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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Leinster v Dragons, RaboDirect Pro12

We went minute-by-minute as the European champions returned to the RDS hoping to bounce back from their opening day defeat.

We’re bringing you all the action from the RDS as Leinster’s available players bid to atone for their humbling 45-20 defeat in Llanelli by beating another Welsh outfit.

As always, we’d love to hear from you, so send us your thoughts and comments on all the action.

E-mail us at sean@thescore.ie, tweet us @thescore_ie, post to our Facebook wall or leave a comment below.

Leinster 45 – 25 Dragons

Here’s the all important team news.

Leinster: I Nacewa; A Conway, B Macken, N Reid, F Carr; I Madigan, J Cooney: J McGrath, S Cronin, J Hagan; L Cullen (Capt.) Q Roux; B Marshall, S Jennings, L Auva’a.

Replacements: T Sexton, H van der Merwe, M Moore, D Toner, J Murphy, L McGrath, C O’Shea, D Hudson.

Dragons: D Evans; W Harries, P Leach, A Tuilagi, T Prydie, S Jones; J Evans: N Williams, S Parry, N Buck; I Nimmo, A Jones; H Stoddart, J Groves (Capt.), Toby Faletau.

Replacements: H Gustafson, A Coundley, T Ryan, L Evans, T Brown, L Davies, A Smith, H Amos.

We’re getting very excited about seeing big/young Quinn Roux in action.

Here comes Leo Cullen leading out the boys in blue. Can’t see the skipper seeing the full 80 minutes out, not in this heat.

KICK OFF: Jamie Heaslip is crouched on the sideline, he’s on waterboy duty tonight as the Dragons (in white with red trim) get the game underway.

The home side collect, but soon give possession back via scrum – Ian Madigan with a long looping, but forward pass into the hands of Conway on the left wing.

PENALTY: Leinster 0 – 3 Dragons (Prydie ’5)

The visitors get the scoreboard moving with a well-struck kick from the right touchline. Leinster pinged for going in from the side.

The hosts though, are straight back up the other end and Jevon Groves is spotted sealing off on his 22…

PENALTY: Leinster 3 – 3 Dragons (Madigan ’7)

Nice handy one in the centre for Madigan.

TRY: Leinster 10 – 3 Dragons (Conway ’8)

Straight off the kick-off, Noel Reid comes onto the ball and exposes an enormous gap in the Welsh line.

His run takes him all the way into the 22 before he has to offload. And a solid offload it was, right into the grasp of Andrew Conway who manages to twist his way over the line despite a tackle.

Madigan converts.

That’s an outrageous start for this Leinster side, the young backs (currently getting some friendly advice from Brian O’Driscoll) have the near-sunburnt crowd sounding very content indeed.

TRY: Leinster 10 – 10 Dragons 9 (Jones ’13)

Well,, if I didn’t just speak way too soon.

Noel Reid has set up a try for each side. This one: a wild pass intercepted deep inside his own half by Steffan Jones. The fly-half has the entire field in front of him, but crosses the line despite close attention from Cooney.

Can”t see who the victim was, but Tuilagi has just put in a big hit on a Leinster back. Penalty neatly despatched by Madigan from the 22.

Credit to Jamie Hagan and Jack McGrath, the Leinster scrum looks solid on their own feed. Making John Cooney’s chance to shine all the easier.

Leo Cullen over to the referee during the break in play explaining how his side’s scrum tactics are all above board, ‘Shoulder, hips. Parallel.’ He says.

Penalty: Leinster 13 – 13 Dragons (Prydie ’27)

Faletau, Stoddard and Jones begin to make inroads into Leinster’s defence, but the ball is whipped back to Jones who attempts a drop-goal.

It trails left and wide, but Leinster hastily restart and give away a calamitous penalty 25 metres from goal.

Dead centre, nobody expected Prydie to miss.

Penalty: Leinster 16 – 13 Dragons (Madigan ’28)

The scores keep coming thick and fast, Ian Nimmo is harshly adjudged to have not rolled away and it’s an easy one for Madigan.

His next display of skill was not so straightforward, a long kick up the right side-line off his right boot. Deccie will love that one.

