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Tries from James Lowe and Barry Daly in the final quarter steered runaway Conference B leaders Leinster to a 22-17 victory over the Scarlets at the RDS.<\/p>\nTries from James Lowe and Barry Daly in the final quarter steered runaway Conference B leaders Leinster to a 22-17 victory over the Scarlets at the RDS.<\/p>\n
Rob Kearney and Jack McGrath got some valuable game-time ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations opener against England as Leinster established a 10-0 half-time lead.<\/p>\n
Center Rory O’Loughlin’s try in the final play supplemented Ciaran Frawley’s 30th-minute penalty.<\/p>\n
Turning into a swirling wind, Scarlets left points behind them before Kieran Hardy’s converted score closed the gap to three points and then Dan Jones booted them level on the hour mark.<\/p>\n
Those well-taken scores from wingers Lowe (68 minutes) and Daly (71) put Leinster back in control until Hardy completed his brace, setting up a nervy but scoreless final seven minutes.<\/p>\n
Despite David Bulbring’s early injury departure, there were positive early signs for Scarlets with scrum half Hardy and Ioan Nicholas both opening up the defense.<\/p>\n
Kieron Fonotia fumbled in a promising situation, while a knock-on from captain Kearney halted Leinster’s progress.<\/p>\n
While the knock-ons and forward passes continued to blight play, Leinster built well until O’Loughlin was isolated by Dan Davis for a clearing penalty.<\/p>\n
The hosts hit the front on the half-hour mark, prop McGrath barreling through into the 22 before the prolonged attack ended with Frawley making it 3-0.<\/p>\n
Jake Ball, the only one of Scarlets’ 12 Wales call-ups on duty, consistently got over the gain-line but they were thwarted again when Marc Jones’ neck roll on McGrath, right on the Leinster line, gave the home side a relieving penalty.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Leinster showed their clinical edge late on with Lowe’s well-weighted kick earning them a close-in lineout.<\/p>\n
Scarlets coughed up a penalty and although they defended the next maul, Mick Kearney’s loose pass was gobbled up by Conor O’Brien and turned into a try by his center partner O’Loughlin who spun out of tackles from Johnny McNicholl and Phil Price to score.<\/p>\n
Young fly-half Frawley added the extras, just to the left of the posts.<\/p>\n
Having intercepted a Frawley pass just seconds after the restart, Paul Asquith blundered when losing control of the ball inches from the line with TMO Olly Hodges ruling the try out.<\/p>\n
Jones also fluffed his lines from a penalty attempt but the visitors got on the scoresheet when Davis fended off Kearney near halfway, sprinted down the touchline and passed inside for Hardy to finish off.<\/p>\n
Jones converted and punished a Caelan Doris high tackle with a leveling 59th-minute penalty, only for Leinster to pick off two crucial tries.<\/p>\n
Jones was tackled into touch, giving the hosts key field position and a few phases later replacement Jamison Gibson-Park’s pass sent his fellow New Zealander Lowe over in the left corner past Asquith.<\/p>\n
Frawley then converted Daly’s terrific try on the opposite flank, burly prop Vakh Abdaladze rampaging into the 22 from a Bryan Byrne pass before fellow replacement Noel Reid’s inviting kick was dotted down by the inrushing Daly.<\/p>\n
Despite McNicholl’s swift break setting up Hardy for his second seven-pointer, Scarlets had to settle for a losing bonus point with Asquith’s pass going to ground on a last-minute break.<\/p>\n