United Rugby Championship leaders Leinster started the brand new 12 months in acquainted trend with a 41-12 bonus-point win over Connacht on the RDS.
Tries from David Hawkshaw and Tom Farrell had Connacht simply 19-12 behind at half-time, with Liam Turner, Brian Deeny and Jordan Larmour crossing for Leinster.
Larmour, Rob Russell, Ryan Baird and Josh van der Flier made it a seven-try victory for Leo Cullen’s males, whose solely actual fear was shedding captain Jonathan Sexton to a facial harm.
Connacht have been lacking three of their Eire internationals, with sickness ruling out Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen whereas Bundee Aki was rested because of Eire participant administration.
Turner took a beautiful line within the second minute as Charlie Ngatai and Sexton mixed to place him over to the precise of the posts. Sexton missed the conversion.
The Murray brothers, Darragh and Niall, each pinched lineouts and Connacht’s enhancing play was rewarded when Hawkshaw broke by tackles from Sexton and Russell for a positive Sixteenth-minute rating, transformed by Jack Carty.
Leinster turned to their highly effective pack, younger lock Deeny springing over from shut vary for Sexton to make it 12-7.
On the half-hour mark, a sidestepping Larmour linked with Jimmy O’Brien, whose kick by evaded the unlucky Carty, and Larmour gleefully adopted up for a seven-pointer.
Connacht pulled again 5 of these earlier than the break, Carty slickly despatched Farrell over however the skipper miscued the conversion.
Larmour baged a Forty fourth-minute bonus level from an inviting Jamison Gibson-Park go, whereas Connacht misplaced Hawkshaw to harm within the course of. Carty was quickly despatched to the bin for being offside from a penalty.
Nonetheless, Connacht coped effectively whereas right down to 14 males, Caolin Blade igniting their assault once more and Jarrad Butler thwarting a Leinster maul.
Sexton had to get replaced after head-on-head contact when tackling Butler which may have seen him carded.
In his absence, Leinster completed with a flourish, Cormac Foley and Ngatai offering the assists for Russell and Baird to go over respectively, earlier than Van der Flier confirmed his tempo to make the left nook after Larmour was once more concerned within the build-up.
