AN EASTER PARADE
Leinster stroll in to the Pro12 semi-finals with an emphatic away win over Connacht
WHAT cracking Easter fun. Ulster’s earlier loss at Munster had guaranteed Leinster a league semi-final spot with three games to spare, but that didn’t render this game meaningless.
The updated maths informed visitors to the Sportsground that victory would secure home advantage for the semi-finals, enough to egg them on against opposition that caused them so much pain in the PRO12 decider last May.
Quite a frantic treat ensued, a seven-try, 61-point belter you wished could carry on all night.
The only downside was the knock to the knee sustained by Leinster’s Dave Kearney just five days after he described this season as his worst for injuries.
Despite an eight-day turnaround to their Champions Cup semifinal in France next Sunday, Leinster risked getting their backside slapped by making 11 changes from last week’s win at Ospreys, and retaining just three starters from the European win over Wasps.
However, it didn’t sate their appetite for a fight and the pregame pageantry surrounding John Muldoon’s record 300th appearance was quickly tossed aside.
Thirty seconds was all it took for the revved-up hosts to force initiative, choking the ballcarrying visitors to earn the penalty which Craig Ronaldson landed. Leinster, though, were ahead on seven, the TMO deeming good Adam Byrne’s pop to Zane Kirchner. If there was a doubt about that try’s legitimacy, there was no query about Byrne picking off Ronaldson’s 11th minute pass to run in unopposed. Back came Connacht, Ronaldson’s second penalty followed by the Tiernan O’Halloran break that paved the way for Danie Poolman to gobble Jack Carty’s cross-kick. Ross Byrne and Ronaldson than exchanged penalties before Connacht leaked a third try, their defence switching off to permit Luke McGrath the break that ended with Rory O’Loughlin scampering over before the exhausting half ended with Ronaldson’s fourth penalty to have the league champions trailing just 1920.
Ten minutes after the resumption, they were four ahead, O’Halloran’s break and offload scintillating in the move rounded off in the corner by Dave Heffernan.
However, Leinster now had enough of the lead-changing frolics, Rhys Ruddock’s 53rd minute effort followed by Barry Daly’s 69th minute clincher after Sean Cronin levelled Denis Buckley in the tackle.
A late penalty then helped run down the clock, the 13-point home semi-final sealing win an impressive second-string display on a day when nine-try Clermont, their Euro foe next Sunday, relegated Grenoble with a 59-18 Top 14 hammering.