Rainbow Cup: Leinster recover from poor start to ease past Connacht and secure first win in competition

Hugo Keenan scored Leinster's first two tries

Leinster recovered from a poor start to record a thumping 50-21 Rainbow Cup victory over Connacht at the Sportsground.

Leinster were 16-0 down on 13 minutes but went on to secure their first win in their second Rainbow Cup game.

Hugo Keenan scored three tries with James Tracy, Ross Molony, Cian Kelleher, Andrew Porter and Scott Fardy also crossing.

Caolin Blade got the hosts' first try with Peter Sullivan scoring late on.

It came in an impressive opening spell for Connacht which also included three penalties from Conor Fitzgerald.

Stung into action by Connacht's strong start, Leo Cullen men's reeled off tries from Keenan (2), Tracy, Molony and Kelleher to lead 33-16 at half-time.

Leinster lost 2021 British and Irish Lion Jack Conan to injury in the first half but it looked a precautionary withdrawal.

With last week's European exit still raw, Fardy and player-of-the-match Keenan took their side's haul to eight tries.

Leinster, who once again were without Jonny Sexton due to a previous head injury, lost their opening Rainbow Cup match to Munster before their European semi-final defeat last weekend, while Connacht defeated Ulster in their first match.

The victory takes Leinster up to fifth in the Rainbow Cup table, with Connacht dropping down to eighth.

Connacht: Porch; Sullivan, O'Brien, Daly, Healy; Fitzgerald, Blade; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham; Murray, Thornbury; Masterson, Oliver, Butler.

Replacements: Murphy, Burke, Robertson-McCoy, Prendergast, Papali'i, Marmion, Arnold, McNulty.

Leinster: Keenan; Kelleher, Ringrose, Frawley, Kearney; R Byrne, L McGrath (capt); Dooley, Tracy, Porter; Molony, Fardy; Murphy, Penny, Conan.

Replacements: D Sheehan, E Byrne, Furlong, Baird, Van der Flier, R Osborne, O'Loughlin, Larmour