Llanelli Scarlets 17 Leinster 31: Stand-in captain Shane Jennings led from the front for Leinster as they overpowered the Llanelli Scarlets and moved within two points of Munster at the top of the Celtic League.
Jennings, who missed the Ireland A international last Friday through injury, topped a barnstorming performance with a try as the visitors led from start to finish at Parc y Scarlets.
Isa Nacewa, Cameron Jowitt, and Jennings all crossed the whitewash for Michael Cheika’s side while Felipe Contepomi slotted over four penalties and two conversions.
And for Declan Kidney, there were no injury concerns ahead of next weekend’s England match with the impressive Gordon D’Arcy and Mal O’Kelly coming through unscathed while Shane Horgan and Girvan Dempsey made telling contributions.
Leinster made the ideal start with Contepomi converting a penalty to give the visitors a 3-0 lead on three minutes.
The first real chance of a try fell to the Scarlets, whose centre partnership of Jonathan Davies and King sent Morgan Stoddart on a searching run up the left touchline before he was tackled into touch 10 metres out by Fergus McFadden.
An offside decision against the Scarlets saw Leinster double their lead on 18 minutes with a second Contepomi penalty. It was a double blow for the Scarlets who then lost Regan King a minute later.
The setbacks came thick and fast for the home side who conceded two converted tries in the space of three minutes. First Nacewa finished off a sweeping move down the left after the Scarlets lost ball in Leinster’s 22.
And the lead was stretched to 20-0 when Priestland’s clearance kick was charged down by Girvan Dempsey and Jowitt was on hand to pick up and go over.
It took until 30 minutes for the Scarlets to register on the scoreboard when Priestland made some amends by kicking a penalty goal. The Scarlets comeback continued when two minutes later Martin Roberts zipped in from 10 metres out for a converted try to halve the Leinster lead.
But five minutes before half-time Leinster hit back with a third penalty goal to give them a 23-10 interval lead.
At the start of the second half Priestland missed two kickable penalties in the space of two minutes.
The Scarlets finally went in for their first try when Manu squeezed over with the Priestland conversion making it 23-17 after 53 minutes.
But Leinster hit back just after the hour mark with an unconverted try and a penalty. Jennings crossed to finish off a long-range effort. And though Contepomi missed the conversion he was on target with his fourth penalty to give the visitors a 14-point advantage.
