Leinster outscored Ulster by eight tries to three in an entertaining interpro clash at Newforge Sports Complex.
Leinster struck with barely a minute on the clock.
From the kick off they ran the ball back from their own 22 showing good hands to progress down the left wing. The ball was moved across the pitch before coming in field again, scrum half Andrew Doyle surged for the line but was dragged down short, however he was able to pop the ball out of the tackle to centre Connor Fahy to crash over. With out half Caspar Gabriel adding the conversion.
Ulster wasted the chance to reply immediately, after winning a penalty they went to the corner, the forwards set up the line up drive but as they ball was moved infield the home side knocked on in the shadow of the Leinster posts.
Ulster were on level terms after 15 minutes.
The home side were awarded a penalty and kicked for touch, following a maul they worked the ball through several phases before centre Jonny Scott crashed over with out half Josh McAuley converting.
Leinster’s respond was instantaneous, following another sweeping move where the ball went through a number of hands, backrow Tommy Butler was hauled down short of the line, the ball was moved infield, No8 Aaron O’Brien was also held before tighthead prop Niall Smyth crashed over from a metre for an unconverted try.
Leinster added another try a minute later from a innocuous looking kick behind the home defence full back Ciaran Managan outpaced everyone to win the race and touch down in the corner but Gabriel was unable to convert from a tight angle.
Ulster stayed in touch with a second try on 25 minutes, it came via the lineout maul, the forwards probed at the line before Scott squeezed over for his second try with McAuley’s conversion cutting Leinster’s half time to lead to 17-14.
HT: 17-14
Leinster scored their fourth try two minutes after the restart.
O’Brien ran a hard straight-line profiting from some weak tackling by the Ulster defence to carry deep into the 22 and he had scrum half Andrew Doyle on his shoulder to go over with Gabreil converting.
Ulster were reduced to 14 men on 45 minutes when Deering was sin binned for deliberately slowing the ball down and Leinster made their numerical advantage count immediately.
The visitor’s kicked to the corner from the lineout the forwards drove to the line Ulster stopped the maul illegally, from the resulting penalty Leinster took a tap and O’Brien bludgeoned his way over with Gabreil converting.
Gabreil went over two minutes later finishing off a good line break from Fahy, the out half added the extras to his own try.
Leinster cut through the Ulster defence again on 60 minutes.
The home side had a lineout on the visitor’s 22 but lost it, Leinster moved the ball quickly to the wing and replacement Paddy Taylor ran in from 30 metres with Gabreil converting.
Full back Sean McKay went over for Ulster’s third try with five minutes remaining.
The hosts turned ball over just outside the Leinster 22, the ball was switched to the wing before being move inside with McKay running a clever line to cut through the defence and go under the posts to make replacement Harry McKeown’s conversion a formality.
Ulster finished the game with 14 men as winger James Hillman was red carded for a high tackle on Leinster’s replacement hooker Rian Hanley close to the try line.
Leinster kicked the penalty to the corner and from the last play of the game industrious lock Billy Corrigan smashed over for an unconverted try.
FT: 21-50
Teams
Ulster
(15-9) S McKay, R Fulton, T Deering, J Scott J Hilman, J McAuley, C Logan,
(1-8) J Hanna, C Mustoe, T McAllister, A Brennan, J Edwards, R Connolly, B Allen, R Kidd
Replacements: W Alexander, C Bradley, M McQuiston, F Fehnert, R Gibson, O Smyth, H McKeown, JF Burns, D Moore, B Neely
Leinster
(15-9) C Mangan, A Cosgrave, C Fahy, E Moynihan, S Hopkins, C Gabriel, A Doyle
(1-8) B Bohan, T Stewart, N Smyth, M Ronan, B Corrigan, T Butler, J Angulo, A O’Brien
Replacements: R Hanley, A Usanov, A Watchorn, J Boyan, T Brophy, P Taylor, T Lawlor