Leinster were shocked into submission at the RDS on Friday night as a haphazard 11-minute spell saw them concede four tries and lose two players to the sin bin as the Llanelli Scarlets romped to an impressive Magners League victory.
Leinster v Llanelli Match Photos
So the end of Leinster’s proud record of 16 successive home victories in the league since a Donnybrook defeat to Edinburgh in November 2005. On the second half performance, Llanelli were well deserving of the victory as Leinster simply fell off the pace and allowed the Scarlets the space to exploit them.
Leinster never rekindled the sort of form they showed in last week’s away win in Cardiff, although had they scored before half-time when the Scarlets were down to 14 men, this game could easily have had a different complexion.
The 9,439-strong crowd were treated to some early tries as the teams, both intent on running the ball when possible, traded blows in the third and fifth minutes.
The Scarlets got off the mark first as full-back Morgan Stoddart and centre Regan King linked down the left flank and coming on an angled run, winger Matthew Watkins charged in off the touchline to take a pass and outstrip the Leinster cover to cross to the left of the posts.
Watkins’ 28th league try, which drew him level with retired Leinster winger Denis Hickie, the current record holder, was converted by impressive out-half Rhys Priestland.
Leinster hit back off the restart as flanker Shane Jennings burst up towards the visitors’ 22 and centre Christian Warner was deftly put over in the left corner.
Jonathan Sexton’s conversion attempt bounced back off the right post and the Scarlets, with their pack drewing a number of penalties out of the opposition, were able to maintain their two-point lead until Priestland stretched them five points clear late in the half.
The 20-year-old Priestland had a 100% kicking return in the opening period as he landed a trio of penalties after 13, 23 and 34 minutes. At the other end, Sexton, after two initial misses, landed a brace of penalties in reply but a second try frustratingly eluded the men in blue.
Centre Fergus McFadden had a bright opening 40 minutes in the loose as he and Warner linked well in midfield.
His Australian colleague popped a pass for UCD clubman McFadden to go haring through a gap on the half-hour mark and it took a superb recovery tackle from flanker Jonathan Edwards to deny the Leinster number 13 as he looked to capitalise on a chip and chase attack.
Luke Fitzgerald, Leinster’s on-form winger, was seeing little of the ball and the province’s other wide man Gary Brown was forced off with an injury in the 28th-minute, bringing his 50th appearance for Leinster to a premature end.
A ruck infringement led to the Scarlets losing lock Vernon Cooper to the sin bin three minutes before the break. Leinster briefly threatened the visitors’ 16-11 lead but Phil Davies’ men held firm to take their five-point advantage into the second half.
Indeed, the 14 men also snuck over for a try in the left corner, five minutes after the interval, as all Gavin Evans needed to top off a fine break was a try-scoring pass to either James Bater or Edwards – fortunately for Leinster, his offload drifted into touch with the try line at the Scarlets’ mercy.
The Welshmen began to run riot a few minutes later though. Full-back Rob Kearney and prop Juan Francisco Gomez were both badly caught out as Llanelli captain Bater cruised in between them in Leinster’s defensive line and cut in behind the posts for a well-executed 51st-minute try.
Kearney’s night went from bad to worse when he went offside at a ruck under the Leinster posts, deliberately slowing up Llanelli ball, and was sent to the sin bin by referee James Jones.
The Scarlets took their cue as Priestland kicked the resulting penalty and man of the match Edwards then rumbled over for an unconverted try to put his side 31-11 in front.
Leinster flanker Jennings then lost his cool as some foul language directed at referee Jones resulted in the Irish international also being binned. Trailing by 20 points and down to 13 men, Leinster were almost sunk.
The Scarlets continued their ploy of running everything, taking advantage of the wide open spaces popping up on both flanks. With back-line players of the calibre of Watkins and King, there was only ever going to be one result.
Two more Scarlets tries followed from King and Edwards to cap off a devastating 11-minute spell during which Leinster conceded four tries and 29 points in all.
With the result beyond doubt at 45-11, Leinster only had pride to play for and perhaps a bonus point for tries scored.
To their credit, they did get close to securing that bonus point – prop Stan Wright and number eight Jamie Heaslip both grabbed late tries after the hosts had concerted spells of pressure close to the Scarlets’ line.
A yellow card for Bater did aid Leinster in their try hunt and when the Scarlets skipper returned, his side conjured up their sixth and final try in the dying embers of injury-time. Full-back Stoddart sliced through to score and rub salt into Leinster’s wounds.
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