Keenan Hat-Trick Caps Off Leinster’s Bonus Point Win Out West

Leinster came from 16 points down to claim their opening Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup win, finishing 50-21 clear of provincial rivals Connacht at the Sportsground.

Stung into action by Connacht’s strong start, Leo Cullen men’s reeled off tries from Hugo Keenan (2), James Tracy, Ross Molony and Cian Kelleher to lead 33-16 at half-time.

With last week’s European exit still raw, 2021 British & Irish Lion Andrew Porter, Scott Fardy and player-of-the-match Keenan took their side’s haul to eight tries. Peter Sullivan added to Caolin Blade’s earlier effort for Connacht.

Another of Leinster’s Lions picks, number 8 Jack Conan, went off with a head injury during the first half, and he will go through the graduated return-to-play protocols.

Buoyed by their recent first round victory at Ulster, Connacht made the early running with Conor Fitzgerald knocking over two penalties.

The westerners made it 13 unanswered points through Blade’s opportunist try, Finlay Bealham getting in to disrupt Luke McGrath’s pass and Blade nabbed the bouncing ball for a 40-metre run-in.

The score, converted by Fitzgerald, survived a captain’s challenge and was supplemented by another Fitzgerald penalty.

However, Leinster’s counter-rucking from the restart supplied possession for Keenan’s opening try, as the full-back raided over from Ciaran Frawley’s cleverly delayed pass.

Making it two quick-fire converted tries, Keenan then slipped out of a tackle to finish off some smart phases by both backs and forwards.

Leinster’s impressive maul set up their next two scores, firstly driving hooker Tracy over from 15 metres out for a 19-16 lead.

The PRO14 champions drove Connacht backwards again before second row Molony burrowed over for a 28th-minute bonus point.

Connacht’s unsuccessful captain’s challenge was compounded by game-ending injuries to skipper Jarrad Butler and Matt Healy, on his 150th appearance.

Two minutes before the break, Ross Byrne’s pinpoint cross-field kick found Rory O’Loughlin who sent Kelleher scampering clear from 40 metres out. Byrne added a fine conversion from wide out.

Connacht had no answer to Leinster’s dominant drives, as the lineout provided the platform for Tracy and Fardy to plunge over after 45 and 52 minutes respectively. Byrne sent over his fifth conversion.

The hosts went close through Dave Heffernan before Sean O’Brien superbly dislodged the ball to deny Dave Kearney a breakaway try, following an excellent interchange with McGrath.

Eleven minutes from the end, Connacht winger O’Sullivan beat two tackles for a deserved score. The assist was provided by Fitzgerald’s long cut-out pass.

Leinster had more in them, and fittingly it was the tireless Keenan who completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute, following up on an initial break by Josh van der Flier.

Speaking in the aftermath, Leinster head coach Cullen said: “We were probably a little over eager in terms of guys flying off the line – creating little triangles – and Connacht were able to pull us apart in the opening 14 minutes.

“Our discipline cost us too, we gave away a few cheap penalties. We settled into the game much better after that. Our forwards had some good drives and we got over for some good scores.

“We have been very frustrated with the way the last couple of weeks have gone but all you can do is move onto the next challenge.

“When you are bringing guys through all the time, you have got to keep learning, so overall we are pleased. We will see where we sit in the (Rainbow Cup) table.”

His Connacht counterpart Andy Friend commented: “The first 14 minutes were fantastic from us but after that we were hurt in two areas, firstly by giving them access to our scoring zone, where they were so clinical.

“You can see why they have won four straight PRO14 titles, given how well they finish. The second area was the breakdown. We were dominated there.

“I loved how we fought but as well as fighting, you have to be clinical. We all have to pick ourselves up now. We have Munster next Friday and they will have seen that game.

“Leinster came hard at us at the breakdown and those Munster blokes are going to come even harder.

“So we have got to sort that and we have got six days to try and get that right. The boys need to get up for an interpro and it is our job to make sure they do.”