Leinster mix dire with dazzling

RUGBY/Leinster 44 Llanelli 34: Michael Cheika talked this week about players taking their opportunities while the international contingent were in camp. For the opening hour of this Magners Celtic League encounter Leinster were abysmal. Then they produced five tries in as many forays into the Scarlets' 22.

It was shockingly ruthless rugby. Several players had the cut of men angry at being dropped or ignored by Ireland or at having to play club rugby for most of this season.

Stephen Keogh was immense; Bernard Jackman was "man of the match". Felipe Contepomi was, well, himself. The young fullback Ross McCarron made a decent statement for the future.

The Scarlets were shorn of nine regulars but arrived with the intent of a team threatening to conquer Europe.

Their opening try, by Morgan Stoddart after 13 minutes, was textbook stuff. A clean lineout take on halfway saw them rumble 20 yards infield, three forwards offloading in the process. A quick delivery at the breakdown presented a two-man overlap. Then it was all about execution. Regan King supplied the killer pass for Stoddart to carry two tacklers over the line.

The response came, predictably, through Leinster's superior pack (remember five Scarlets forwards are in camp, while Eddie O'Sullivan requires only Malcolm O'Kelly for the Six Nations). A rolling maul brought play to the Scarlets' line. Keogh was held up, but Jamie Heaslip barged over.

Then followed the most educational 10 minutes in the fledgling career of Luke Fitzgerald.

He shipped a ferocious knock tackling King and lay prone on the 22 for a number of minutes. It was no surprise to see Thomas send a garryowen his way on the next play. He dropped it, at least turning his body to avoid a knock-on.

Everything was coming down Fitzgerald's left wing, Scarlets loaded the short side and King targeted the 19-year-old to ghost in for the visitors' second try. He was replaced on 55 minutes to put some ice to his bruised body. There'll be other days.

Contepomi reduced arrears with a penalty but the opening half was well short of the response expected after defeat away to Gloucester last week.

It got worse, as a soft midfield saw them concede another try. A simple loop exposed a hole that eventually yielded a try close in for scrumhalf Clive Stuart-Smith.

Cheika made his first decision of the night by calling a disconsolate Cameron Jowitt ashore for Owen Finegan.

Contepomi sparked the revival by kicking a penalty before converting a well-worked Gary Brown try. Keogh broke down the left and, after drawing the last defender, offloaded to Brown.

There followed 10 minutes of mind-blowing offence that produced three wonderful tries. Everything went to hand.

Kieran Lewis got the party started with a try that justifies his standing as Ireland's shadow centre. Keogh deservedly got in on the act with a drive over from close in before Heaslip grabbed his second, Leinster's fifth. Contepomi nailed every conversion.

With the game dead, King's clever switch pass sent Dafydd James over. And Barry Davis sneaked over for a bonus-point try at the death. But for Leinster, it was a good night's work.

SCORING SEQUENCE:3 mins: C Thomas pen, 0-3; 13: M Stoddart try, 0-8; 21: J Heaslip try, F Contepomi con, 7-8; 30: R King try, Thomas con, 7-15; 39: Contepomi pen, 10-15 (half-time 10-15); 42: C Stuart-Smith try, 10-20; 54: Contepomi pen, 13-20; 56: G Brown try, Contepomi con, 20-20; 59: K Lewis try, Contepomi con, 27-20; 62: S Keogh try, Contepomi con, 34-20; 67: Heaslip try, Contepomi con, 41-20; 72: Contepomi pen, 44-20; 77: D James try, B Davies con, 44-27; 80: B Davies try, con, 44-34.

LEINSTER: R McCarron; G Brown, K Lewis, M Berne, L Fitzgerald; F Contepomi, G Easterby; S Wright, B Jackman, W Green; T Hogan, C Jowitt; S Keogh, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: O Finegan for C Jowitt (44 mins), C Warner for L Fitzgerald (55 mins), C Whitaker for G Easterby (65 mins), B Blaney for B Jackman, R Corrigan for S Wright (69 mins), N Ronan for R McCarron (73 mins), D Toner for T Hogan (76 mins).

LLANELLI SCARLETS: M Stoddart; D James, R King, M Watkins, D Daniel; C Thomas, C Stuart-Smith; I Thomas, K Owens, C Dunlea; V Cooper, S MacLeod; D Jones, J Bater (capt), N Thomas.Replacements: A Gravelle for Owens, B Davies for Stoddart (both 50 mins), G Evan for C Thomas (61 mins), I Afeaki for N Thomas, L Davis for Stuart-Smith (both 65 mins), D Manu for I Thomas, A Jones for Cooper (both 73 mins).

Referee: M Changleng (SRU).