Leinster hold their nerve and discipline

Rugby Celtic League/ Dragons 22 Leinster 23:Leinster may have been out-scored on tries but showed the composure of champions to keep their title challenge in the Magners Celtic League alive against Newport-Gwent Dragons last night.

The leaders looked to have blown their chances as they trailed for all but eight minutes of a bruising tie at Rodney Parade.

However, as an irritable clash that witnessed several exchanges off the ball neared its conclusion, Leinster kept their heads as Chris Whitaker scored the decisive try on 72 minutes with the home team down to 13 men.

Leinster still had to dig deep for the win, holding on in injury-time after Newport prop Adam Black crossed for his second try. The win kept Leinster top of the heap and also crowned a special night for Reggie Corrigan, who became Leinster's most capped player. The evening, however, was dominated by the other five frontrows in an ill-tempered affair.

Newport may have started the evening languishing in ninth place but their home record is that of champions with 10 games unbeaten, including victory over Brive to book a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals next week. The foundations for those victories have been an uncompromising pack that revels in mixing it up with all-comers and last night was no exception.

Leinster captain Felipe Contepomi was rattled early on, missing with his first attempt at goal and spent most of the first half in dialogue with referee Malcolm Changleng.

The battle between the frontrows spilled over more than once though they also led the way in crossing the try line. After Ceri Sweeney opened the scoring with a penalty, Dragons hooker Steve Jones powered through Brian Blaney out wide from Michael Owen's pass following Gareth Cooper's break on 13 minutes.

Blaney exacted some revenge when he scored on 26 minutes but undid his good work with a yellow card moments later that left his team a man short for the final 10 minutes of the half, during which Newport extended their lead.

Gordon D'Arcy was twice involved in Leinster's first meaningful attack, including a quickly taken penalty for the hooker to power through the posts. But having helped reduce the deficit to one point, the hooker was provoked into slapping the face of an opponent and was sent to the sinbin after both sides had received a final warning.

Newport extended their lead in emphatic style, Aled Brew inflicting the initial damage on the crash ball before Adam Black timed his run to elude Keith Gleeson on the goalline.

Guy Easterby hobbled off with a knee injury before Contepomi slotted a penalty after Paul Emerick was sinbinned and added a second in the second half to haul Leinster to within a point.

The game erupted in the final 10 minutes, Ian Gough sinbinned for stamping and Sweeney followed two minutes later for a high tackle on Whitaker, who sealed the win with try three minutes before time following Contepomi's delightful break. Black crossed again in injury-time.

NEWPORT-GWENT DRAGONS: M Thomas; G Wyatt, P Emerick, N Brew, A Brew; C Sweeney, G Cooper; A Black, S Jones, L Harrison; I Gough, L Charteris; C Charvis, M Owen, J Ringer. Replacements: R Thomas for Harrison (11 mins), A Thomas for M Thomas (55 mins), B Daley for S Jones (62 min), P Sidoli (73 mins).

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Horgan, K Lewis, G D'Arcy, D Hickie; F Contepomi, G Easterby; R Corrigan, B Blaney, W Green; T Hogan, M O'Kelly; S Keogh, J Heaslip, K Gleeson. Replacements: C Whitaker for Easterby (39 mins), H Vermaas for Keogh (35-40 mins), S Wright for Corrigan (53 mins), O Finegan for Hogan (66 mins), K McLoughlin for Keogh (80 mins).

Referee: M Changleng(SRU).