Leinster 31
Newport Gwent Dragons 19
LEINSTER’S PACK PRODUCED two penalty tries as they came from behind to beat the Newport Gwent Dragons 31-19 in the RDS tonight.
The bonus point win moves Matt O’Connor’s side to the top of the Pro12 table, two points clear of Munster who play Zebre tomorrow evening.
After a tight opening quarter which saw Ian Madigan’s penalty cancelled out by Jason Tovey’s drop goal, man of the match Jack McGrath bulldozed over for the game’s opening try and gave Leinster a 10-3 lead at the break.
But it was the visitors who roared out of the dressing room with two tries in the space of three minutes early on.
Ashley Smith and Richie Rees crossed in quick succession but Tovey missed both conversions before his successful penalty in the 53rd minute put the Dragons 16-10 up.
The balance tipped when Dragons back-row Jevon Davis was sin-binned and Leinster drove two short scrums over for penalty tries soon after to take control at 24-16.
Another Tovey penalty cut the gap to five but after prop Nahuel Chaparro was sent off for dangerous play, substitute Darren Hudson ran in a fourth try at the death, giving Leinster a bonus point and denying the Dragons theirs.
Scorers for Leinster: Tries — McGrath, Penalty Try (2), Hudson; Conversions — Madigan (4); Penalties — Madigan (1)
Scorers for Dragons: Tries — Smith, Rees; Conversions — Tovey (1); Penalties — Tovey (2).
LEINSTER: Kirchner; McFadden, Macken, Reid, Fanning; Madigan, Reddan; McGrath, Cronin, Moore; Cullen, McCarthy; Ruddock, Jennings, Murphy.Substitutes: Boss for Reddan (48), Ryan for Jennings (53), Gopperth for Reid (61), Denton for McCarthy (61), Bent for McGrath (68), Furlong for Moore (68), Dundon for Cronin (71), Hudson for Boss (80).
DRAGONS: Amos; Pewtner, Leach, Smith, Harries; Tovey, Rees; Evans, Thomas, Buck; Hill, Sidoli; Evans, Cudd, Talei.Substitutes: Chaparro for Cudd (33-42), Groves for Talei (33), Wardle for Smith (53), Chaparro for Buck (58), Screech for Sidoli (58), Evans for Rees (58), Parry for Rhys Thomas (59), Coundley for Evans (65), Jones for Amos (72).
Referee: Marius Mitrea.
