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Leinster 34 (17)
Tries: Horgan 2, Jennings, Berne, Heaslip
Cons: Contepomi 3
Pens: Contepomi
Glasgow Warriors 18 (6)
Tries: Lowe, Beattie
Cons: Gregor
Pens: Gregor 2
Leinster moved 10 points clear at the top of the Magners League with a confident disposal of Glasgow Warriors.
Glasgow took an early lead thanks to two Colin Gregor penalties, but a Filipe Contepomi penalty and a Shane Jennings try put Leinster in control.
Contepomi chipped through for Michael Berne and Shane Horgan to go over, but Murray Lowe replied before Jamie Heaslip grabbed Leinster's fourth try.
Further tries followed from Glasgow's Johnnie Beattie and Leinster's Horgan.
And, with the Scarlets beating the Blues in Llanelli, it means that three wins in their remaining five games will clinch the title for the Irish side.
Leo Cullen had returned to the Leinster team along with internationals Horgan, Heaslip, Rob Kearney, Bernard Jackman and Luke Fitzgerald.
Gregor, Thom Evans, Dougie Hall and Dan Turner had come back into the Glasgow starting line-up.
Glasgow, without injured club captain Alastair Kellock, started promisingly in terms of territory.
But they failed to turn that element-assisted advantage into a whirlwind start on the scoreboard.
Gregor slotted penalties after six and 16 minutes, the second of which came after Tom Evans' clever kick forced Rob Carney into deliberately palming the ball into touch to prevent a likely try.
But Leinster started to take control and Contepomi's boot brought them back into the game after 20 minutes.
And, three minutes later, Glasgow allowed Jennings to barge through for the opening try, converted by Contepomi.
It was Contepomi's clever, Rugby League-style chip through that set up Berne for the second try after 42 minutes.
And, after adding two more points with his conversion, Contepomi repeated the feat early in the second half, with Horgan the beneficiary.
Warriors started to exert some pressure of their own and Lowe collected a Sam Pinder pass to power through, with Gregor adding the conversion, after 68 minutes.
But Leinster rushed to the other end and Heaslip bundled over following a try-line ruck, with Contepomi again converting.
Gregor broke clear to set up Beattie, with the forward showing great pace before touching down.
However, Horgan dived over in the corner after a sweeping Leinster move that underlined their superiority.
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Leinster flanker Keith Gleeson, who recently announced his retirement from the game at the end of the current campaign: "At times we were more than 16 points better and at times we weren't.
"Glasgow are a tough side and are a side that hang on in there, but we got the bonus point we were looking for.
"I have made my decision and it's the right one for me. It's good to go out when you are playing at your best."
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Glasgow coach Sean Lineen: "Some of our play was great and I cannot fault their effort.
"But, after we went 6-0 up after 25 minutes, Leinster struck back and their heads dipped.
"We lost six lineouts in the game and that's not good enough.
"Most of their tries came when we had the ball, but we were well beaten."
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Leinster: Kearney, Horgan, Warner, Berne, Fitzgerald, Contepomi, Whitaker, le Roux, Jackman, Wright, Cullen, O'Kelly, Jennings, Gleeson, Heaslip. Replacements: Sexton for Berne (58), Brown for Fitzgerald (72), Keane for Whitaker (52), Healy for le Roux (70), Blaney for Jackman (77), Hogan for O'Kelly (63), Keogh for Heaslip (77).
Glasgow: Stortoni, Faatau, Morrison, Gibson, T. Evans, Gregor, Pinder, Kalman, Hall, Low, Newman, Turner, Eddie, MacFadyen, Beattie.
Replacements: O'Hare for Faatau (63), Barrow for Pinder (73), Va'a for Kalman (41), Milligan for Hall (72), Palepoi for Newman (39), Vernon for MacFadyen (55). Not Used: Jackson.
Att: 11,717
Ref: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
This article was posted on 21-Mar-2008, 22:01 by Hugh Barrow.
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