MAGNERS LEAGUE Leinster 27 Dragons 6:LEINSTER'S PERFORMANCE graph took another upward curve here last night in the absence of a host of front-line players as they completely outplayed a more experienced Dragons to claim a bonus-point win that nudges them to fourth in the Magners League table.
The manner of the win will have pleased coach Joe Schmidt as the home side played the game at a consistently high pace, using the full pitch and cleverly varying the point of attack. The Dragons, in contrast, were content to put boot to ball and hope for territorial gain but they rarely managed any continuity in a pretty insipid display.
It wasn't perfect from a Leinster perspective as periodic handling errors - conditions weren't easy following pre-match showers - caused some self-inflicted wounds, but the ambition demonstrated more than compensated for the occasional hiccup.
There were a number of excellent contributions, notably Shane Horgan, who grabbed a brace of tries, Rhys Ruddock, Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings and scrumhalf Isaac Boss, who marshalled affairs intelligently.
Leinster outlined their intent from the outset alternating between Shaun Berne's dinked kicks over the midfield or pursuing more expansive avenues with ball-in-hand and looking to offload in the tackle.
Centres Fergus McFadden and Eoin O'Malley, a potent midfield all night, looked for weak inside shoulders. The home side's playing mantra appeared to be to maintain a sharp tempo.
The Dragons struggled to cope with Leinster's pace, and even when they did manage to slow ball down, forcing the ruck, the Leinster pack chose to carry in a straight line or close to the fringes, a gambit that gained both yardage and momentum. Rhys Ruddock, Richardt Strauss and Shane Jennings were particularly effective.
Leinster's new arrival enjoyed an excellent opening 40 minutes, carrying with power, tackling aggressively and managing to pop the Dragons prop up and out of the second scrum in the match.
The home side's bright opening received reward after two minutes when Horgan powered through two tackles before linking with Berne who cantered over for a try.
The same players combined for the second try on 25 minutes with Berne's precise cross-kick finding Horgan in splendid isolation. Isa Nacewa kicked two conversions and a penalty, while the Welsh side's response was penalty from Jason Tovey.
The Dragons could barely muster three of four phases without an error but, encouraged by several Leinster errors, were invited back into the contest, at least territorially.
The home side were fortunate when Boss escaped a yellow card when entering a ruck from the side five metres from his line, but were not as fortunate when captain Leo Cullen was adjudged to have pulled down Robert Sidoli in the air at a lineout. It was a marginal call by referee Stefano Penne who might have brandished a card on more than one occasion to the visitors as they transgressed repeatedly in the shadow of their posts.
It reached farcical proportions when Penne failed to give Ashley Smith a card for taking a Leinster player out, off the ball, two yards from his line; the Italian official was four feet away.
Leinster had replaced three of their pack at half-time but the introduction of hooker Jason Harris Wright and secondrow Ed O'Donoghue saw Leinster's lineout stutter initially with three turnovers, but gradually the home side rediscovered their rhythm.
A sustained spell of pressure in the Dragons 22 saw the visitors reduced to 14 men when flanker Gavin Thomas was sent to the sinbin and Leinster capitalise with a brace of tries: Horgan grabbed a second while O'Malley unselfishly found Boss after another excellent backline movement.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: Berne try, Nacewa con, 7-0; 8: Nacewa pen, 10-0; 11: Tovey pen, 10-3; 25: Horgan try, Nacewa con, 17-3; 48: Tovey pen, 17-6; 61: Horgan try, 22-6; 67: Boss try, 27-6.
LEINSTER: I Nacewa; S Horgan, E O'Malley, F McFadden, D Kearney; S Berne, I Boss; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, C Newland; L Cullen (capt), T Hogan; R Ruddock, S Jennings, S Keogh. Replacements: J Harris Wright for Strauss; M Ross for Newland; E O'Donoghue for Hogan (all h-t); D Ryan for Keogh (65 mins); A Conway for Kearney; J McGrath for van der Merwe (both 69 mins); I Madigan for Berne (74 mins); P O'Donohue for Ruddock (78 mins). Yellow card: Cullen (28 mins).
DRAGONS: P Leach; W Harries, T Cheeseman, A Smith, A Hughes; J Tovey, W Evans; P Price, T Willis (capt), N Hall; S Morgan, R Sidoli; A Jones, G Thomas, L Evans. Replacements: L Burns for Willis (48 mins); L Charteris for Morgan (59 mins); D Way for Hall; H Ellis for A Jones; R Gomer Davies for Cheeseman; M Jones for Tovey (all 69 mins); J Leadbetter for Hughes (78 mins). Yellow card: G Thomas (59 mins).
Referee: Stefano Penne(Italy).
