Magners League Table

Team
Pld
Pts
LeinsterLeinster1861
Cardiff BluesBlues1856
MunsterMunster1848
Edinburgh RugbyEdinburgh1848
Glasgow WarriorsWarriors1846
Llanelli ScarletsScarlets1839
OspreysOspreys1837
DragonsDragons1834
UlsterUlster1829
Connacht RugbyConnacht1824
Leinster rally to see off Scarlets
30 - 22
Lansdowne Road   Att: 7,250
Referee: Malcolm Changleng
Friday 14th April 2006, 19:10
Leinster cemented their place on the top of the Celtic League but only after producing a second half comeback against the Llanelli Scarlets at Lansdowne Road.
Jamie Heaslip
Leinster's Jamie Heaslip is tackled by the Scarlets' Dafydd James and Gavin Thomas
The result extended the Dubliners' impressive record at the home of Irish rugby where they have now won six out of six.

Tries from Cameron Jowitt, Brian Blaney, Guy Easterby and Girvan Dempsey along with ten points from the boot of influential Argentinian fly-half Felipe Contepomi proved enough to carry them to victory despite having been 19-7 down at half-time.

Iestyn Thomas, Lee Thomas and Gavin Byrne crossed for tries to put the Scarlets in control in the first half but they failed to capitalise after the break and were punished by their hosts.

The Scarlets opened the socring after only eight minutes when a lineout maul saw Iestyn Thomas grab his first try in three seasons before Ceiron Thomas added the extras.

Leinster rallied with Jowitt grabbing his first Celtic League try on the quarter hour after Gordon D'Arcy has created the space by breaking the defensive line. Contepomi slotted the conversion to tie the scores.

Byrne's score followed to give the Scarlets the advantage again and the conversion from Thomas and a further score from flanker Gavin Thomas in the corner put the visitors firmly in control.

The mis-firing Leinster found their stride after the break and after a penalty from Contepomi their cause was helped further when the Scarlets' Alix Popham was yelow-carded after 51 minutes.

Leinster took control of the game with successive tries for hooker Blaney and former Llanelli scrum-half
Easterby.

Contepomi converted the latter score for a 22-19 lead but the Scarlets pulled level again with a penalty of their own from Thomas.

Contepomi kicked another penalty to make it 25-22, before Leinster sealed the win and bagged a bonus point when a Denis Hickie kick ahead eluded Dafydd James, and full-back Dempsey claimed the loose ball to pocket the try.

Leinster V Llanelli Scarlets
 PDCTPosPlayerPlayerPosTCDP 




1

Girvan Dempsey
15
Lee Byrne

1










Rob Kearney
14
Dafydd James












Brian O'Driscoll
13
Matthew Watkins












Gordon D'Arcy
12
Regan King






Replacement off





Denis Hickie
11
Mark Jones





Replacement off

2

2


Felipe Contepomi
10
Ceiron Thomas


2

1





1

Guy Easterby
9
Clive Stuart-Smith












Reggie Corrigan
1
Iestyn Thomas

1




Replacement off



1

Brian Blaney
2
Matthew Rees





Replacement off
Replacement off





Will Green
3
Craig Dunlea












Bryce Williams
4
Vernon Cooper





Replacement off






Malcolm O'Kelly
5
Chris Wyatt






Replacement off



1

Cameron Jowitt
6
Dafydd Jones






Replacement off





Keith Gleeson
7
Gavin Thomas

1



Replacement off






Jamie Heaslip
8
Alix Popham





Yellow cardReplacement off
Replacements
Replacement on





Emmett Byrne
16
Martyn Madden






Replacement on





David Blaney
17
Aled Gravelle





Replacement on
Replacement on





Niall Ronan
18
Hottie Louw





Replacement on
Replacement on





Eric Miller
19
Gavin Quinnell





Replacement on






Brian O'Riordan
20
Liam Davies












Jonny Hepworth
21
Gareth Bowen






Replacement on





Kieran Lewis
22
Barry Davies





Replacement on
Penalty Tries
0
0
First half timeline
8Llanelli Scarlets
Try - I Thomas
8Llanelli Scarlets
Conversion - C Thomas
14Leinster
Try - C Jowitt
14Leinster
Conversion - F Contepomi
20Llanelli Scarlets
Try - L Byrne
20Llanelli Scarlets
Conversion - C Thomas
29Llanelli Scarlets
Try - G Thomas
Second half timeline
41Leinster
Substitution - E Byrne on for W Green
46Leinster
Penalty kick - F Contepomi
50Llanelli Scarlets
Yellow card - A Popham
52Leinster
Try - B Blaney
57Leinster
Try - G Easterby
57Leinster
Conversion - F Contepomi
62Llanelli Scarlets
Penalty kick - C Thomas
67Llanelli Scarlets
Substitution - H Louw on for V Cooper
68Llanelli Scarlets
Substitution - A Gravelle on for M Rees
71Llanelli Scarlets
Substitution - B Davies on for M Jones
74Llanelli Scarlets
Substitution - G Quinnell on for G Thomas
76Leinster
Penalty kick - F Contepomi
77Llanelli Scarlets
Substitution - M Jones on for B Davies
79Leinster
Try - G Dempsey
79Llanelli Scarlets
Substitution - B Davies on for A Popham
80Leinster
Substitution - D Blaney on for B Blaney
80Leinster
Substitution - E Miller on for C Jowitt
80Leinster
Substitution - N Ronan on for K Gleeson
80Leinster
Substitution - K Lewis on for D Hickie
All Pictures: ©  http://www.inpho.ie/, Huw Evans Agency,  Martin Stuart
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