8 hours ago
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United Rugby Championship
Leinster 76 (38)
Tries: Kelleher, McGrath, Baird, Barrett 2, Lowe, Prendergast, Van der Flier, Osborne 2, Frawley, Culhane Cons: Prendergast 6, Frawley 2
Zebre 5 (0)
Tries: Garcia
Leinster secured top seeding for the United Rugby Championship play-offs with their record win in the competition against Zebre.
The 71-point margin of victory in the 76-5 triumph eclipsed the 70-6 win the province had enjoyed in 2017 against the same Italian opposition and moved them nine points clear at the top of the URC standings with only one game remaining.
Back at the Aviva Stadium seven days on from enduring semi-final heartache against Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup, Leo Cullen's side ran in 12 tries as Zebre bore the brunt of the province's European frustrations.
Five of the side who started against the Saints were in the run-on team again but it was one of the changes, Jordie Barrett, who made the biggest impact.
The All Black, who was notably only a substitute last week, was named player of the match as he scored two tries and had a telling hand in several more.
In the first game since Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad was named, nine of those set to tour Australia in the summer were on show, six from the start and three off the bench.
Soon-to-be Lions Ronan Kelleher, Josh van der Flier and James Lowe were among the try scorers, while Jack Conan was influential throughout.
It was the number eight's rampaging burst through the middle that set Leinster on the way as his fine offload put Kelleher across after only three minutes.
Van der Flier set up Luke McGrath for Leinster's second just a minute later, while Ryan Baird's strong line-out work was then rewarded with a score from close range.
Despite the score, Zebre were enjoying plenty of possession and territory but were making no impact on the scoreboard with the closest they came to a try in the first half coming when Simone Gesi's chip ahead took an unfavourable bounce for the visitors and went dead.
Barrett scored the next two tries, the first of which secured the bonus point, and there was still time for Lowe to cross in the corner before half-time.
The All Black turned provider in the second half as he popped the ball up for Sam Prendergast to finish off a counter that had started on Leinster's own five-metre line.
After Van der Flier got over, Barrett's next assist was even more audacious, coming from a perfectly weighted cross-field kick for replacement Jamie Osborne to score.
Fellow substitutes James Culhane and Ciaran Frawley, the latter marking his 100th appearance for the province, were next over the whitewash, although Zebre scrum-half Gonzalo Garcia's try in between looked to have stalled Leinster's chase for their record margin of victory.
However, with the clock in the red Osborne's second score ensured they would establish a new mark.
Leinster: Osborne; J O'Brien, Ringrose, Barrett, Lowe; Prendergast, McGrath; Boyle, Kelleher, Clarkson, McCarthy, Mangan, Baird, Van der Flier, Conan (capt).
Replacements: McKee, Porter, Slimani, Ryan, Culhane, Gibson-Park, Frawley, Henshaw
Zebre: Trulla; Gregory, Paea, Lucchin, Gesi; Montemauri, Garcia; Franceschetto, Ribaldi, Pitinari R Nasove, L Krumov, B Stavile, I Bianchi, D Ruggeri (capt).
Replacements: Di Bartolomeo, Hasa, Neculai, Canali, Ferrari, Fusco, Da Re, Drago.
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
