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Watch: Leinster tear Connacht apart after former teammate red carded just 2 minutes in
By PA
Fourteen-man Connacht were floored by six second-half tries as Leinster ran out 45-8 winners of a bruising United Rugby Championship derby at The Sportsground.
Connacht had centre Tom Daly sent off in the second minute for a no-arms tackle on Ciaran Frawley, but Tiernan O’Halloran’s try gave the hosts an 8-7 interval lead.
Jack Carty, who had kicked an earlier penalty, set up O’Halloran’s score with a pinpoint pass, replying to a converted 13th-minute effort from Leinster winger Rory O’Loughlin.
Going up a gear, replacement fly-half David Hawkshaw and captain Luke McGrath crossed after 52 and 55 minutes to give Leinster some breathing space.
Hawkshaw increased his influence as Frawley bagged the bonus point before Tommy O’Brien (2) and Max Deegan made it a seven-try rout.
Referee Chris Busby was busy right from the off, sin-binning Leinster winger O’Brien after just 45 seconds for taking out Niall Murray in the air.
However, Connacht were rocked by Daly’s red card soon after as he was dismissed for a shoulder to Frawley’s neck.
Ross Byrne’s long pass had O’Loughlin crossing on the left after the Leinster forwards had carried up close.
The visitors, who were missing their contributors to Ireland’s Triple Crown success, were unable to build on that converted try, though.
Carty began the second quarter with a well-struck penalty and Connacht’s scrum got on top, a strong finish to the half leading to that well-crafted try for O’Halloran.
In response, Leinster sparked during the third quarter, with a barnstorming Rhys Ruddock run getting them back into scoring range.
Hawkshaw, who is joining Connacht in the summer, showed impressive strength to crash over. The 22-year-old converted and also added the extras to McGrath’s sniping effort as he exploited a gap in the hosts’ 22.
Hawkshaw then used a turnover to dangle a kick through, John Porch failed to gather it and Frawley swooped to score. The latter soon sent O’Brien over in the right corner.
Back-rower Deegan burrowed over in the 71st minute and O’Brien flew over from a sharp backs move, as Connacht’s play-off hopes took a big hit.
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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