Late try spares Leinster
Second-half tries from Niall Morris and David Kearney spared Leinster's blushes as they came from behind to beat Aironi 21-16.
Last Updated: 10/02/11 10:16pm
Second-half tries from Niall Morris and David Kearney spared Leinster's blushes as they came from behind to beat Aironi 21-16 in the Magners League.
The Irish side found themselves 10-3 behind at the interval but the two scores and 11 points from the boot of Isa Nacewa saw them grind out victory on Thursday night.
Basement club Aironi at least took a losing bonus point from the match, their first outside Italy this season.
The visitors took an early lead when Tito Tebaldi nudged over a second minute score after Kaine Robertson drew a penalty, but Nacewa levelled moments later.
The first-half, though, was a forgettable affair with handling errors, crooked lineouts and poor kicking blighting general play.
Leinster's plans were disrupted further when centre Brendan Macken's debut was curtailed by a broken collarbone, but while Tebaldi twice missed chances to put his side back in front the Italians broke the line five minutes before the break.
Turnover
Paul O'Donohoe's loose pass set Aironi off on a breakaway which ended with Horacio San Martin being caught short of the try-line.
The visitors used turnover ball again to pile forward through their pack.
Nick Williams, the former Munster back rower, got over the line but television match official Peter Ferguson said the grounding was inconclusive.
A minute later, Williams made certain of the try as he broke off a five-metre scrum, flattened Ian Madigan and crashed over. Tebaldi added the conversion for a seven-point lead.
And Aironi nearly crossed again before half-time, replacement Morris preventing a second try when bringing down Jacob Erasmus as the flanker tried to finish an interception in the right corner.
Leinster upped the intensity for the start of the second half and Nacewa's close-in penalty cut the gap to 10-6.
Offload
In the 46th minute, there was a powerful burst on the left wing by Richardt Strauss whose one-handed offload invited Morris through and he outpaced Danwel Demas for a neat finish under the posts.
Nacewa's conversion was cancelled out by a terrific drop goal from the influential Paolo Buso and it was game on again at 13-13.
Nacewa kicked his third successful penalty to make it 16-13 to the hosts and after Buso curled a penalty effort wide of the uprights, Leinster roared forward.
The 20-year-old Rhys Ruddock, the province's youngest ever captain, led the charge in a side containing eight players aged 23 or under.
One of them, winger Kearney, gathered Shane Jennings' pass out of the tackle and brushed off James Marshall's challenge for the decisive score in the left corner three minutes from time.
