Connacht 12

Leinster 33

By JOHN FALLON

CONNACHT rounded off their poor form against the other Irish provinces as they fell to their third defeat in five games in this season’s URC despite Leinster again sending an understrength side to the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday.

And unlike their defeats to Munster and Ulster when they picked up two losing points in each game, Connacht were left empty-handed in their own backyard as Leinster made it 30 match points from their last six league visits to Galway. Connacht have picked up just one point out of 30 in those games even though Leinster have regularly sent down weakened teams.

The win came at a price for Leinster and Ireland with Ciaran Frawley limping off after just 16 minutes of a contest where Springbok RG Snyman again showed his class as he continues to revel since his summer move from Munster.

“He has an unbelievably unique skill set, hasn’t he? He’s such a big man and incredibly skillful,” said Leinster coach Leo Cullen afterwards, and few would disagree with him.

The 6’ 10” double World Cup winner, whose offloading game has benefitted further from the crackdown on high tackles, added a touch of class to a side with five academy players being led by a handful of seasoned internationals.

Connacht badly lacked that level of leadership, although Shayne Bolton did his best on the wing to inject some go-forward, while Cathal Forde and Sean Jansen added badly needed penetration off the bench but by then the game was gone from Connacht.

“We never quite closed the gap enough to influence how Leinster were playing the game and that was my big frustration,” said Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins.

“I knew we had more in us, the players felt we had more in us but we never got close enough to prove that. Anytime we don’t give the best versions of ourselves, we come away with the feeling we’ve shortchanged ourselves and probably our supporters as well.”

Leinster, with 72% territory, led 21-5 at the break having played with the strong wind behind them in the opening half in front of a decent crowd of 6,117 who availed of the temporary terracing behind both goals as the redevelopment of the stadium continues.

Pictured: Connacht’s Sean O’Brien scores Connacht’s first try in Saturday’s URC encounter against Leinster at Dexcom Stadium.  Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.