Leinster given a fright

For Leinster the spoils, for Connacht the glory? Whatever about that, certainly it took a stirring last quarter comeback from the Guinness Interprovincial's most durable of outfits to shake a Leinster team seemingly in cruise control at 19-0 ahead and also awaken a sizeable, sunkissed Donnybrook crowd.

Thanks to the Super 12 style scoring system, which must be contributing to the haul of 24 tries as opposed to 13 from the same five fixtures last season, Connacht at least extracted something tangible from the game. Two bonus points in fact, which means the defeat is not quite as disastrous for them as it might have been, and leaves them just a point behind Leinster at the half-way stage.

That didn't unduly concern Leinster coach Mike Ruddock, who extracted the power of his pack's performance as a positive omen and repeatedly paid tribute to Connacht for what must have been an unnervingly close shave.

Largely controlling the throwin, Leinster's greater variation enabled them to win all their own deliveries and constantly kept Connacht guessing in a way the visitors, unable to go beyond the middle of the line, couldn't. Later on, Connacht twice failed to rumble over from close-in line-outs which might have won them the game.

Landing five from seven penalties, Alan McGowan totted up 19 points but in open play was largely content to stand in the pocket and launch long diagonal kicks. After 35 minutes, with a soon to depart Eric Elwood lieing on the ground with torn ligaments, he even ignored a six-to-four overlap.

It said something about Leinster's approach off their own hardwon ball that their belated first try after 45 minutes began from its most creative source - the counter-attacking of Kevin Nowlan. The unorthodox Nowlan was outstanding under the high ball and more inclined to play in the Danger Zone than the Comfort Zone until even he resorted to safety first kick aheads in the last quarter.

From what seemed a wellplaced little chip by Pat Duignan, Nowlan came haring out of his 22, gathered at full tilt and sped past would-be tacklers to link with McGowan. Martin Ridge made a good 50 yards before his long flat pass enabled Girvan Dempsey to round the cover.

McGowan converted and landed a penalty either side of three unforced knock-ons inside their own half by a demorialised-looking Connacht side playing unconvincing catch-up. Whereupon, cometh the hour, cometh the man as Barry Gavin's try inspired a virtuoso last quarter from himself and his team.

Mervyn Murphy originally made a sandwich out of the crumbs of slow ball 15 yards behind the gain line, Alan Reddan then making it into a feast by twice handling in a sustained attack featuring key support play from the voracious Shane McEntee, the second time providing the final link between Russel Southam and Gavin.

Gradually Glenn Ross's wave of replacements geed Connacht up, and their offensive midfield defence, which did much to undermine Leinster, then made further inroads into the big lead when Murphy charged down McGowan's kick on half-way, picked up and ran 50 yards for the try. Simon Allnutt converted. Game on.

As Leinster toyed with bringing on Richie Murphy for McGowan, the latter landed another penalty. But back came Connacht, another bout of continuity and support playing seeing Gavin surge through a gap and Duignan, typically, showed adhesive hands in gathering a short, sharp high pass at pace to burn Nowlan on the inside.

It required a clever kick and chase by Dempsey, again quietly impressive, to give Leinster the foothold for Victor Costello to plough over. But, like a dog after the postman, back came Connacht again; their forwards unremitting pick-and-driving ending with a deserving try for Jimmy Screene which was worth two bonus points to them.