Leinster are the league champions
Sat, 03 May 2008 22:55
Springbok Ollie le Roux scored two tries, in his final match before retiring, to help Leinster clinch the Magners League title with a thumping 41-8 win over the Newport Gwent Dragons at the Royal Dublin Society on Saturday.
Le Roux will now return to South Africa to take up a coaching role at the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
The burly prop, Le Roux, seemed determined to enjoy his final outing for the Irish province and he barged over for his first try in the fourth minute - after taking a quick tap penalty following Leinster pressure.
He did it again five minutes later, when he broke through some more weak Dragons tackling and got the ball down. Felipe Contepomi couldn't convert either of those scorers.
Dragons flyhalf Ceri Sweeney replied with a penalty two minutes later and it took more than 20 minutes for the next score as the visitors managed to hold their own for a while.
However, Leinster were back in the groove on 33 minutes, when Brian O'Driscoll's superb off-load enabled Shane Horgan to score.
Contepomi added the conversion and a penalty on 40 minutes to give Leinster a 20-3 lead at the break and it seemed the title was already in the bag.
Predictably, the talented Leinster side cut loose after the break with Contepomi's superb angle setting up Shane Jennings for a simple finish on 44 minutes. Contepomi added the conversion - 27-3.
Jamie Heaslip's 60-metre run set up Chris Whitaker to finish another score for Leinster, with the conversion making it 34-3.
A turnover in their own 22 culminated with Cameron Jowitt notching another touchdown just after the hour. Contepomi converted for a 41-3 lead.
Keith Gleeson, also playing his final home match for Leinster before his retirement, received a rousing farewell from the large home crowd as he was replaced with 12 minutes to go.
The popular le Roux was also afforded similar treatment as he departed the fray early.
O'Driscoll looked to have scored one of those classic individual tries, which used to be his stock-in-trade - but he failed to get the ball down after storming over the Dragons line.
As Leinster slackened, Adam Black poached a late Dragons try but it did little to dampen the mood of jubilation at the RDS.
Leinster coach Michael Cheika was obviously delighted with the result.
"This title is very important for us," Cheika said.
"We've worked very hard to have success and that's what every sportsman wants.
"It's a culmination of three hard years."
O'Driscoll described it as a "stepping-stone" for the big one - Heineken Cup - in Europe next year.
He also had some praise for the departing Bok prop.
"Ollie [le Roux] was out doing his own thing, but thankfully they were two great decisions and he got the tries."
The scorers:
For Leinster:
Tries:
Le Roux 2, Horgan, Jennings, Whitaker, Jowitt
Cons: Contepomi 4
Pen: Contepomi
For the Newport Gwent Dragons:
Try: Black
Pens: Sweeney
Leinster: 15 Girvan Dempsey, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (captain), 12 Felipe Contepomi, 11 Rob Kearney, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Chris Whitaker, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Keith Gleeson, 6 Shane Jennings, 5 Malcolm O'Kelly, 4 Trevor Hogan, 3 Stan Wright, 2 Bernard Jackman, 1 Ollie le Roux.
Replacements: 16 Brian Blaney, 17 Stephen Knoop, 18 Cameron Jowitt, 19 Stephen Keogh, 20 Chris Keane, 21 Christian Warner, 22 Luke Fitzgerald.
Newport Gwent Dragons: 15 Kevin Morgan, 14 Gareth Wyatt, 13 Paul Emerick, 12 Gareth Maule, 11 Richard Fussell, 10 Ceri Sweeney, 9 Andy Williams, 8 Michael Owen, 7 Richard Parks, 6 Jamie Ringer, 5 Peter Sidoli, 4 Adam Jones, 3 Rhys Thomas, 2 Steve
Jones, 1 Adam Black.
Replacements: 16 Ben Daly, 17 Lee Harrison, 18 Andrew Hall, 19 Lewis Evans, 20 Richard Mustoe, 21 Jason Tovey, 22 Wayne Evans.
Referee: Andy Macpherson (Scotland)
Touch judges: Simon McDowell (Ireland), Peter Roche (Ireland)
TMO: Eanna O'Dowd (Ireland)
