Ruddock leads way for Leinster

By TOM SHEEDY

Leinster ………. 43

Dragons ………..14

Leo Cullen praised his men as their second string side maintained their perfect season with a 14th league win.

Dragons battled hard but were always chasing the game as Leinster again showed their squad depth.

“We have a lot of competition for places so it is up to each player to make the most of an opportunity,” said Cullen.

Leinster had their tenth bonus point in the bag by the interval despite playing against the strong wind but, unlike a fired-up Dragons side, they made the most of the chances they created. Out-half Harry Byrne struck for tries at either end of the half, on both occasions finishing lengthy passing movements, with their precision passing and handling in stark contrast to a Dragons side who butchered several good opportunities through sloppiness and a poor lineout. Leinster were forced to saturate a lot of pressure after hitting the front but they then countered from deep with Luke McGrath intercepting a looped pass from Will Reed to score from inside halfway.

Dragons were finally rewarded when scrumhalf Rhodri Williams got over after they, for once, executed a lineout from a penalty but it was Leinster who pushed on from there and skipper Rhys Ruddock scored after a break from Scott Penny. The bonus point was secured in the final play of the half when Byrne got his second try after sustained pressure.

To compound matters for Dragons centre Jack Dixon was stretchered off with a leg injury.

Jordan Larmour turned the screw seven minutes after the restart when he went blindside off a ruck to score and the contest fizzled out after that with JJ Hanrahan and Rob Russell exchanging late tries before Charlie Tector got Leinster's seventh try.