Leinster 20
Treviso 8
John Fallon reports from the RDS
JOEY CARBERY WAS the hero for Leinster as they got their Pro12 campaign off to a winning start at the RDS.
The 20-year old out-half, starting his first match for Leinster having made his debut off the bench against Glasgow last March in his only other appearance at this level, wasted little time in making a mark.
The Auckland native, who lived in New Zealand until he was 12 before loving to Athy where his mother is from, crossed for the opening try after less than two and a half minutes.
And while Leinster initially struggled to build on that early lead, Carbery extended the lead after 28 minutes when he broke from his own 22, rounded another New Zealander, Treviso full-back Jayden Hayward, to score his second try.
Fergus McFadden was unable to land his second conversion but made it 15-0 to last year’s runners-up with a penalty.
Lock Marco Fuser pulled back a try two minutes from the break but his Italian international team-mate Tommaso Allan missed the easy conversion to add to an earlier dreadful penalty miss in front of the posts.
The heavier Italian pack ensured that the returning Cian Healy got a good workout on his return to action from injury since April, before the entire Leinster front row was replaced after 47 minutes, with Irish U20 Andrew Porter coming on for his debut.
Leinster, who had only managed to win four of their previous 15 games on the opening weekend of the league, saw their lead cut to 15-8 after 52 minutes when Allan finally found the range with a penalty.
Former Leinster player Ian McKinley, who retired five years ago after losing the sight in one of his eyes, received a standing ovation when he was introduced for Treviso on the hour wearing the goggles which have allowed him return to professional rugby.
Carbery continued to grow in confidence and almost put McFadden over with a cross kick but Treviso flanker Francesco Minto got there first.
New signing Jamison Gibson-Park replaced skipper Luke McGrath to make his Leinster debut as they looked for the score which would wrap up the win and make it seven from seven against Treviso in the league at the RDS.
They sealed the win seven minutes from time when they were rewarded with going to touch with a penalty and an excellent maul off Jordi Murphy’s lineout take finished with replacement hooker James Tracy going over for his second Leinster try in 14 appearances.
However, Leinster never looked like adding a fourth try to secure a bonus point in the closing stages, with replacement Rory O’Loughlin dispossessed in the final move of the night down the right wing.
Leinster scorers:Tries: Joey Carbery (2), James Tracy
Conversion: Fergus McFadden
Penalty: Fergus McFaddenTreviso scorers:
Try: Marco Fuser
Penalty: Tomasso Allan
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney (Rory O’Loughlin ’75); Zane Kirchner, Garry Ringrose, Noel Reid, Fergus McFadden; Joey Carbery, Luke McGrath (Jamison Gibson-Park ’65); Cian Healy (Andrew Porter ’47), Bryan Byrne (James Tracy ’47), Michael Bent (Mike Ross ’47); Ross Molony, Mike McCarthy (Hayden Triggs ’58); Dominic Ryan (Jordi Murphy ’65), Josh van der Flier, Dan Leavy.
TREVISO: Jayden Hayward; Angelo Esposito, Tomasso Benvenuti (David Odiete ’75), Luke McLean, Andrea Buondonno; Tomasso Allan (Ian McKinley ’60), Giorgio Bronzini (Edoardo Gori ’58); Nicola Quaglio (Alberto De Marchi ’54), Ornel Gega (Roberto Santamaria ’63), Simone Ferrari (Tizano Pasquali ’52); Marco Fuser (Barbini ’68) (Zanni ’80), Filo Paulo; Francesco Minto, Marco Lazzaroni, Alessandro Zanni (Marco Barbini ’4) (Dean Budd ’58).
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU).
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