Leinster 52 Zebre 0
Only the most ardent Leinster pessimists believed this was a contest to decide winners and losers. The team sheets told as much before a ball was kicked and Leinster duly obliged by colouring in the two halves with eight tries, four of those coming in the opening 38 minutes.
The sub plots of loosehead Cian Healy and tighthead Mike Ross as well as the ongoing blossoming of man of the match Garry Ringrose were of just as much interest to a two thirds full RDS Arena and in those areas Joe Schmidt should be pleased.
Healy, on the road back from a knee operation, put air into the corners of his lungs where it hadn't been for some time and lasted for about 70 minutes, while the hamstring of Ross appeared to cause him no issues, although he was hauled ashore shortly after the halftime break for Michael Bent.
Leinster coach Leo Cullen should also have been smiling as Leinster brought a halt to their losing 'streak' of two matches but added to the legend of the RDS. It's now 10 straight wins at the Showground.
The match? Well that was over after 38 minutes after the home side had run in their fourth try and secured the bonus point. In that first half Leinster were always either in the Zebre half or making their way there.
Lock Hayden Triggs was first over after Ringrose had shimmied into the Zebre red zone. Ica Nacewa's effort came eight minutes later when Ross Molony secured a lineout on the right and a training ground move of fast hands sent Nacewa scampering in on the other side for 14-0.
Luke McGrath, who replaced Isaac Boss after only 10 minutes nipped in off the back of a Leinster lineout maul before right wing Adam Byrne finished in the right corner using his athletic frame and strength to get him over for 26-0.
Outhalf Cathal Marsh varied his game at pivot mixing it between running it out to the eager backline, kicking for touch and threading balls through and turning the Italian defence.
But the inevitability of the outcome muted the crowd and only the tries brought them to life.
Zebre captain Marco Bortolami, for all of his legendary status as an Italian lock at times looked disinterested and lethargic. Perhaps his experience told him early on in this game that they were in for a spanking by the home side, who have now 10 wins from 13 matches and remain in the top four.
The second half was more of the same as Zebre fire fought for most of the time. It took Leinster over 20 minutes to break through for the fifth try, Jordi Murphy galloping past a few tired Italian bodies on the right for 31-0, the conversion pushed just wide.
As the benches emptied and the crowd finally found it’s voice Leinster continued to knock but were making heavy weather of scoring.
Finally though the sixth try arrived from one of the crowd favourites Sean Cronin. A typical burst of pace from the replacement hooker at the gain line took him in for Cahal Marsh to convert for 38-0 and from the restart Leinster were in again.
Italian hearts had sagged and legs were heavy as Ringrose cruised past defenders for Leinster’s seventh try of the match. By then spectators had begun to filter out.
Those who did missed the coup de grace, Cian Kelleher’s 40 yard run up the middle and two Italian defenders closing in only to grasp air. That’s the way the evening was, the Italians never quite getting there and over 50 points on the board.
Scoring sequence: 9mins H Triggs try, Nacewa con 7-0; 18 mins I Nacewa try, con 14-0; 35 mins L McGrath try, Nacew con 21-0; 38 mins A Byrne try, 26-0; 63 mins J Murphy try 31-0; 67 mins S Cronin try, Marsh con 38-0; 71 mins G Ringrose try, Marsh con 45-0; 77 mins C Kelleher try, Marsh con 52-0
Leinster: Z Kirchner; A Byrne, G Ringrose, B Te'o, I Nacewa (C); C Marsh, I Boss; C Healy, J Tracy, M Ross, R Molony, H Triggs, D Ryan, J van der Flier, J Murphy. L McGrath for Boss 10 mins; C Kelleher for Nacewa 41 mins; S Cronin for Treacy, M Bent for Ross 46 mins; N Reid for Te'o 51 mins; D Leavy for Ryan 60 mins; T Devlin for Triggs 65 mins. P Dooley for Healy 70 minutes
Zebre: U Beyers; D Berryman, T Boni, M Pratichetti, K Van Zyl; M Azzolini, L Burgess; B Postiglioni, O Fabiani, G Roan, G Koegelenberg, M Bortolami (C), E Caffini, Johan Meyer, J Cook.. Replacements - A De Marchi for Postglioni, P Ceccarelli for Fabiana 49 mins; M Muilana for Azzolini 60 mins; F Cristiano for J Cook 69 mins. Postglioni for De Marchi 70 mins; G Toniolatti for Van Zyl 71 mins. F Ferrarini for Mayer 75 mins
Referee: B Whitehouse (WRU)
