RUGBY/Celtic League - Leinster 32 Ulster 30: Even before the match began the Leinster vehicle wobbled. Going off the road what would any coach do but get out and give it a few smacks with a lump hammer, do a bit of rewiring, tie the radiator to the bonnet and get going again?
Those were the running repairs Leinster coach Gary Ella was asked to make when one moment he had his chosen few and the next he was scrambling to patch up gaping holes along the length of his back line and back row. Hours before the first Leinster game of 2004 last night and four of Ella's front-line players hobbled out of the starting line-up, having picked up problems over the previous 24 hours. Given the earlier withdrawal of full back Girvan Dempsey and Eric Miller, it added up to an anxious week for Ella.
The centre pairing of Brian O'Driscoll (hand) and Shane Horgan (quad) didn't make the pitch, thus removing the heart of Leinster's attack, while outhalf Christian Warner (hamstring) was forced to make way for Argentina World Cup star Felipe Contepomi for his home debut. To cap matters, Ireland back row Keith Gleeson fell to flu, leaving Shane Jennings to step in and fill the international-sized gap.
As a consequence of what are considered minor injuries that are expected to heal before next Saturday's Heineken Cup match against Sale Sharks in Lansdowne Road, Ella was left with a serious juggling task. Contepomi, who cannot play next week because of an administrative error by Leinster, came in at outside centre for O'Driscoll, where he partnered Horgan's replacement, David Quinlan, with Matthew Leek arriving at outhalf for the injured Warner.
The late repairs naturally levelled the field as Ulster arrived in Dublin, the lustre of their Celtic Cup win over Edinburgh barely dulled but with Shane Stewart replaced in the centre by Adam Larkin.
But it was Leinster, now with eight straight wins, who started the match sharply, Brian O'Meara and David Humphreys kicking penalties for 3-3 in the opening exchanges. Humphreys pumped a few early balls on to Gordon D'Arcy but the full back handled each with assurance. Slowly the Leinster pack began to punch holes, Ben Gissing, Aidan Kearney and Victor Costello taking on the ball.
From a lineout the home side finally put some distance between the teams, Contepomi dummying with his hands in the air only to snatch a Dave Quinlan pass and nip through a gap in the centre for his first Donnybrook touchdown and 16-3.
While the score looked one-sided the game was never less than tight. Humphreys again kicked only for captain Andy Ward to bump Brendan Burke into touch for another O'Meara kick and 19-6.
Then in the closing phase Ulster came right back, Paul Steinmetz accelerating through midfield to put Tyrone Howe into space for a try under the posts. Humphreys converted and kicked again for 19-16 before the last boot of the half from O'Meara took Leinster to the break 22-16 ahead.
With Rowan Frost strong in the lineouts and Neil Best dangerously getting involved from the loose and popping up in the back line, Ulster made their chances in the third quarter. A misdirected Humphreys boot might have brought it to 21-19 but instead O'Meara, with his seventh kick from seven, again pushed Leinster in front after an eight-cycle rampage into the Ulster half.
While Ulster never lost contact, they couldn't, until injury time, raise the tempo high enough to threaten Leinster's dominance.
A rash of substitutions 15 minutes from the end was coach Alan Solomons's effort to gee up his side but Ulster refused to ignite, a Humphreys kick rebounding off the post, and five minutes later Victor Costello picked up from a clever O'Meara kick into the Ulster 22 and bundled over for Leinster's second try. The scrumhalf's conversion brought his tally to eight kicks from eight with just nine minutes remaining, Leinster 32-16 ahead and finally two injury time tries from Steinmetz and Humphreys almost upsetting the script and certainly putting a better shine on the final score line.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 5 mins: B O'Meara pen 3-0; 7: D Humphreys pen 3-3; 10: O'Meara pen 6-3; 18: O'Meara pen 9-3; 23: F Contepomi try, O Meara con 16-3; 25: Humphreys pen 16-6; 28: O'Meara pen 19-6; 35: T Howe try, Humphreys con 19-13; 42: Humphreys pen 19-16; 43: O'Meara pen 22-16; Half-time: 22-16. 57: O'Meara pen 25-16; 68: V Costello try, O'Meara con 32-16; 80: P Steinmetz try, Humphreys con 32-23; 88: Humphreys try, con 32-30.
LEINSTER: G D'Arcy; J McWeeney, F Contepomi, D Quinlan, B Burke; M Leek, B O'Meara: R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, P Coyle, M O'Kelly, B Gissing, A McCullen, S Jennings, V Costello. Replacements: D Dillon for McCullen (56 mins); B O'Riordan for O'Meara (72 mins); P McKenna for Leek (73 mins); G Hickie and J Moran for Byrne and Coyle (80 mins).
ULSTER: P Wallace; J Topping, A Larkin, P Steinmetz, T Howe; D Humphreys, N Doak; R Kempson, M Sexton, S Best, M Mustchin, R Frost, A Ward (capt), N Best, R Wilson. Replacements: M McCullough for Mustchin (57 mins); C Campbell for Doak (63 mins); R Moore for S Best, P Shields for Sexton, W Brosnihan for N Best (65 mins).
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU).
