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Rugby

28th May 2016

WATCH: Matt Healy and Tiernan O’Halloran tear Leinster defence to shreds

Right out of the playbook

Patrick McCarry

Connacht will be thrilled that this training ground move came off.

Leinster thought they had spotted a Connacht weakness – high balls.

Johnny Sexton and Eoin Reddan sent plenty of balls into the Edinburgh air as they sought to making early in-roads in the Guinness PRO12 final.

The tactic paid off by forcing a couple of errors but it also gave free ball to the likes of Tiernan O’Halloran and Matt Healy.

13 minutes in and Leinster were left ruing a kick that was a freebie for the explosive pace of Healy. The Lansdowne club-man set off from his 22 and, with John Muldoon jogging back to provide a screen, left Ben Te’o for dead.

Healy break

Bundee Aki was first on the scene to keep the attack alive and he found a flying O’Halloran on the left wing.

Not for the first time in his defensive career, Rob Kearney got caught by planting both feet and preparing for a tackle.

O’Halloran had not intention of being tackled…

TOH try

O’Halloran took the glory but, as Stuart Barnes said on Sky Sports, “What about this kid Healy?”

The score set a fantastic tone for Connacht’s opening 40 as they played with brio and passion.

Click snap

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