IT’S NO FLUKE FOR McGRATH

Ace scores straight after coming on then repeats the trick

LEINSTER eased to victory as they inflicted Ulster‘s first defeat in the Guinness Pro14 this season.

The visitors claimed a 25-10 win at the Kingspan stadium last night.

Leinster started brightly and scored a try from early replacement centre Jordan Larmour, who used his pace to surge clear from almost the halfway line.

Ulster bounced back when flanker Sean Reidy forced his way over the line.

But for Les Kiss’ side, it would prove their sole try of the night.

The second half saw Luke McGrath touchdown for two more Leinster tries as the visitors eased clear.

The win was Leinster’s first in nine meetings between the inter-provincial rivals, and Ulster’s first home defeat in the competition since losing 15-14 to Munster a year ago. The reuslt sees Leinster leapfrog Ulster in the table, who had started the day in second place in Conference B of the Pro14.

Christian Lealiifano opened Ulster’s account with a sixth-minute wind-assisted penalty but Leinster hit back on the quarter-hour mark when Larmour, a second-minute replacement for Noel Reid at centre, stepped inside Iain Henderson and Aaron Cairns to score near the posts.

Ross Byrne added the conversion and Leinster led 7-3 but the home side roared back to regain the lead when Reidy powered over from a five-metre scrum in the 27th minute after Cairns had been held up over the visitors’ line.

Lealiifano’s conversion put Ulster 10-7 up but two Byrne penalties made it 13-10 to the visitors at the break.

Leinster had the first scoring chance of the new half, two minutes in, when they swept downfield only for Jamison Gibson-Park’s final pass to Dave Kearney to miss the target.

Now playing with the breeze, Byrne went for the posts from long range after Ulster were penalised at a scrum but the ball sailed wide to the right.

But a minute before the hour, Leinster struck for their second try.

Rodney Ah You spilled possession and the visitors moved the ball at pace out to the right wing. O’Brien dummied and straightened before giving Luke McGrath the scoring pass to dot down in the corner, with Byrne failing to convert from a difficult angle.

Then with two minutes remaining, McGrath wriggled through the tackles of Ulster substitutes Louis Ludik and Rob Herring to score under the postsn with Marsh adding the two points.

HE G0T A LUKE IN McGrath nips in for his first try last night

NO CHINK IN HIS LARMOUR: Jordan Larmour scored a fine try for Leinster