Match Centre

Full Time

41 - 12

  • United Rugby Championship

  • Sun 1 Jan 2023 | 19:35

  • RDS Arena

7
  • Turner 2'

  • Deeny 21'

  • Larmour 31'

  • Larmour 44'

  • Russell 68'

  • Baird 71'

  • van der 75'

Tries

2
  • Hawkshaw 16'

  • Farrell 36'

3
  • Sexton 23'

  • Sexton 32'

  • Byrne 72'

Conversions

1
  • Carty 16'

0

Yellow Cards

1
  • Carty 51'

Michael

Milne

1

Peter

Dooley

Ronan

Kelleher

2

Dave

Heffernan

Michael

Alaalatoa

3

Dominic

Robertson-McCoy

Brian

Deeny

4

Darragh

Murray

James

Ryan

5

Niall

Murray

Ryan

Baird

6

Cian

Prendergast

Josh

van der

7

Shamus

Hurley-Langton

Caelan

Doris

8

Jarrad

Butler

Jamison

Gibson-Park

9

Caolin

Blade

Johnny

Sexton

10

Jack

Carty

Rob

Russell

11

John

Porch

Charlie

Ngatai

12

David

Hawkshaw

Liam

Turner

13

Tom

Farrell

Jordan

Larmour

14

Diarmuid

Kilgallen

Jimmy

O'Brien

15

Tiernan

O'Halloran

Replacements

John

McKee

16

Shane

Delahunt

Andrew

Porter

17

Denis

Buckley

Vakh

Abdaladze

18

Sam

Illo

Alex

Soroka

19

Oisin

Dowling

Scott

Penny

20

Conor

Oliver

Cormac

Foley

21

Kieran

Marmion

Harry

Byrne

22

Tom

Daly

Jamie

Osborne

23

Byron

Ralston

81

It's all over! The referee has blown their whistle to end the game.

77

This is dangerous for the defence as Scott Penny bursts through to advance the Leinster Rugby attack.

76

Leinster Rugby go for goal with Harry Byrne taking the conversion but their aim is not up to scratch as the ball slides to the left of the post.

75

A wonderful passing move by Leinster Rugby is finished off by Josh van der Flier

75

Rob Russell played a key part in that try.

75

This is dangerous for the defence as Jordan Larmour bursts through to advance the Leinster Rugby attack.

72

Leinster Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Scott Penny getting some game time.

72

Leinster Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Charlie Ngatai being replaced.

72

Harry Byrne has kicked a conversion.

71

A series of passes by Leinster Rugby results in a try for Ryan Baird

71

That's a great try assist by Charlie Ngatai.

71

A gap opened in the defence and Charlie Ngatai took full advantage.

69

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Shane Delahunt coming on.

69

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Dave Heffernan coming off.

69

Harry Byrne curls the ball too far, missing the posts to the left.

68

Rob Russell scores the try from close range.

68

A gap opened in the defence and Rob Russell took full advantage.

68

That's a great try assist by Cormac Foley.

67

A gap opened in the defence and Charlie Ngatai took full advantage.

67

Leinster Rugby make a substitution with Cormac Foley coming on.

67

Leinster Rugby make a substitution with Jamison Gibson-Park coming off.

67

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Kieran Marmion coming on.

67

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Caolin Blade coming off.

66

The defensive line has been broken as Harry Byrne goes through the gap.

63

Leinster Rugby sub Harry Byrne comes onto the field.

63

Johnny Sexton departs for Leinster Rugby.

62

Leinster Rugby sub Jamie Osborne comes onto the field.

62

Liam Turner departs for Leinster Rugby.

62

Leinster Rugby sub Vakh Abdaladze comes onto the field.

62

Michael Alaalatoa departs for Leinster Rugby.

62

Leinster Rugby sub John McKee comes onto the field.

62

Ronan Kelleher departs for Leinster Rugby.

57

Oisin Dowling comes on for Connacht Rugby.

57

Cian Prendergast leaves the field.

55

What a run here by Caolin Blade as they get over the gainline!

52

Conor Oliver comes on.

52

Shamus Hurley-Langton comes off.

52

Sam Illo comes on.

52

Dominic Robertson-McCoy comes off.

52

Denis Buckley comes on.

52

Peter Dooley comes off.

51

Jack Carty (Connacht Rugby) is shown a yellow card

50

Andrew Porter comes on.

50

Michael Milne comes off.

50

Alex Soroka comes on.

50

Brian Deeny comes off.

46

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Byron Ralston getting some game time.

46

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Tiernan O'Halloran being replaced.

46

Johnny Sexton has hooked the conversion to the right of the posts.

45

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Tom Daly getting some game time.

45

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with David Hawkshaw being replaced.

44

The defence are desperately trying to hold out here but it was to no avail as Jordan Larmour dots the ball down from close range.

44

Spellbinding play by Jamison Gibson-Park is finished off with a try.

40

The second half kicks off.

40

The half-time whistle blows and both teams head for the dressing rooms.

37

The ball swings towards the posts but floats to the right, Jack Carty will have to re-adjust the radar.

36

Incisive passing by Connacht Rugby is finished off by Tom Farrell, as they goes over for the try.

36

That's a great try assist by Jack Carty.

