Leo Cullen’s side were 17-0 up but Connacht showed plenty of fight to make it a gripping contest in the end
Leinster's Jordie Barrett is tackled by Connacht's Oisín Dowling during the BKT United Rugby Championship match at the Aviva Stadium.
Leinster were holding the better territory and had squeezed Connacht into the right corner with a few lineouts and five-metre scrums. Lots of pressure but Connacht were firing bodies into contact. Leinster might have become frustrated as Charlie Tector made some good ground and RG Snyman too, but the scoring breakthrough came quickly enough to prevent that from setting in.
Santiago Cordero came into the game on 32 minutes for Connacht when outhalf Josh Ioane, just back from injury, left for a HIA check that he subsequently failed. But Leinster may look at two fumbled attacking lineouts in the first half as missed opportunities. Still, it was the home side attacking into the Connacht 22 as the half closed, with the visitors on a worrisome nine penalties conceded at that point.
But Connacht had come to play and as the match became a little tetchy and Connacht upped the tempo and urgency, there was a momentum swing for 20 minutes, with Oisín Dowling scoring the first Connacht try on 52 minutes.
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