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Leinster dominate Dragons as Cian Healy breaks record
By PA
Replacement Joe McCarthy’s 64th-minute try sealed the bonus point for Leinster in a pedestrian 34-6 BKT United Rugby Championship win over the Dragons.
Playing at the Aviva Stadium with the RDS under redevelopment, Leo Cullen’s men celebrated Cian Healy setting a new record as Leinster’s most-capped player.
A subdued first half ended with Leinster leading 10-6 thanks to unconverted tries from captain Jack Conan (17 minutes) and Ross Byrne (37). Lloyd Evans landed two penalties.
Conan scored during Chris Coleman’s sin-binning, and player of the match Max Deegan struck six minutes into the second half. McCarthy, Jordan Larmour and Aitzol King made it a 29-point margin in the end.
Veteran prop Healy’s 281st appearance saw him overhaul Devin Toner, but Dragons did not read the script. It took Jimmy O’Brien’s ankle tap to prevent Ewan Rosser from racing over early on.
However, Coleman made head contact with Thomas Clarkson in the 16th minute following Ben Carter’s initial tackle.
Conan duly crashed over to take advantage of the yellow card. Byrne, who swung a pass wide in the build-up, missed the difficult conversion.
Two obstruction calls spoiled Leinster mauls, and Evans rewarded Brodie Coghlan’s breakdown work with a 25th-minute penalty.
Approaching the break, Byrne nipped inside Coghlan’s tackle to reach out for the line, but Evans’ last-minute penalty left just four points in it.
Leinster upped the physicality on the restart, aided by a Conan turnover. Deegan muscled over from close range, giving Byrne a straightforward conversion for 17-6.
The doughty Dragons failed to capitalise on an overlap when Harry Wilson elected to kick, and their challenge gradually petered out.
Conan’s lineout transfer had McCarthy powering over in the left corner, and Larmour and replacement King, with his first senior score from a long Harry Byrne pass, took the hosts’ try haul to six.
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Latest Comments
Agreed. As a Saffa I have much respect for the ABs. I also have to say given any option I would ONLY prefer to lose to ABs. To lose to England is probably the most embarrassing think to happen to either of us.
There was a time when both of us lost to England and we both hated it. Thankfully those days are behind us. Kudos to you guys, kudos to ABs. But dear old BS seems to hate us Boks. No idea why.
Go to commentsI got the sense that holding him to it was kickback from SB and the rfu smarting at being jilted quite so soon, so unexpectedly and so publicly.
Seem to remember that they spoke to Gustard before appointing Joe and you really have to think he would have come in at a higher level?
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