TRY: Leinster 23 – 13 Dragons (Marshall ’33)

Well deserved score for the hosts and for Ben Marshall in his second appearance.

Leinster’s pack took the ball on into the right corner, Sean Cronin making a particularly large hole. On the next phase enough defenders had been dragged out of place for Marshall to run in from five metres unchecked.

SIN BIN: Nathan Williams is on his way to the bold step. we didn’t hear the ref explain that one, but it seems to be for persistent indiscipline at the breakdown.

38 minutes gone.

Prop Aaron Coundley is in as a temporary replacement for Stoddart to allow scrums continue.

Sean Cronin comes to the edge of the 22 and finds a gap, but with men out wide his pass is high, slow and inaccurate. Pity.

Penalty: Leinster 26 – 13 Dragons (Madigan ’43)

Andy Tuilagi penalised again, but really Leinster’s experienced forwards butchered two chances there. First Cronin, and then Cullen passing back in when he had blue shirts outside.

That’s half time

The second half is underway with the shade ever growing on the pitch.

No change from either side as far as I can see.

TRY: Leinster 33 -13 Dragons (Jennings ’47)

John Cooney having a solid outing and draws a penalty on halfway after chipping past Nimmo.

The ball is sent into the corner and Cronin’s throw is quickly turned to a maul which cruises over the line. Shane Jennings pops up with the ball and Madigan converts from the touchline.

TRY: Leinster 38 – 13 Dragons (Carr ’49)

And BOOM. Leinster are back in the same corner to claim the bonus point quicker than you can say Fionn Carr.

You can chalk that score down to some inspired running from Madigan. He proves Jonny Sexton isn’t the only one who can execute a Ranford loop as he collected from Reid and spins it wide to Carr, who flies in on the angle.

TRY: Leinster 38 – 18 Dragons (Prydie ’51)

And the Dragons are right back in it. The blue backs fell asleep somewhat and James made amends, drawing tacklers inside before popping an offload to Prdie who raced into the corner. He could not compliment his own score with a difficult conversion.

TRY: Leinster 38 – 25 Dragons (Evans ’62)

Leinster falling off all kinds of tackles and after Tuilagi is taken to ground Prydie shakes off Auva’a before offloading to Dan Evans. The fullback bursts through another failed high tackle to go in under the posts.

Devin Toner and Jordi Murphy are in the fray as the home side look to get some continuity back in their play. Both men taking the ball into contact.

John Cooney does well. The scrum half goes low and hard with Tuilagi coming at him hard. Dragons move the ball right from the 22, but Leinster are let off the hook as Faletau’s off-load is dropped by Pat Leach five metres from the line.

The Dragons keep on coming, they’re building phases in the 22, but excellent counter rucking from Nacewa knocks them back a pivotal yard. Two rucks later, Jennings forces a white jersey to hold on. Penalty Leinster in front of their own posts.

The benches are being drained by both sides now. Luke McGrath is on in place of Cooney and late call-up Coghlan has replaced Leo Auva’a.

Ulster are in action away to the Ospreys at the minute. They trail the champions 13-6 with about 20 minutes remaining.

Back in the RDS, Darren Hudson has replaced Ian Madigan.

Five minutes to go in Dublin and Donal Lenihan has chosen Ian Madigan, currently sat sweating on the bench, as his man of the match.

Impossible to argue with that call. The young fly-half was near flawless off the boot and with the ball in hand pulled the strings for an inexperienced back-line which has helped the province win notch their first points of the season.

TRY: Leinster 45 -25 Dragons (Macken ’80)

And there is the last action of a game chock-full of scores. Evans is the man guilty of an aimless pass this time round.

Brendan macken gambled early, latched on and sprinted a full 70 metres before sliding under the posts. No ‘Ash-splashs’ in this side.

FULL TIME: Isa Nacewa knocks over the final score of the game.

It’s been another Leinster showing full of errors, but on home turf they were able to expose some gaping holes in the Dragons defence.

Bonus point secured and points difference almost back to par. Job done.

That’s it from me folks, hope you enjoyed the action, or are at least happy with the result.

We’ll bring you news of Ulster as soon as we can and tomorrow, we’ll be live from Croke Park for the All Ireland hurling final.

Until then, happy reading.

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