Leinster 32 Ulster 6:Four second half tries from Leinster ensured the defending champions kept the pressure on Munster at the top of the Magners League this evening, with a 32-6 win over Matt Williams's Ulster side at the RDS.
Two Felipe Contepomi penalties gave the homeside a three point lead in a cagey opening half, but Michael Cheika’s men cut loose after the break and crossed the line through Fergus McFadden, captain Leo Cullen and man-of-the-match Rocky Elsom, before Simon Keogh sealed the bonus point in injury time.
The result leaves them three points adrift of Munster, who beat Glasgow Warriors 26-13 on Friday evening.
With three of Ireland’s Grand Slam winners in their side — Paddy Wallace, Tom Court and Rory Best — Ulster travelled south with confidence and they would have been heartened by a scoreless opening quarter.
Court and Wallace got ball in hand early on but Leinster looked the sharper side and Contepomi was narrowly off target from a ninth-minute penalty chance.
David Pollock and Chris Henry engineered a drop-goal shot for Ian Humphreys but he snatched at it and the Ulster outhalf also missed a long-range penalty after ruck interference from Shane Jennings.
With both defences fanning out across the pitch and little space for either team to manoeuvre in, it was left to Contepomi to open the scoring with a 20th-minute penalty.
Andrew Trimble, a player who failed to feature in Ireland’s Grand Slam run, took a beautiful line on 25 minutes and darted menacingly through the Leinster midfield, but his attempted chip over Shane Horgan was cleverly caught by his wing rival.
Horgan, who was also unused during the Six Nations, was released down the right wing soon afterwards and a quick switch of direction almost had Bernard Jackman bulldozing over in the left corner.
But neither side could conjure up a try before half-time and two successful penalties from Humphreys and Contepomi left Leinster 6-3 ahead at the break.
Gordon D’Arcy, straight back into league action after the Grand Slam, helped Leinster find an extra gear on the restart.
He made a brilliant break out of his 22 to set his centre partner McFadden up for a 40-metre dash to the left corner, with Contepomi adding the conversion.
On 53 minutes, Leinster’s forwards rumbled on and Cullen barged past Ian Humphreys to score his first try for Leinster since the 2004/05 season.
With Humphreys off the pitch, Clinton Schifcofske clawed back some of the difference for Ulster with a well-struck penalty.
However, Leinster were punching more and more holes in the Ulster defence and after an excellent turnover by Jennings, Isa Nacewa and Horgan combined to set up Elsom for a breakaway third try.
Wallace and Cillian Willis tried to inspire a revival from the visitors but Leinster always looked capableof scoring another try and it duly came from Keogh, after Chris Whitaker had released him off a scrum.
