Leinster pass barriers with customary ease
LEINSTER overcame the absence of captain Isa Nacewa and Jamison Gibson-Park to record a convincing 31-10 bonus point victory over Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth.
The build-up to the first ever PRO14 game on South African soil had been dominated by New Zealanders Nacewa and Gibson-Park being denied access to the country after changes to visa rules earlier this year.
That did not prove a distraction for the province on the pitch, however, as they recorded five tries to leave the Kings pointless from their opening three games of the season.
The Kings made a bright start with Masixole Banda booting an early penalty but it all went downhill for them from there.
Nice play from Ed Byrne and Luke McGrath helped Noel Reid go over for the eighth-minute opening try, with Ross Byrne converting. The two teams went hammer and tongs from there, but neither conceded an inch and the score remained 7-3 right through to half-time.
It took just two minutes for Rory O’Loughlin to go over after the break and when Jack Conan scored try number three after some good pressure five minutes later, with Byrne adding the extras, the tourists were in charge.
Joey Carbery made it three tries in nine minutes following a good line-out with Byrne converting again before Carbery had another score disallowed for a knock-on.
Winger Dave Kearney then scored try number five with nine minutes to play before Jacques Nel grabbed a consolation for the home side, converted by Kurt Coleman.