Leinster take it to the Max against Zebre
MAX DEEGAN and James Lowe scored two tries each as Leinster kept their Guinness Pro14 home semifinal hopes on track with a 41-6 bonus-point win over Zebre at the RDS.
The Irish province’s defence stood up well to Zebre’s early assaults, Dan Leavy forcing a knock-on at the breakdown and Barry Daly’s half break bringing the hosts past halfway.
New Zealander Lowe soon burst into life, threatening from a kick through — and then a quick tap — before Ross Byrne fed him for his close-range try near the left corner after 12 minutes.
A curling conversion from Ross Byrne made it a seven-point return, but the Italians continued to have their moments in a scrappy opening quarter.
Amid a heavy rain shower, Dario Chistolini won a scrum penalty on his 100th appearance for the club, launching a promising spell at the end of which scrumhalf Marcello Violi just failed to get the ball against the foot of the post for a try.
His half-back partner Carlo Canna mopped up the three points on offer.
However, a superb break by full-back Daly on a kick return launched Leinster forward for a timely second try — O’Loughlin sliding over, wide on the right.
Zebre fell further behind inside the opening minute of the second half. Deegan reacted quickest after referee Ian Davies ruled that the ball was out of a Zebre ruck, the young No8 pinching it from under Violi’s nose and charging over from inside the 22.
After Ross Byrne’s missed conversion, Canna doubled Zebre’s tally off the tee.
That was as close as they could get, Leinster picking up the pace as Deegan, who took an initial tap, touched down on the hour mark after a pacy attack involving Lowe and O’Loughlin again, and a final pass from fly-half Ross Byrne.
Mattia Bellini denied Adam Byrne, who knocked on a bouncing cross-field kick from Ross Byrne, but with the youthful Leinster bench full of running, they added three more tries in an eight-minute spell.
Having broken the defensive line, Ross Byrne’s deflected pass was gobbled up by the onrushing Lowe to seal his brace, and Ross
Byrne converted Abdaladze’s low 71stminute drive for the whitewash.
Reserve hooker Bryan Byrne struck with a similar effort, five minutes from the final whistle.
LEINSTER: B Daly; A Byrne, R O’Loughlin (G Mullin 67), C O’Brien (C Frawley 67), J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park (N McCarthy 62); Cian Healy (P Dooley 55), J Tracy (B Byrne 55’), T Furlong (V Abdaladze 55), D Toner (captain) (R Molony 62), M Kearney, J Murphy, D Leavy ( P Timmins 62), M Deegan.
Scorers — Tries: Lowe (2), O’Loughlin, Deegan (2), Abdaladze, B Byrne. Cons: R Byrne (3).
ZEBRE: M Minozzi, G Di Giulio, G Bisegni, F Afamasaga, M Bellini, C Canna, M Violi; A Lovotti, O Fabiani, D Chistolini (R Tenga 55), L Krumov, G Biagi (captain) (E Bello 59), V Bernabò, J Sarto, D Sisi.
Scorer – Pens: Canna (2). Referee: Ian Davies [WRU].