green shirts were turned back, Porter the latest to dive on a loose ball and the home lineout malfunctioning to see the status quo maintained. The influence of Henshaw, Doris and Ringrose on the ball was growing as Byrne continued to look for Russell with that arrow-like crossfield kick.

Ciaran Frawley's 76th-minute penalty ensured Leinster beat a wasteful Connacht 10-0 at the Sportsground.

It was Leinster who went up a gear during the closing stages. Byrne then pulled a 40-metre penalty wide. Leinster cracked open the home defence inside the first three minutes, Van der Flier breaking off a maul and feeding Foley for a simple finish.

The sight of referee Frank Murphy raising his arm in the air was far too familiar and both sides put together a catalogue of errors on a night coated with ...

Well, here was the second week in a row where the fare was anything but easy to digest and maybe the main difference here was that the visitors claimed the win. It’s not the first time Connacht have been nilled at home by a provincial rival in the modern era. As with the visit of Munster seven days before, this was a package blighted by holes. As tries go it was far too easy and it didn’t bode well for the contest but Leinster couldn’t use that as a springboard as a combination of poor handling, Connacht’s nuisance levels and that wet and windy backdrop conspired against them. The theory was that Connacht’s new 4G surface would set the table for some sumptuous running rugby. Add to that the fact that the two sides combined for over 2,000 kicking metres – on top of the 23 penalties - and entertaining this was not but the end result is a fifth win from five for Leinster, who still look like they have acres of room to improve, and a fourth defeat of this still young season for Connacht.

Five changes have been made to the Connacht side for this evening's URC game against Leinster in the Sportsgorund.

Shamus Hurley-Langton (4) Josh Murphy (4) Jack Carty (181) (C) Byron Ralston, Mack Hansen and John Porch complete the side. Byron Ralston (4) Dooley is joined by Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham in the front row while lock Gavin Thornbury completes the tight five.