After the rush of last weekend's thrilling opening weekend of the BKT United Rugby Championship, this was a sugar-crash.
Leinster got the job done to make it two bonus-point wins from two to start the season, but Leo Cullen’s side laboured their way to a 34-6 win against a plucky but limited Dragons at the Aviva Stadium.
Leinster’s first game of the season at their temporary home on Lansdowne Road drew a respectable attendance of 18,397, although it was a crowd that got lost in the expanses of a 50,000 seater stadium.
Those in attendance weren’t treated to a classic, as a mix of Leinster’s youth and experience meandered their way to a six-try win.
On a night where Cian Healy made a record 281st Leinster appearance, Jack Conan continued to impress as a stand-in captain. The number eight powered over for his side’s opening try of the night, and dragged his side along during an opening half in which they struggled for momentum.
Jimmy O’Brien also excelled, and it could have been a different night had he not come up with two big defensive moments during the first 40 minutes when the Dragons were opening up the Leinster backline.
Ross Byrne missed three of his five conversions on the night, but did come up with a try to give his side a 10-6 lead at the break.
Leo Cullen’s side looked more authoritative in the second half, with Max Deegan capping off an impressive outing with a try, before Joe McCarthy brought up the bonus-point on 64 minutes, while Jordan Larmour and Aitzol King padded out the score as the Dragons faded in the final quarter.
It was a remarkably sloppy beginning from the hosts, who spent the first five minutes pinned back in their own 22.
It began when Jordan Larmour was turned over in midfield, and a beautiful 50:22 from Dane Blacker gave the Dragons territory.
A misread in defence from Charlie Tector and Liam Turner almost sent Harry Wilson clear for a try, and while Leinster turned them over, Luke McGrath kicked out on the full to bring the visitors back in.
On four minutes, a late Jimmy O’Brien ankle tap on Ewan Rosser just about prevented the hosts from crossing the line, before two quick-fire penalties against the hosts afforded the Dragons a shot at goal. Lloyd Evans’ scuttered effort came nowhere near the posts, and summed up the standard of the opening ten minutes.
The Dragons’ good start lasted 16 minutes before a yellow card for Chris Coleman halted momentum. The tighthead was sent to the sin-bin by referee Mike Adamson for a head-high tackle on his opposite number Thomas Clarkson, although he avoided a red courtesy of Clarkson’s late change of direction.
Leinster punished that error within two minutes. After kicking into the 22, they worked through multiple phases before a wide pass from Ross Byrne found O’Brien on the wing, and after cutting inside he offloaded to Tector, who in turn found his captain Conan charging around the corner, and the number 8 charged over the line to make it 5-0.
A second penalty attempt from Evans trimmed the lead to 5-3 on 25 minutes, as the Dragons continued to frustrate their hosts.
Discipline was also holding back Leinster, who gave away two penalties for double-banking at the lineout in the Dragons 22 during the half, while Tector was also penalised for a neck roll to end a promising attack after Max Deegan broke down the touchline.
Conan was leading by example, and when his good carry in midfield led to a penalty in midfield on 35 minutes, the province kicked for the corner. A powerful maul was pulled down as it got close to the line but that didn’t matter as Byrne snuck in for the game’s second try.
The Leinster out-half saw his conversion push wide and right, and the frustration was compounded when Healy gave away a penalty in the final minute of the half, as Evans stepped up to make it 10-6 at the break.
The second half started with another penalty conceded, but more urgency in the defensive line soon led to Conan winning a turnover, and once Leinster had the ball in hand there was a far greater urgency, as Deegan broke down the left touchline before the province won a penalty which they kicked to the corner.
Once again, a strong maul brought Leinster close, before they went to their pick-and-go game which eventually ended with Deegan squeaking in for his side’s third try, which Byrne converted from under the posts to make it 17-6.
The Welsh side hadn’t beaten Leinster in eight years, although Dai Flanagan’s side were refusing to quit, even trailing by 11 points. They continued to frustrate the province during the third quarter of the game, and Leinster responded by summoning their heavy-hitters, among them Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier.
The pair made an instant impact; the Dragons were lucky not to get another card when Wilson caught Van der Flier with a no-arms tackle to the head, but moments later McCarthy barreled over the tryline to secure the bonus-point on 64 minutes, finishing off a subtle lineout move down the blindside channel.
Byrne’s best kick of the night extended the lead to 24-6, and ended any slight fears of a Dragons upset, and four minutes later Larmour wriggled his way between two Dragons defenders to get a fifth try of the evening.
Leinster pushed for one final try during the final ten minutes, and it finally with the clock in the red, King scoring his first try for the province as he ran in on the overlap after a looping Harry Byrne pass.
Leinster scorers: Tries: Jack Conan, Ross Byrne, Max Deegan, Joe McCarthy, Jordan Larmour, Aitzol King Cons: Ross Byrne (2)
Dragons scorers: Pens: Lloyd Evans (2)
Leinster: Jamie Osborne; Jordan Larmour, Liam Turner, Charlie Tector, Jimmy O’Brien; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson; Brian Deeny, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Will Connors, Jack Conan (capt).
Replacements: Lee Barron (for G McCarthy, 52), Michael Milne (for Healy, 52), Rabah Slimani (for Clarkson, 52), Joe McCarthy (for Deeny, 52), Josh van der Flier (for Connors, 62), Fintan Gunne (for McGrath, 62), Harry Byrne (for Tector, 62), Aitzol King (for Larmour, 70).
Dragons: Ewan Rosser; Rio Dyer, Harry Wilson, Steff Hughes, Jared Rosser; Lloyd Evans, Dane Blacker; Rodrigo Martinez, Brodie Coghlan, Chris Coleman; Ben Carter (capt), George Nott; Ryan Woodman, Harri Keddie, Shane Lewis-Hughes.
Replacement: Oli Burrows (for Coghlan, 58), Rhodri Jones (for Martinez, 50), Luke Yendle (for Coleman, 26-32 [HIA] and 58’), Matthew Screech (for Nott, 5), George Young, Rhodri Williams (for Blacker, 50), Joe Westwood (for Hughes, 58’), Aneurin Owen (for Dyer, 67).
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
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