Youthful Leinster score eight tries in Zebre win

Alex Soroka (centre) scored two tries after being drafted into the line-up just before kick-off

United Rugby Championship

Leinster (26) 50

Tries: Kenny 2, Soroka 2, Cahir, Byrne, Snyman, Connors Cons: Byrne 5

Zebre (21) 26

Tries: Belloni, Dominguez, Quattrini, Zanon Cons: Da Re 3

A youthful Leinster team ran in eight tries to overwhelm Zebre as the Irish province bounced back from last week's derby defeat by Munster with a bonus-point victory at Aviva Stadium.

With their sizeable Ireland cohort in Chicago to prepare for next week's All Blacks Test, Leinster's second string - which included six debutants - delivered a much-needed win for head coach Leo Cullen with a vibrant display.

Joshua Kenny and Alex Soroka scored two tries apiece before the break, with debutant Jerry Cahir, Harry Byrne, RG Snyman and Will Connors piling the misery on Zebre in the second half.

While the Italian side remain without a win over Leinster, they did not leave Dublin empty-handed as Marco Zanon's late score clinched a try bonus point.

Both sides received 20-minute red cards with Leinster wing Andrew Osborne dismissed, before Zebre scrum-half Thomas Dominguez's yellow was upgraded during the half-time interval.

The loss to Munster at Croke Park was the third in four games for Leinster, but the United Rugby Championship holders were immediately on the front foot against the Italians as Kenny scored his first try for the club in the second minute.

Soroka, a late replacement for the injured Max Deegan in the line-up, then scored either side of Mirko Belloni's try to give Leinster clear daylight.

Belloni's score was created by Dominguez's superb cross-field kick into the corner and the scrum-half teed himself up for a try when he took a tap penalty and nipped through the home side's defence.

Kenny delivered the hosts' bonus-point score in the 27th minute before Leinster lost Osborne, whose yellow card for a collision in the air with Lorenzo Pani was later upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

Giovanni Quattrini scored Zebre's third try, but their momentum was punctured when Dominguez failed to wrap his tackle on Leinster back row James Culhane, resulting in another 20-minute red card.

Leinster started the second half with renewed intent and, after Luke McGrath's try was ruled out for a knock-on, loose-head prop Cahir powered his way over from close range in the 48th minute.

Having kicked four conversions, Byrne marked his return to the line-up with his first Leinster try since March 2023, before replacement lock Snyman touched down.

After Zanon grabbed Zebre's bonus score, replacement flanker Connors wrapped up a comfortable win that gets Leinster's title defence back on track before the autumn break.

Line-ups

Leinster: McLaughlin; Kenny, Cooney, Tector, A Osborne; Byrne, McGrath (capt); Cahir, McKee, Slimani, Deeny, D Mangan, Soroka, Penny, Culhane.

Replacements: B Sheehan, Usanov, Sparrow, Snyman, C Mangan, Connors, Gunne, Gabriel.

Red card: Osborne (30)

Zebre: Pani; Belloni, Bertaccini, Zanon, Batista; Da Re, Dominguez; Hasa, Quattrini, Nocera, Carrera, Krumov (capt), Ferrari, Locatelli, Odiase.

Replacements: Di Bartolomeo, Buonfiglio, Gallorini, Milano, Licata, Prinsloo, Farias, Morisi.

Red card: Dominguez (37)

Referee: Ian Kenny (SRU)