MAGNERS LEAGUE/Leinster 41 Newport Gwent Dragons 8:AT LAST, a few rays of sunlight. The inevitability of Leinster's coronation, and the clear absence of a couple of thousand ticket holders who'd obviously decamped to the south-east coast or elsewhere at the first hint of summer, meant the occasion lacked a competitive cutting edge, but Leinster could do little more than put the Dragons to the sword as they did.
Having arm-wrestled their way through much of the campaign, Leinster gave fuller expression to their exceptional reservoir of talent as they completed their Magners League triumph in style. When they're good, when they're in the mood, there's no more exciting side in Europe.
The Dragons scarcely breathed hot air, much less fire, and were just what Leinster - needing just a point but desiring a celebratory flourish - would have ordered.
Admittedly the Welsh outfit, who resembled Ragbag Rovers at times, had nothing tangible to play for but if they are to make it into next year's newly-seeded Heineken Cup draw, no one would fear being pooled with them on this evidence.
The class divide was enormous. From one to 15 Leinster were better, yawningly so in some positions. It could, and perhaps should, have been a 50-pointer, and would have been had Leinster's execution or the refereeing been sharper. The lamentable Dragons offered little more than spoiling tactics.
Even so, in the circumstances, Leinster kept their concentration and focus pretty well and ultimately garnished the occasion with the kind of tries that typify them at their fluid best.
Keith Gleeson seemed intent on putting on a personal DVD for coaches and all aspiring young opensides about how a number seven should play on his feet and on the ground.
His awareness of all options around him, defensive reading and tackling, protection of the ball in contact and general presentation were well-nigh perfect.
Alongside him Shane Jennings, to his credit, grafted like a true blindside as distinct from a converted one, and Jamie Heaslip again had an immense influence.
The tight five did their stuff and when of a mind reimposed themselves, but this was a day for Leinster to unveil their true all-round spirit and talent; Chris Whitaker oozed intelligence in all he did, and the Johnny Sexton-Felipe Contepomi alliance orchestrated some well-rehearsed plays.
In broken play though, Leinster were in a different league.
Ollie le Roux, ever the showman, set the ball rolling with a couple of early tap-and-goes for two tries on his farewell appearance at the RDS.
Having temporarily become a little giddy, forcing things through the backline, Leinster reapplied some structure, a lineout maul and strong carry by Stanley Wright paving the way for a skip move to O'Driscoll and a stunning, trademark, left-underarm offload in the tackle for Shane Horgan to score forcefully. The long-time buddies enjoyed that one immensely.
Leinster uncorked the champagne in the third quarter with three fine tries in 15 minutes.
Rob Kearney having punched it up, Contepomi took a great line and offloaded for Jennings to cap a muscular, physical and hard-working performance by running in the try. Whether it's a testimony to his versatility or natural ability, Jennings is increasingly looking more of a blindside.
Best of all was the 65-metre try off a pinched lineout by Trevor Hogan, quick-witted handling by Whitaker and Gleeson releasing Heaslip to break the line on a searing 50-metre charge.
Slowing down for the cavalry, he bounced Jason Tovey and turned to offload in the tackle for the supporting Whitaker to score in the corner; the play of the day and superb execution by the ever-imposing and ever-improving Ireland number eight.
When Contepomi broke out off turnover ball inside the Leinster 22, his kindred spirits were all alert to the possibilities. Whitaker and O'Driscoll moved it on to Luke Fitzgerald, and after his jinking, infield run a further interchange between Whitaker and Girvan Dempsey gave Cameron Jowitt a free run to the line with four team-mates for company and the Dragons hiding from the camera.
The pity was that O'Driscoll didn't complete his pacy in-and-out line onto Contepomi's pass by properly grounding the ball for what would have been his first Leinster try of a difficult, truncated season and his first since his try against Argentina in the World Cup on September 30th.
Still, he looked leaner, sharper and quicker than he has for some time, even compared to a fortnight ago in Edinburgh. Unveiling his full repertoire of offloading skills, what's more, O'Driscoll looked to be really enjoying his rugby again, which, understandably, has not always appeared to be the case after the crushing disappointments of the World Cup especially, the Six Nations and Leinster's Heineken Cup.
All the while he has carried the combined burden of captaining his country and his province. To lift his first trophy as captain, save for the newly-invented Triple Crown trophy, offered some welcome light at the end of a dark tunnel.
Perhaps he needs to relinquish one captaincy or both in an effort to become the best number 13 in the world again.
"I'm feeling sharper. I've lost a few pounds, which I probably needed to do," he admitted candidly. "I kinda got a hunger for it again. I needed a six-week break. It's been a long season and a little frustrating at times. But certainly that lay-off really got my head sorted, along with the body. I've been excited going to training the last few weeks, which is a nice freshness to have again."
In any event, the clear signs of a return to O'Driscoll's vintage best here will be a timely bonus for, presumably, Declan Kidney in the short-term, and for all concerned in the longer term. On an evening of many pluses for Leinster, that was as encouraging as any.
Scoring sequence: 3 mins: le Roux try 5-0; 10: le Roux try 10-0; 12: Sweeney pen 10-3; 33: Horgan try, Contepomi con 17-3; 40: Contepomi pen 20-3 (half-time 20-3); 48: Jennings try, Contepomi con 27-3; 53: Whitaker try, Contepomi con 34-3; 62: Jowitt try, Contepomi con 41-3; 77: Black try 41-8.
LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll (capt), F Contepomi, R Kearney; J Sexton, C Whitaker; O le Roux, B Jackman, S Wright; T Hogan, M O'Kelly; S Jennings, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: C Jowitt for O'Kelly (39-40 and 60 mins), C Warner for Sexton, L Fitzgerald for Kearney (both 60 mins), S Knoop for le Roux (63 mins), S Keogh for Gleeson (69 mins), C Keane for Whitaker (73 mins), B Blaney for Jackman (74 mins).
DRAGONS: J Tovey; G Wyatt, P Emerick, G Maule, R Fussell; C Sweeney, A Williams; A Black, S Jones, R Thomas; A Jones, P Sidoli; J Ringer, R Parks, M Owen. Replacements: A Hall for Sidoli (half-time), B Daly for S Jones (56-59 and 76 mins), L Evans for Ringer (56 mins), P Dolman for Maule (64 mins), W Evans for Williams, L Harrison for Thomas (both 65 mins), R Mustoe for Tovey (73 mins).
Referee: Andy Macpherson (Scotland).
