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.
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…
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.
