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United Rugby Championship, Dexcom Stadium
Connacht (13) 23
Tries: Tierney-Martin, West Cons: Gilbert 2 Pens: Gilbert 3
Leinster (13) 34
Tries: Gunne, Snyman, Tector, Frawley Cons: Byrne 4 Pens: Byrne 3
Leinster extended their winning streak to 10 games in all competitions with a 34-23 victory over Connacht but the sight of Jack Boyle leaving the field through injury will be a huge concern for Ireland just 12 days out from the Six Nations.
Andy Farrell’s side open their championship against France in Paris on February 5 and were already to be without loose-heads Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy.
In the absence of that pair who started and benched for Ireland through their four autumn Tests, Boyle was the presumed starter for the Stade de France but his own involvement will now be in serious doubt after he left the field on a cart during the first half of the bonus-point victory that took Leinster second in the United Rugby Championship.
Ireland’s Six Nations squad are due to gather in Dublin on Sunday before departing for a training camp in Portugal on Tuesday. Munster pair Jeremy Loughman and Michael Milne are the other loose-heads named in Farrell’s 37-man squad this week.
Injury to the 23-year-old Boyle, who won the first of his four Test caps against Wales in Cardiff last year, was the main talking point of a scrappy opening to what was an eagerly anticipated evening for the western province.
Leinster’s visit marked the official opening of their new stand at the Dexcom Stadium and a sold-out crowd of 12,500 supporters were on hand to mark the occasion.
Prior to Boyle’s injury in the 20th minute, the sides had each scored a close-range try with Connacht’s Dylan Tierney-Martin’s burrowed effort cancelling out Fintan Gunne’s snipe across the line.
The sides were still knotted on the scoreboard at half-time after two penalties from Connacht’s Sam Gilbert were matched by Leinster’s Harry Byrne.
Eight minutes after the restart, Connacht scored a brilliant try through Harry West, but Leinster took control of the game approaching the hour-mark with a pair of quick tries.
As the third quarter came to a close, Springbok lock RG Snyman was on hand to muscle over following a Leinster tap and go penalty and, only two minutes later, the visitors were over again.
Connacht appeared to switch off defensively and Charlie Tector was quick to take advantage. The in-form centre recognised the mismatch with a pair of front rows facing him in the defensive line and he glided through to score easily.
With Byrne seven-from-seven off the tee on the night, the conversion nudged Leinster 27-20 ahead with 20 minutes to go, although the hosts cut the deficit to four through another Gilbert penalty.
Rather than set up a grandstand finish over the final 13 minutes, Leinster made the game safe and secured their four-try bonus by working Ciaran Frawley, who will join Connacht next season, over in the corner.
Connacht: Gilbert; Jennings, West, Forde, Treacy, Ioane, Blade; Bohan, Tierney-Martin, Illo, Murphy, Murray, CPrendergast (capt), Boyle, Jansen.
Replacements: De Buitlear, Buckley, Aungier, Joyce, O’Brien, Murphy, Carty, Aki.
Leinster: Frawley; Kenny, Ringrose, Tector, Lowe; Byrne, Gunne; Boyle, McCarthy, Smyth, Snyman, Ryan, Soroka, Connors, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Kelleher, Cahir, Sparrow, Deeny, Mangan, Penny, McGrath, Moloney.
Referee: E Cross (IRFU)
