Round-up: Leinster shrug off absence of O'Driscoll to overtake spirited Ulster
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Your support makes all the difference.Leinster flanker Shane Jennings called for "concentration" before "an exciting few weeks ahead", as his side extended their unbeaten home run of 25 games with a fine 34-26 victory over Ulster on Saturday, leapfrogging their Irish counterparts into second place of the Magners League, despite missing Brian O'Driscoll.
The pre-match stats looked ominous for Ulster, who have not won in Dublin since the League's inception in 2001-02 and they went behind after just one minute, Richardt Strauss crashing over after a Jonathan Sexton diagonal kick.
Sexton proved pivotal in a rampant first half for the Dubliners, creating an opening for Luke Fitzgerald to score. Leinster led 17-3 inside 13 minutes and had their bonus point secured before half-time with further tries from Shane Horgan and Heinke van der Merwe. Ulster produced a spirited response in the second half, scoring two tries, and came within one point of a bonus point but never put the result in doubt.
The Scarlets coach, Nigel Davies, questioned his side's lack of "winning mentality" after a 13-6 defeat to league leaders Munster, Simon Zebo capitalising on a Regan King mistake to score the only try of the game for the Irish side. With the game in the balance at 6-6, King lost the ball in contact and Zebo pounced to fly-hack downfield and over the line to put daylight between the sides. The result leaves Llanelli six points adrift of fourth-placed Ospreys in their bid to make the play-offs.
Glasgow slipped to second-bottom after narrowly going down 19-16 to fellow strugglers Treviso, who climbed above them into 10th. After a tight first half that ended 6-6, Treviso scored through Robert Barbieri, capitalising after the Warriors prop Ryan Grant was sent to the sin bin for a stamp. Glasgow hit back with a try from captain Graeme Morrison but a 40-yard drop-goal for the Italian side from Willem de Waal proved decisive.
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