BLACK AND BLUE

Leinster knock Gregor’s lights out

JOEY CARBERY’S late penalty ended Gregor Townsend’s hopes of a Pro12 semifinal in his final season as Glasgow boss. A floodlight failure in the 78th minute (below) failed to derail Leinster after a stunning secondhalf from Warriors saw Adam Ashe, Lee Jones and Finn Russell all score tries to overturn a 17-point half-time deficit, only for Carbery to slot the winner five minutes from time. The game was held up for almost 20 minutes as the lights went out. The hosts have not lost a Pro12 game in the RDS since Dragons hoodwinked them back in 2015, and when Dominic Ryan popped up on Zane Kirchner’s shoulder to score the game’s first try in the sixth minute, Leinster took a lead and Ross Byrne’s conversion made it 7-3. The unfortunate Ryan was replaced two minutes later with a wrist injury in what could be his final Leinster appearance, but his side didn’t mourn his departure for long as Rory O’loughlin ran in their second try less than a minute later. Fifteen minutes from the break there was a return to basics though, as Peter Horne kicked for goal when Tom Daly was caught offside, but Leinster responded in kind when Byrne made it 15-6. Any hopes of a first win at the RDS for Warriors since 2011 slipped in the 35th minute when the Leinster pack got in on the act and loosehead Peter Dooley scored off the back of a powerful, zig-zagging maul, while Byrne’s penalty moments later made 23-6. There was certainly a more direct approach from Warriors and Adam Ashe eventually stretched to score Glasgow’s first try in the 44th minute. On the hour-mark Leinster bagged the bonus-point try when Adam Byrne offloaded to Kirchner, but Carbery was the hero after Jones and then Russell scored tries.

OVER THE LINE Dominic Ryan celebrates his try with Fergus Mcfadden and, below, Rory O’loughlin touches down