Leinster 36-27 Edinburgh: Lively Irish province defeat disappointing visitors

Max Deegan's try helped Leinster lead 21-6 at half-time at the RDS

Leinster's young side produced a lively display to beat Edinburgh 36-27 in the United Rugby Championship in Dublin.

Scotland World Cup players Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman returned for Edinburgh but the visitors paid for a dreadful opening 55 minutes.

Tries from Lee Barron, Max Deegan and Ciaran Frawley helped Leinster secure a 21-6 half-time lead at the RDS.

Tommy O'Brien and James Culhane added further Leinster tries with James Lang, Connor Boyle and Boan Venter replying.

Edinburgh's tries all came in the final 25 minutes as they left themselves with far too much to do.

After an opening defeat in Glasgow which was followed by last weekend's 34-13 win over the Sharks, many thought that Leinster's side, still minus their host of Ireland World Cup players, might struggle once more against Scottish opposition.

But Edinburgh's display was error-ridden as they played against a stiff breeze in the first half and did not improve at all in the 15 minutes after the resumption with their mistakes continually punished by Leo Cullen's young side.

Ben Healy did kick Edinburgh into an 18th-minute lead from a penalty, but the former Munster fly-half was outshone by opposite number Harry Byrne, who produced superb passes to set up two tries.

Leinster's 21st-minute try had an element of luck as the ball bounced kindly off lock Justin Jenkins in a line-out which allowed impressive hooker Barron to steam over the line.

Further Leinster pressure around the half-hour mark led to Edinburgh lock Glen Young being sin-binned, and his absence was punished by two tries before the break as Deegan burst over and Byrne's looping pass then took out Blair Kinghorn as Frawley touched down.

In between, Healy had kicked a second Edinburgh penalty but Leinster were in control at 21-6 at the break, with Byrne having slotted all three conversions.

Edinburgh's woes continued as an early departure from a line-out saw them blow a great chance in the Leinster 22 before another lofted Byrne pass released charging hooker Barron, who delivered a perfectly weighted pass for wing O'Brien to touch down.

A Kinghorn run set up a 55th-minute try for replacement Lang, with Healy's conversion cutting the deficit to 28-13, only for number eight Culhane to score his first Leinster touchdown to put 20 between the sides.

After Leo Cullen made eight changes, Leinster lost shape in the closing stages.

But while Boyle and Venter were able to rumble over for Edinburgh tries, replacement fly-half Sam Prendergast's penalty kept daylight between the teams as the home side held on for a deserved win.

Leinster: Frawley, T O'Brien, Osborne, Ngatai, Larmour, H Byrne, Foley; Boyle, Barron, Ala'alatoa; Molony, Jenkins; Deegan, Penny, Culhane.

Replacements: Donnellan, P McCarthy, McGuire, Deeny, Ruddock, Murphy, Prendergast, Russell.

Edinburgh: Kinghorn; Goosen, Bennett, Currie, Van der Merwe; Healy, Shiel; Schoeman, Cherry, Nel; Young, Gilchrist (capt); Dodd, Watson, Crosbie.

Replacements: Ashman, Venter, Sebastian, Sykes, Boyle, Patterson, Lang, Dean.

Referee: M van der Westhuizen (South Africa)