Newport Gwent Dragons 22
Leinster 54
LEINSTER’S CROP OF hot prospects tore the Newport Gwent Dragons apart to show Joe Schmidt the future is bright for Irish rugby.
Jack Conan and Joey Carbery will have no doubt caught the eye of the Ireland head coach as they enjoyed a pair of stunning performances in this bonus-point 54-22 triumph.
A first-half double from Conan began the rout for Leo Cullen’s men before he turned provider for Jamison Gibson-Park to score a third.
The Dragons put up some resistance when they scored through Adam Hughes, but Richardt Strauss earned the bonus-point moments later.
Leinster continued to heap more misery on the hapless Dragons and added further scores from James Tracy, Hayden Triggs and a late Luke McGrath brace.
The five-point win moves the eastern province ahead of Munster and into pole position in the Guinness Pro12 after Rassie Erasmus’ side suffered a shock defeat to Scarlets at Thomond Park.
Scarlets provide Leinster’s next opposition, on Saturday week at the RDS.
Carbery reminded the Irish management of his explosive ability to set the visitors on their way at Rodney Parade.
The out-half, operating at fullback, used his dazzling footwork to jink through the line and sprint clear, before he switched with Conan, who had an easy run in.
Conan then picked up at the base of a ruck and powered over the line from close range to give Ross Byrne an easy conversion to make it 14-3 after 23 minutes.
He was central again after the break as he burst clear to set-up Gibson-Park for an easy run-in before the hosts hit back through Hughes.
Strauss was on hand to wrap the game and bonus-point up from close range, before Tracy went over for number five.
Triggs then pounced on a comedy of Dragons errors to score before Matthew Screech scored a late consolation for the Scottish side.
McGrath put the icing on the 54-22 victory with two scores, before Sarel Pretorious scurried over to round off the scoring.
Dragons scorers:Tries: Hughes, Screech, Pretorious.
Conversions: Jones.
Penalties: Jones.
Leinster scorers:
Tries: Conan [2], Gibson-Park, Strauss, Tracy, Triggs, McGrath [2].
Conversions: Byrne [7].
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: C Meyer (O’Brien 40); A Hughes, T Morgan, J Dixon (Warren 58), P Howard; D Jones, T Knoyle; S Hobbs (T Davies 55), E Dee (R Buckley 73) , B Harris (L Fairbrother 55), N Crosswell, R Landman (Creech 55), O Griffiths, N Cudd (Keddie 68), L Evans (capt).
LEINSTER: J Carbery (Marsh 75); A Byrne, Z Kirchner, N Reid, F McFadden (Daly 65); R Byrne, J Gibson-Park (McGrath 54); P Dooley (Byrne 52), R Strauss (capt) (Tracy 54), M Bent (Ross 54), R Molony, M McCarthy (Triggs 54), R Ruddock, P Timmins (Deegan 5), J Conan,
Referee: Marus Mitrea
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Might win something there
@John O Reilly: who is she
Extremely tough choice for any young player. A big loss for Mayo and Football in general. Massive opportunity for him though. Very best of luck to him.
@Cian Nolan: I don’t think it’s that tough a choice. It’s a chance to play professional sport that he may never get a chance to do again. Also great chance to experience living in another country, best time to do it is when you’re young and have less commitments back home. If it doesn’t work out or doesn’t enjoy it he can always come home and come back into the Mayo set up at any time.
@DK: Agree. The only thing that makes it tough is living in the other side of the world away from family but financially it’s a no brainer. Irish AFL rookies get $80k a year (about €50k), 3 free flights home a year, free car and free rent. If they don’t make it they come home with enough money for a deposit for a house and got to play pro sport in Australia and can slip right back into playing high level GAA. If they do make it they earn a salary similar to pro rugby players 200-300k per year. Be mad not to go
@Phil Redmond: you’re right and you’ve me sold Philo. You’ve hardly got a phone number there for one of the clubs do you, preferably Eagles, Dockers, Brisbane or Gold Coast (nicer weather). I’ll give them a shout and see how they’d fancy a lad with a stylish blue knee patch, great under the high ball taking marks and that. Can handle myself around the small ‘parallelogram’ and beyond. Slightly getting on in years. Rare opportunity for them to pick up a gem of the Junior football division. Will need to be kept away from the drink if required to train and play, though only trains well and plays well if I’ve had a drink. I’m well bred, brother played county, which I could’ve also and legend has it, would’ve been better if it wasn’t for the knee and the drink.
@This time its personable!: It sounds like your clubs junior 3 team wouldnt be willing to let you go easily :-)
A massive loss to Mayo. Wishing him all the best
Arguably the best up and coming player in the country. A huge loss to Mayo.
Best of luck young man,great player…
He’ll have to put up with the GAA hassling him now, they’ll be sending priests and gards up to the house to try talk him out of it. “Would ya not stay here and play and train the same as professionals but with no pay, in the most expensive to live in country in Europe?”
Class player. Huge loss.
No brainer, enjoy the experience.
@Fr Romeo sensini.: yes too good to turn down
Great opportunity for him , all the best of luck to him
You cannot blame him really. Some of those players who done so well took so much crap from the people of Mayo after the loss to Tyrone its no wonder he is moving half way around the world to play his Football. He can get some sun and make a few bob too. Good on him , look at Orla O’Dwyer she is ripping it up and making some good money too.
@Gary O’Rourke: that’s a joke right? I saw more abuse from journalists towards mayo players than I did from mayo fans to players! And if there’s one player that definitely didn’t get abuse it’s Oisin Mullen!
Mayo should have been doing all the could like Tyrone done with Mcshane to get this lad to stay. Can’t blame him for wanting to go though
@mel roberts: its forwards we need mel. Big loss but we usually dont have a problem finding backs
@Kieran Doherty: he’s class. Regardless of the quality we have at the back, he makes the team better. Big loss
Does anyone know the success rate of code switchers? It would be an interesting one to see how many make AFL appearances. If it’s lower than expected, would there be scope for introducing an Aussie Rules youth league in key Football counties to run on opposite season times to Football? The intricacies of the sport might be less alien then for those lucky enough to get a pro sport contract. Just a short 2-3 month season like Rugby 7s and Rugby League in Ireland is to work around Rugby Union.
@SomeGuy: that’s tricky that, what is success to you? Is successful being winning a Brownlow Medal or Grand Final. Then that’s easy, two were successful. I’ve high standards me like.
@This time its personable!: We’re not talking about you.
@Paddy Waggon: I was joking, to be fair there have been many over the years, Stynes, Kennelly, Clarke, Touhy, Hanley, Begley, Setanta, McKenna and O’Connor, they would be the top off my head but it’s some achievement to go over there in the first place and then to actually make it to play in the AFL, that’s something to be proud of for sure. There’s been so many others who’ve gone played a few games and came back due to various reasons and would still have great respect for them, doing something like that, at such a young age and so far from home, not an easy task so I’d think going there in the first place means they’re a success, the rest is just the icing, cherries and all the rest to add to the cake.