Leinster 26 Scarlets 15:THERE IS too much disruption at this truncated time of the season for Leinster to flow like honey, but there were enough solid virtues and grit to record a 12th successive home win this season.
In the process, they temporarily moved to second in the Magners League table, and opened a five-point gap over the Scarlets, who dropped from fourth to sixth in the scramble for the play-offs.
In both the mauls and the scrums, Leinster had too much ballast for an even more callow looking Scarlets’ outfit, while their lineout had the kind of variety Ireland have been lacking this season.
Aside from their work there, Rhys Ruddock, especially, and Kevin McLaughlin put themselves about, the former looking like another Stephen Ferris-type wrecking ball in the making, while Dominic Ryan always punches above his weight and illuminated the night with some classical openside support play.
Isaac Boss sniped aggressively, though possibly took a little too much out of the ball at times, an everything Jonathan Sexton did well was applauded by almost all in the 11,976 crowd.
In truth, he seemed to be trying too hard at times, the Scarlets pushing up hard on the outside to leave him no option but to carry or switch the play back inside. His line kicking was good, and he also landed six from six for a 16-point haul.
Fergus McFadden oozed the kind of confidence associated with a new international on the block, using his strength, footwork and football intelligence, but outside them the rations were in largely short supply.
Even so, though with something of a shadow backline, not for the first time, Leinster showed they could teach the Ireland set-up a thing or two about back play, such as in terms of their work-rate off the ball giving them a line of six with which to counter-attack across the pitch.
The one blight on the night was the groin strain which forced Leo Cullen’s departure in the 26th minute, although coach Joe Schmidt said he was not too concerned.
From the off Leinster moved the ball wide and recycled quickly, before then profiting from a clever change of tack inside the first 10 minutes. After good carries in midfield by McFadden and Stanley Wright, Richardt Strauss and Heinke van der Meuwe took the direct route with pick-and-goes, before Boss, McFadden and Isa Nacewa put pace and width on the ball for Niall Morris to step outside Rhys Priestland and smartly score his third league try since the turn of the year. Sexton converted handsomely from the right-hand side.
A Sexton three-pointer followed when Josh Turnbull handled in a ruck, following Sexton’s towering touchfinder off a penalty won by the strength and determination at the breakdown of Strauss, before Priestland, having missed a drop goal and a penalty, finally opened the visitors’ account.
The rest of the first period petered out amid a succession of turnovers but Leinster began the second period with renewed purpose and intent. Two superb pieces of support play by Ryan – off Eoin O’Malley’s typically dandy footwork and a trademark snipe and offload by Boss – led to Sexton extending the lead.
Sexton landed another couple after first Strauss took a return pass from the front of the lineout by Hines and found Boss in support, and then Nacewa sparked a good counter (again he had options) before Josh Turnbull came in from the side.
Ben Morgan’s pace off the base of the Scarlets’ scrum had been a feature of the night and after an uncharacteristic missed tackle by Nathan Hines, Morgan charged once more before tighthead Rhys Thomas burrowed over.
It was good to see the Connacht man Danny Riordan (Leinster’s 50th player used this season) make his debut for his third province, fair reward for his fine form with Old Belvedere.
Soon after, following a quick tap by McFadden, the Scarlets’ spoilers infringed once too often when Gareth Maule was binned for deliberately knocking on. Opting for a scrum, which steamrollered toward the line, Leinster were rewarded when Boss dummied and burrowed over.
To their credit, the Scarlets pack hammered away until the halves and Regan King put Nick Reynolds over in the corner for a consolation try.
Scoring sequence: 9 mins:Morris try, Sexton con 10-0; 28: Priestland pen 10-3; (half-time 10-3); 42: Sexton pen 13-3; 51: Sexton pen 16-3; 55: Sexton pen 19-3; 62: Thomas try, Priestland con 19-10; 75: Boss try, Sexton con 26-10; 79: Reynolds try 26-15.
LEINSTER: I Nacewa; N Morris, E O'Malley, F McFadden, D Kearney; J Sexton, I Boss; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, S Wright, L Cullen (capt), D Toner, K McLaughlin, D Ryan, R Ruddock. Replacements: N Hines for Cullen (26 mins), S Shawe for Wright (64 mins), D Riordan for Kearney (71 mins), J Harris-Wright for Strauss, P Ryan for D Ryan (both 76 mins). Not used: J McGrath, P O'Donohoe, I Madigan.
SCARLETS: D Newton; G North, R King, G Maule (capt), J Ajuwa; R Priestland, T Knoyle; R Jones, R Lawrence, R Thomas, L Reed, A Shingler, R McCusker, J Turnbull, B Morgan. Replacements: G Davies for Knoyle, N Reynolds for J Ajuwa (both 51 mins), J Edwards for Turnbull (59 mins), K Myhill for Lawrence, S Gardiner for Thomas, D Welch for Reed (all 64 mins), D Evans for Newton (67 mins). Not used: P Edwards. Sinbinned: Maule (74 mins).
Referee: A McPherson(Scotland).
