Leinster got back to winning ways in the BKT United Rugby Championship with a routine victory over Sharks at Aviva Stadium.
Following defeats to Stormers and Bulls to start their season, Leinster welcomed back a number of senior players, including six British and Irish Lions, for their first home game in front of 17,549 in Dublin 4.
The defending champions rans in five tries, three in the first half, with the result never really in doubt against a South African side at the end of their three-match European tour.
Jamie Osborne, Jimmy O'Brien and captain Josh van der Flier crossed in the opening 40 minutes with player of the match Harry Byrne converting all three tries.
Springboks wing Ethan Hooker scored an interception try just before the break for the visitors' only score of the day.
Max Deegan and replacement Gus McCarthy rounded off the scoring and secured the bonus point in the process.
After two disappointing results in South Africa, this was more like the Leinster fans are used to seeing.
They were faster, the handling skills were up to their usual standard, and they were more aggressive at the breakdown and better in the aerial battle.
Leinster, operating off solid set-pieces, were moving the ball quickly and it was only a matter of time before they broke the deadlock.
The backs moved the ball across the line and James Lowe, one of the returning Lions, drew his man before dinking a perfect kick for Osborne (below) to run onto and dot down.
The second came after Leinster earned a five-metre scrum with Jimmy O’Brien racing onto Byrne’s inside pass to cut open the Sharks defence.
Minutes later a third try arrived when Leinster foiled a midfield breakaway before Paddy McCarthy won a jackal penalty.
A clean lineout take allowed Leinster to work a couple of simple phases before Van der Flier ran through a gap to score under the posts.
Hooker, who started for South Africa against Argentina last weekend, then picked off a careless pass by Byrne on halfway before outpacing the chasing defenders.
It took Leinster 10 minutes of the second half to get their bonus point, with Deegan finishing superbly in the corner after Sharks prop Ruan Dreyer went high on Van der Flier.
Leinster changed their front row and, after set-piece parity in the opening half, it led to a period of dominance at the scrum for the Sharks, who had introduced Bongi Mbonambi, former Munster man Dian Bleuler and Vincent Koch.
A series of penalty concessions saw referee Craig Evans lose his patience with Jack Boyle, who spent 10 minutes in the bin.
But the Sharks were toothless in attack and three solid defensive sets by the hosts saw off any threat from a touring side, who had lost their last four meetings with Leinster, that just wanted to go home.
Gus McCarthy rounded off the scoring when Mbonambi fired his lineout throw over the top, the hooker just needed to flop over the line.
There was a debut for winger Joshua Kenny and the Greystones RFC man was lively and almost provided a late score for Luke McGrath.
But Leinster are up and running ahead of next weekend’s Croke Park derby against Munster, who beat Edinburgh last night, where they will likely welcome back more internationals.
Leinster: Jamie Osborne, Jimmy O'Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Ciarán Frawley, James Lowe, Harry Byrne, Fintan Gunne, Paddy McCarthy, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, Brian Deeny, Ryan Baird, Alex Soroka, Josh van der Flier (capt), Max Deegan.
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Jack Boyle, Thomas Clarkson, Diarmuid Mangan, James Culhane, Luke McGrath, Hugh Cooney, Joshua Kenny.
Sharks: Edwill van der Merwe, Ethan Hooker, Jurenzo Julius, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Jean Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Simphiwe Matanzima, Fez Mbatha, Ruan Dreyer, Vincent Tshituka (capt), Marvin Orie, Phepsi Buthelezi, Emmanuel Tshituka, Nick Hatton.
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Dian Bleuler, Vincent Koch, Bathobele Hlekani,Tino Mavasere, Ross Braude, Siya Masuku, Francois Venter.
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
