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Leinster 38-7 Dragons: Fans return as Leinster end season with comfortable win


Leinster score in front of fans
1,200 fans returned to the RDS to watch Leinster’s final game of the season
Leinster (19) 38
Tries: O’Brien, Ringrose, Larmour 2, Baird, Penny Cons: R Byrne 4
Dragons (7) 7
Try: S Davies Con: S Davies

Leinster brought down the curtain on their season with an easy win over Dragons in front of 1,200 returning fans at the RDS.

For the first time in this campaign, spectators were allowed back inside the Dublin venue to watch their side record a routine victory.

Jordan Larmour scored two tries while Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Ryan Baird and Scott Penny also crossed.

Sam Davies was Dragons’ sole try-scorer as they fell to a fourth straight loss.

Having retained their Pro14 crown for a fourth straight year, Leinster were in the unusual situation of entering the last game of the season with nothing on the line, with Benetton having already secured top spot in the Rainbow Cup’s northern league.

However the return of the spectators served as more than enough motivation for the hosts, who started quickly to lead after just five minutes as O’Brien went over in the corner.

RDS fans
The game was selected as a government pilot event for bringing spectators back inside sporting venues

A wonderful score followed 10 minutes later as Leinster broke from inside their own 22, with Jamison Gibson-Park and Larmour combining to send Ringrose in.

Larmour, who is likely to be named in Andy Farrell Ireland squad for Ireland’s summer Tests when it is announced on Monday, crossed for a third before Dragons responded through Davies, who touched down after the visiting pack made inroads inside Leinster’s 22.

Lock Baird sealed the bonus-point with the try of the day, starting and finishing the move and showing a real turn of pace to re-establish his side’s firm control of the contest.

Larmour then showed his pace to break free down the wing for Leinster’s sixth try, as the province closed out a comfortable win.

Leinster: Keenan; Larmour, Ringrose, O’Loughlin, O’Brien; R Byrne, Gibson-Park; Healy, R Kelleher, Bent, Baird, Ryan; Fardy, Penny, Doris.

Replacements: Tracy, Milne, Abdaladze, Toner, Van der Flier, L McGrath, H Byrne, C Kelleher.

Dragons: Josh Lewis; Owen Jenkins, Aneurin Owen, Jamie Roberts, Rio Dyer; Sam Davies, Rhodri Williams (capt); Brok Harris, Elliot Dee, Aaron Jarvis, Joe Davies, Ben Carter, Harrison Keddie, Ollie Griffiths, Ross Moriarty.

Replacements: Richard Hibbard, Josh Reynolds, Chris Coleman, Joe Maksymiw, Taine Basham, Gonzalo Bertranou, Jack Dixon, Ioan Davies.

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Assistant referees: Chris Busby, Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)



Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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