Butler penalties crucial

Under-21 interprovincial/ Leinster 15; Connacht 21: Not even late tries from captain Diarmuid Laffan and blindside Seán O'Brien could save Leinster from defeat to a well-motivated Connacht in the Under-21 Interprovincial Championship at Donnybrook last night.

Really, Connacht had the game in safe keeping by the 61st minute as two Mark Butler penalties stretched their 15-3 interval lead.

Outhalf Peter Durcan's chip fell kindly for the flying Paul Gillespie to beat Finn Carr to the touchdown in the 11th minute. Durcan's snap drop-goal was offset by a Fergus McFadden penalty before Durcan's twinkle-toes, in broken play, took him away from a disorganised Leinster defence. Bulter's conversion made 15-3 and his coolly taken penalties were crucial in subduing Leinster's revival.

CONNACHT U21: Mark Butler (Sligo); Brian Murphy (Corrib), Michael Aspell (Connemara), Killian Finane (UCG, capt), P Gillespie (Sligo); P Durcan (Ballina), P Phelan (Newcastle Falcons); M Diffley (Buccaneers), C Muldoon (Galwegians), C Telford (Dublin University), L Scahill (Buccaneers), D McGowan (Buccaneers), R Morrow (Dublin University), S Young (Dublin University), L Casserly (Galwegians). Replacements: C O'Beirne (Corinthians) for Gillespie (23 mins); S Considine (Corinthians) for Durcan (78 mins).

LEINSTER U21: C O'Sullivan (Greystones); F Carr (Blackrock College), F McFadden (UCD), C Donohoe (Dublin University), R Ronayne (Blackrock College); A Geraghty (Lansdowne), M D'Arcy (Dublin University); K O'Neill (Dublin University), G O'Meara (Lansdowne), P Doran-Jones (Dublin University), A Lightowler (Greystones), D Toner (Lansdowne), S O'Brien (UCD), D Laffan (Blackrock College, capt), R Boucher (Lansdowne). Replacements: S Hanratty (Dublin University) for Ronayne (39 mins); C Culleton (Dublin University) for O'Meara; D Coughlan (Lansdowne) for D'Arcy (both 58 mins); Darren O'Reilly (Dublin University) for Lightowler (67 mins).

Referee: Leo Colgan (Munster).