Magners League Table

Team
Pld
Pts
MunsterMunster622
OspreysOspreys519
Glasgow WarriorsWarriors615
ScarletsScarlets513
LeinsterLeinster613
EdinburghEdinburgh612
Cardiff BluesBlues511
Ulster RugbyUlster611
Newport Gwent DragonsDragons510
Connacht RugbyConnacht68
O'Driscoll returns in Leinster victory
19 - 24
Ravenhill   Att: 12,300
Referee: George Clancy
Monday 26th December 2005, 17:00
Brian O'Driscoll came on as a second half replacement in Leinster's 24-19 victory at Ravenhill, his first appearance since the ill-fated Lions tour during the summer.
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O'Driscoll returns for Leinster
Leinster dominanated up front and even managed to hold on after being reduced to 14 men after 64 minutes when Guy Easterby was sinbinned.

Felipe Contepomi led the way for Leinster with four penalties and a conversion while Gordon D'Arcy and Girvan Dempsey claimed a try apiece.

Ulster, with David Humphreys scoring 11 points with the boot, did well to lead 13-9 at half-time, but never recovered from Leinster's solid start to the second half.

Leinster began well and led 6-0 after 16 minutes thanks to two Contepomi penalties, the first of which was a monster effort from 53 metres which bounced off the crossbar.

Ulster then found some class after David Trimble beat his man and set up some quick ball which saw Tommy Bowe glide over. Humphreys added the superb touchline conversion and Ulster led 7-6, which soon grew to 10-6 after a Humphreys' penalty.

Contepomi narrowed Ulster's lead to a point on the half hour before seven minutes from the end of normal time Humphreys made it 13-9 at the break to the home side with his second penalty.

Leinster immediately hit back on the resumption with a superb try from D'Arcy. This was added to by Dempsey, after 53 minutes, and his score was converted by Contepomi to give Leinster a 21-13 advantage.

Humphreys clawed back three points with a penalty after Bowe had dropped a cross kick when over the Leinster line.

Bowe spilled a difficult scoring pass two minutes after Easterby's sinbinning for tripping Issac Boss but another Humphreys penalty brought Ulster to within two points.

But Contepomi had the final say with a 76th minute penalty.

Ulster Rugby V Leinster
 PDCTPosPlayerPlayerPosTCDP 





FB
Bryn Cunningham
15
Girvan Dempsey
FB
1








1
W
Tommy Bowe
14
Brendan Burke
W










C
Kevin Maggs
13
Gordon D'Arcy
C
1









C
Andrew Trimble
12
Kieran Lewis
C










W
Paul Steinmetz
11
Rob Kearney
W




Replacement off

4

1

FH
David Humphreys
10
Felipe Contepomi
FH

1

4






SH
Isaac Boss
9
Guy Easterby
SH




Yellow card
Replacement off




P
Bryan Young
1
Ronan McCormack
P










H
Rory Best
2
Brian Blaney
H




Replacement off





P
Simon Best
3
Will Green
P




Replacement off





L
Justin Harrison
4
Bryce Williams
L










L
Matt McCullough
5
Malcolm O'Kelly
L










FL
Neil Best
6
Cameron Jowitt
FL




Replacement off





FL
Neil McMillan
7
Keith Gleeson
FL










8
Roger Wilson
8
Jamie Heaslip
8




Replacement off
Replacements





-
Nigel Brady
16
David Blaney
r




Replacement on
Replacement on




r
Justin Fitzpatrick
17
Emmett Byrne
r




Replacement on





-
Ryan Caldwell
18
Ben Gissing
r




Replacement on





-
Stephen Ferris
19
Eric Miller
r




Replacement on





-
Kieran Campbell
20
Brian O'Riordan
r




Replacement on





-
Adam Larkin
21
Jonny Hepworth
-










-
James Topping
22
Brian O'Driscoll
r




Replacement on
Penalty Tries
0
0
First half timeline
9Leinster
Penalty kick - F Contepomi
16Leinster
Penalty kick - F Contepomi
26Ulster Rugby
Try - T Bowe
26Ulster Rugby
Conversion - D Humphreys
29Ulster Rugby
Penalty kick - D Humphreys
31Leinster
Penalty kick - F Contepomi
34Ulster Rugby
Penalty kick - D Humphreys
Second half timeline
43Leinster
Try - G D'Arcy
46Leinster
Substitution - D Blaney on for B Blaney
52Leinster
Substitution - E Miller on for C Jowitt
52Leinster
Substitution - B O'Driscoll on for R Kearney
54Leinster
Try - G Dempsey
54Leinster
Conversion - F Contepomi
55Ulster Rugby
Substitution - J Fitzpatrick on for B Young
58Leinster
Substitution - E Byrne on for W Green
62Ulster Rugby
Penalty kick - D Humphreys
65Leinster
Yellow card - G Easterby
70Leinster
Substitution - B O'Riordan on for J Heaslip
75Ulster Rugby
Penalty kick - D Humphreys
78Leinster
Substitution - B Gissing on for B O'Riordan
78Leinster
Penalty kick - F Contepomi
All Pictures: ©  http://www.inpho.ie/, Huw Evans Agency,  Graham Stuart
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