JACK Conan reckons Leinster’s third bonus point win in a row sets them up perfectly for next weekend’s eagerly-awaited clash against Munster at Croke Park.
Leo Cullen and his management would probably have wished for a better hit-out but Benetton presented a very poor challenge in front of their own fans at Stadio Monigo.
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Leinster did not have to dig deep to see off the challenge of the Treviso side, but there will be concern over an ankle injury which forced Irish hooker Ronan Kelleher off after just 12 minutes.
Conan said they will now turn their attention to Munster at Croke Park next Saturday.
He said: “We came out fast and having lads like Joe (McCarthy), RG (Snyman) and Caelan (Doris) carrying the ball over the gain-line was brilliant and gave us such momentum,” said Conan.
“We were a little bit sloppy in the second-half, a bit ill-disciplined but it’s great to have the boys back and now we are lifted for next week.”
The opening half may have been splintered with stoppages but Leinster’s dominance was never in doubt and they had the bonus point in the bag by the 26th minute against a Benetton side guilty of basic errors throughout the park.
Their defence was soft, often failing to get pillars in place, and inevitably Leinster made the most of such lethargy with half-backs.
Ciaran Frawley and James Gibson-Park leading the way as the home side were destroyed in the opening half hour.
Benetton were on the back foot from the outset and as Leinster piled on the pressure and the penalties mounted, referee Craig Evans binned loosehead Mirco Spagnolo and awarded a penalty try after Leinster had gone to the right corner with a penalty after ten minutes.
Leinster lost hooker Kelleher to an ankle injury in the move, with Lee Barron replacing him.
Frawley created and finished Leinster’s second try two minutes later but it was the break by Garry Ringrose and Gibson-Park which turned attack into defence and Frawley continued his run to take the final pass from his scrum-half and score under the posts.
Benetton continued to struggle to get into the game and they fell further behind when Gibson-Park picked out Jack Conan in the left corner with a superb pass after they had stretched the home cover from a scrum.
Frawley popped over the conversion.
The bonus point was wrapped up after 26 minutes as Benetton’s casual defence was again exposed and Caelan Doris crowned his first outing as permanent captain when he drove through flanker Manuel Zuliani to score under the posts.
Benetton, whose scrum was the only decent facet of their game, had opportunities before the break, not least following a fine break from Jacon Umaga but they butchered a lineout after a penalty to the left corner.
Leinster were forced into another change when winger Jimmy O’Brien suffered a knock and was replaced by Ross Byrne.
The second-half was a torrid affair, further disrupted by the usual plethora of replacements in the third quarter with summer signing RG Snyman heading off after 51 minutes after making his Leinster debut with a solid display.
Benetton had opportunities to get back in the game but lacked discipline and an edge in attack, once more messing up a lineout after going to the left corner with a penalty.
A yellow card to Ryan Baird for not rolling away was punished by Benetton as this time they got the maul right this time and replacement hooker Marco Manfredi got over 14 minutes from time for an unconverted try.
But Leinster finished strongly and wrapped up their third win of the campaign when a good lineout take from Baird ended with Barron touching down and Byrne converting in the final of the game.
Benetton 5
Leinster 35
Scorers: Benetton: Try: M Manfredi.
Leinster: Tries: C Frawley, J Conan, C Doris, L Barron, penalty try. Cons: Frawley (3), R Byrne.
Benetton Treviso: M Gallagher; I Mendy, T Menoncello, M Fekitoa, P Odogwu; J Umaga (L Marin 57), A Garbisi (A Uren 50); M Spagnolo (D Aminu 58), S Maile (M Manfredi 57), S Ferrari (E Avaca 58); N Cannone, R Favretto (F Ruzza 47); S Negri (Aminu 17-21, L Cannone 47), M Zuliani (G Marini 57), M Lamaro (c).
Leinster: H Keenan; J O’Brien (R Byrne 36), G Ringrose (S Penny 74), J Osborne, J Lowe; C Frawley, J Gibson-Park (F Gunne 68); A Porter (M Milne 57), R Kelleher (L Barron12), T Furlong (T Clarkson 57); J McCarthy (B Deeny 57), RG Snyman (R Baird 51); J Conan, J van der Flier, C Doris (c).
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales).
