Leinster battle past Warriors
Leinster scored four tries in the second half to see off Glasgow Warriors 36-13 in the Magners League.
Last Updated: 25/04/09 10:40pm
Leinster scored four tries in the second half to see off Glasgow Warriors 36-13 in the Magners League on Saturday evening.
Glasgow looked on course to become the first Scottish side to win a match at the RDS when they led 13-8 at half-time thanks to tries from Kelly Brown and Lome Fa'atau.
But converted efforts from replacements Shane Horgan, Sean O'Brien (two) and Jonathan Sexton saw last season's champions pull clear after a testing opening hour.
The result was immaterial as, after Munster's bonus-point win over the Scarlets on Friday, Leinster's title reign is at an end.
But a number of plus points emerged ahead of Leinster's Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Munster at Croke Park on Saturday - not least how flanker O'Brien and fly-half Sexton put their hands up for selection, while Brian O'Driscoll and company came through unscathed and Rocky Elsom put in yet another man-of-the-match display.
Out-of-form Glasgow came to Dublin determined to put in a strong showing and they were unfortunate not to open the scoring when Ruaridh Jackson watched a penalty attempt slide away.
Felipe Contepomi punished a ruck offence from Brown to kick Leinster in front but a huge hit by Moray Low on Contepomi helped the Glasgow forwards pile through and set up Jackson for the levelling kick.
Sean Lineen was forced into an early switch, with Fergus Thomson coming on at hooker for the injured Dougie Hall (calf/ankle) yet, just moments later, Brown gobbled up a dinked kick through from Jackson to touch down in the right corner.
After the missed conversion, a break from Girvan Dempsey got Leinster within scoring range and off a set lineout move, Devin Toner tapped down to Malcolm O'Kelly and Elsom then peeled away for a short burst to the try-line.
Thunderous tackle
Contepomi failed to add the extras, leaving it 8-8, and he also pushed a penalty wide of the uprights on the half-hour after a thunderous tackle from Jamie Heaslip on Bernardo Stortoni.
Then Samoan speedster Fa'atau pounced for his try, brilliantly hacking a dropped Leinster pass on towards the line and winning the race to touch down the ball, although Jackson was off target with the conversion attempt.
Shortly afterwards, Stortoni was yellow carded for slowing up Leinster ball close to his posts and Gordon D'Arcy missed out on a try when he lost control of the ball just five metres out.
Leinster gradually found their rhythm in the third quarter. Contepomi missed another penalty chance but they continually pinned back Glasgow in their half and the pressure eventually yielded tries.
After Brown and Heaslip were sin-binned for throwing punches, Leinster made use of the extra space and a quick turnover allowed Sexton send Horgan galloping over for his try.
Contepomi made it a seven-pointer, putting Leinster back in front, and four minutes later Girvan Dempsey pumped his legs out of a tackle and lovely hands from O'Driscoll put O'Brien charging over behind the posts.
After Contepomi's conversion, Glasgow had a third player sin-binned when replacement prop Justin Va'a was caught on the wrong side of a ruck.
With the visitors caught for defenders, Sexton gathered a swift delivery from Chris Whitaker to dive over to the right of the posts and O'Brien rumbled over from close range for his second try, six minutes from the end. Contepomi converted both to wrap up a runaway win.
