Leinster continue impressive Magners League run

LEINSTER 20 GLASGOW WARRIORS 14, RDS Sportsground.

A brace of first half tries were crucial as Leinster extended their lead at the top of the Magners League table, thanks to a six-point win before an attendance of 11,814 at the RDS.

Leinster landed the opening score, after a well placed Fergus McFadden penalty, but the visitors dominated possession in the opening quarter.

Glasgow started promisingly when hosts tighthead prop Mike Ross was penalised for dropping the scrum, but Ruaridh Jackson was unable to land the resulting penalty such was the strength of the cross-field wind.

Glasgow pressed harded with a strong passing move in the tenth phase within 10 metres of the line in the 15th minute.

A clearance by fly-half Paul O’Donoghue looked to have Leinster into safety, but winger Hefin O’Hare made a superb catch deep in his own half, before launching on a bursting run to sidestep Devin Toner close to the line and claim the first try of the night in the 16th minute.

Jackson made amends for his earlier miss as he landed the resulting conversion to edge his side to a 7-3 lead.

But the Warriors dominance ended, as Leinster took control and turned a four-point deficit to a 13-point lead by the interval.

Leinster centre McFadden was unerring in front of the posts as his second penalty cut the deficit to the minimum in the 20th minute.

Indeed McFadden was also in try-scoring mood, as he powerfully placed the ball over the line in the left-corner in the 23rd minute following a sustained period of pressure with Man of the match Isa Nacewa off-loading to McFadden in the first phase.

McFadden landed his third kick in front of the posts to edge the hosts to a 13-7 lead.

Defences came to the fore once more, but Leinster finished the first half strongly, with Girvan Dempsey claiming the hosts second try of the night in the final minute of the half.

Substitute Eoin Sheriff stole possession from a Warriors line-out with the ball fed through Mike Ross, Nacewa and O’Donohue who was stopped short of the line, before off-loading to Dempsey in the corner.

A second conversion from McFadden saw Leinster claim a 13-point interval lead, with scores at a premium on the restart.

Glasgow popped up for a couple of try-scoring chances in the third quarter, with replacement Colin Gregor crashing over in the right-corner in the 67th minute – also landing a conversion to cut the deficit to six-points.

However Leinster’s ‘young-guns’ stood to the fore with O’Donohue and Toner eager to impress coach Michael Cheika, ahead of the returning Irish Internationals.

Leinster almost provided an immediate response to Gregor’s try when O’Donohue fed Michael Keating who was stopped within yards of the line.

The hosts failed to disappoint the large home support, as they finished strongly to maintain their unbeaten run at the RDS stretching back to September 2008.

Scorers for Leinster: Tries: F McFadden (1), G Dempsey (1) Pens: F McFadden (2) Cons: F McFadden (2)

Scorers for Glasgow Warriors: Tries: H O’Hare, C Gregor Pens: Cons: R Jackson, C Gregor

LEINSTER: G Dempsey, Simon Keogh, E O’Malley, F McFadden, I Nacewa, S Berne, P O’Donohue; CJ Van Der Linde, B Jackman, M Ross, D Toner, M O’Kelly, K McLaughlin, P Ryan, Stephen Keogh. Replacements: E Sheriff for McLaughlin (32); I Madigan for McFadden (HT); S Wright for Van Der Linde (HT); CJ Van Der Linde for Ross (59); M Keating for Berne (61); R Strauss for Jackman (77)

GLASGOW WARRIORS: B Stortoni, H O’Hare, P Murchie, P Horne, D Van Den Merwe, R Jackson, M McMillen; J Welsh, D Hall, E Kalman, T Barker, D Turner, J Eddie, C Forrester, R Vernon. Replacements: C Gregor for Jackson, F Thomson for Hall, M Low for Kalman, P Burke for Eddie (all 47); D McCall for Van Der Merwe (68)

REFEREE: Nigel Owens (WRU)