32

Johnny Sexton does the business as their conversion attempt goes over.

31

A perfectly weighted kick allows Jordan Larmour to score the try.

31

Trouble here as Jordan Larmour breaches the defence.

23

Johnny Sexton makes no mistake with that conversion attempt.

21

Leinster Rugby are stopped just a few metres from the try line but Brian Deeny picks up from the base of the ruck to score the try.

17

This is dangerous for the defence as Johnny Sexton bursts through to advance the Leinster Rugby attack.

16

Jack Carty converts the try.

16

A bit of individual brilliance by David Hawkshaw leads to a try for Connacht Rugby

15

A gap opened in the defence and David Hawkshaw took full advantage.

15

Spellbinding play by Jack Carty is finished off with a try.

3

Johnny Sexton has hooked the conversion to the left of the posts.

2

Great hands by Leinster Rugby leads to a try for Liam Turner

2

The defensive line has been broken as Liam Turner goes through the gap.

2

Johnny Sexton sets up the try.

0

We are underway as the referee blows their whistle.

Match Stats

50%

Possession

50%

47%

Territory

53%

Metres

747

464

Carries

136

121

Clean Breaks

9

2

Defenders Beaten

16

20

Passes

195

190

Offloads

14

2

Penalties Conceded

7

12

Turnovers Conceded

10

12

177/197 90%

Tackles won

157/173 91%

3/3 100%

Scrums won

5/7 71%

12/18 67%

Lineouts won

15/15 100%

Action Areas

4.1%

3.2%

16.7%

11.9%

20.7%

25.3%

9%

9.2%

Player Stats

Connacht Rugby

MP

M

C

P

T

MT

TW

TC

DB

LW

TS

PTS

Peter Dooley

53

5

5

1

10

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Dave Heffernan

69

73

17

1

15

0

0

0

1

12

0

0

Dominic Robertson-McCoy

53

0

1

0

10

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

Darragh Murray

80

5

4

7

19

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Niall Murray

80

17

5

7

10

2

1

0

1

0

0

0

Cian Prendergast

58

3

7

4

7

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

Shamus Hurley-Langton

53

4

6

6

12

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Jarrad Butler

80

33

14

0

13

0

1

0

1

0

0

0

Caolin Blade

67

29

5

85

0

0

0

0

4

0

0

0

Jack Carty

70

10

3

36

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

John Porch

80

52

8

5

1

3

0

0

1

1

0

0

David Hawkshaw

45

31

4

4

7

0

0

0

3

0

1

5

Tom Farrell

80

56

12

2

13

1

0

0

4

0

1

5

Diarmuid Kilgallen

80

54

5

3

8

1

0

0

2

0

0

0

Tiernan O'Halloran

46

59

6

2

3

2

0

0

3

0

0

0

Shane Delahunt

11

2

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

Denis Buckley

27

0

0

3

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Sam Illo

27

3

1

1

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Oisin Dowling

22

4

2

1

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Conor Oliver

27

2

4

2

9

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

Kieran Marmion

13

0

0

10

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Tom Daly

35

9

7

5

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Byron Ralston

34

10

4

5

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Match Programme not available for this fixture.

LEINSTER 41-12 CONNACHT


Three tries in the final 12 minutes helped Leinster pull away for a deserved, if slightly flattering, 41-12 win over Connacht in their New Year's Day interpro at the RDS Arena.
 
The general consensus would be that Connacht needed to start the better on a day like this, but the opposite happened after just 2 minutes when Liam Turner crossed over for his first Leinster try, spotting a gap off a first phase strike-play from the hosts. However fans fearing the worst needn’t have worried as Andy Friend’s side slowly grew into the game, led by a dominant set-piece with brothers Niall and Darragh Murray causing havoc with the Leinster lineout.
 
A deserved lead for Connacht soon followed thanks to a wonderful piece of brilliance from the in-form David Hawkshaw, breaking the first line of defence and then the would-be tacklers to score beside the posts. Carty made no mistake and the visitors took a 7-5 lead into the second quarter.
 
The lead didn’t last too long as Leinster, with a penalty advantage in front of the Connacht posts, opted to turn down the easy three and kick for the corner. The decision paid off with Brian Deeny scoring at the base of the ruck, and then their lead was stretched further as Jordan Larmour scored Leinster’s third try, capitalising on a unlucky bounce deep in the Connacht 22.
 
A 12 point lead became 5 just before the interval, again thanks to a Connacht attack that was gaining metres inside the Leinster 22. In the end it was Tom Farrell crossing over, capping one of his strongest performances in the Connacht green.
 
Just like the first half it was the hosts that started the stronger, with Larmour crossing for his second try. The score remained at 24-12 for the majority of the second half, with Connacht keeping Leinster scoreless despite a 10 minute sinbinning for Jack Carty. The best chance of the half for the side came when a pass out wide released by Byron Ralston but he came up just short of the line, when a try would’ve put a score between the sides.
 
The final 12 minutes saw Leinster find an extra gear as they ran over three tries against a tiring 14 men, after Jarrad Butler came off injured and all the substitutions had been made.
 
Next up for Connacht is what’s being defined as a ‘season-defining’ game against the Cell C Sharks next Saturday at The Sportsground.