Leinster/Ulster Home n Hosed By Half time

Eight first half tries – the final one a length of the pitch effort from Ulster centre Luke Marshall – and all converted by Ulster out-half Paddy Jackson has Leinster/Ulster leading Connacht/Munster 42-0 at half time in front of 35,100 at the splendid Aviva Stadium opening this afternoon

The side in blue and white dominated from the off, opening with their first try in the 4th minute when wing Craig Gilroy (Ulster) scorched in after a decisive initial incursion from his opposite wing colleague Andrew Boyle (Leinster). Paddy Jackson (Ulster) added the extras and was again on the mark in the 10th minute when the impressive Ulster centre Marshall stretched in the tackle to score next to the posts.

The Leinster/Ulster side continued to grow in confidence and try number three came five minutes later, this time Boyle the scorer with Jackson again right on the money with his conversion.

Next up was a try for Sam Coughlan Murray (Leinster), – brilliantly converted from the touchline by Jackson – moments after he had been denied as he spilled the ball over the line. The leaders should have scored again soon after but were denied by a superb cover tackle from Munster centre Ben Sargent.

But that was only a brief respite. The Leinster/Ulster backs threatened every time they had the ball and Boyle went over for his second try in the 37th minute followed by that long range strike from Marshall in injury time.

Connacht/Munster: C Boland (Connacht); T Leader (Connacht), D Horgan (Munster)B Sargent (Munster), S Leydon (Connacht); J Holland (Munster), M Dolan (Connacht, capt); A Spring (Connacht), K Stokes (Munster), P Mullen (Munster), R O'Herlihy (Munster), D O'Mahony (Munster), S Buckley (Munster), A Conneely (Connacht), D Qualter (Connacht). Replacements: J Rael (Munster) replaced Stokes, S Wooton (Connacht) replaced Spring 37 min. I Mullarkey (Munster), D Heffernan (Connacht) replaced O'Herlihy ht., R Barry (Munster),  G Quinn-McDonogh (Munster) replaced Horgan 34 min. J Costigan (Munster), C Quinn (Munster).

Leinster/Ulster: S Coghlan Murray (Leinster); C Gilroy (Ulster), A Kelly (Leinster), L Marshall (Ulster, capt), A Boyle (Leinster); P Jackson (Ulster), P du Toit (Leinster); J Tracy (Leinster), J Murphy (Ulster), M Moore (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), R Hynes (Leinster), S Lecky (Ulster), M McGroarty (Leinster), D McGuigan (Ulster). Replacements: P Carroll (Leinster), A Warrick (Ulster), M Fallon (Leinster), P Marks (Ulster), C Spence (Ulster), C Marsh (Leinster), M McAuley (Ulster).