Leinster A triumped in a tense British and Irish Cup final at Kingston Park last night after levelling the scores at the end of normal time and then coming from behind at the end of twenty minutes of extra time to lift the title.
Overall Leinster just about deserved their win having shown greater flair behind the scrum but Newcastle, who played a more structured game, came desperately close to lifting the Cup.
With the game barely a minute old, Newcastle claimed their first points from a 45m penalty kick by fly half Joel Hodgson. The quick running Hodgson seemed set to add further points when he chased his own chip ahead to the corner but a fine tackle by scrum half Luke McGrath prevented the score.
Falcons, however, were piling on the pressure and after a surge to the line by Alex Crockett, Rory Lawson was on hand to scramble over for a try converted by Hodgson.
Leinster replied positively with attacking rugby triggered by an incisive run from full back Fionn Carr to earn the visitors a territorial gain. There were no reward but when Carr again found a gap in the Falcons defence the ball was spun wide to centre Brendan Macken , who picked the cleanest route to the line, Noel Reid adding the extras leaving Falcons with a 10-7 interval advantage.
In a cut and thrust second half it was Macken who came nearest to scoring only to be tackled in the corner with the line beckoning
Late into injury time Reid's long range effort earned Leinster the points that levelled the scores. The centre then tried an outrageously difficult kick from ten metres inside his own half which predictably fell short leaving the sides locked at 10-10 at the end of normal time.
Then, in the first period of extra time, Carr ran an unconverted try giving Leinster the advantage but in the second 'extra' half fine running by the Falcons' backs ended with Zach Kilbrige levelling the scores with a fine try, Hodgson's conversion restoring the lead for Falcons. But in a dramatic finish Reid kicked a 99th-minute penalty for Leinster to lift the title.
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