Leinster claimed the Guinness interprovincial title on Wednesday with a 49-20 victory over Connacht.

The game was ended as a contest in a 12-minute spell early in the second half when Leinster ran in three tries through Simon Keogh, Peter McKenna and Brian O'Driscoll.

This period followed a lacklustre first half where the only try came five minutes before the break when Connacht were a man down after flanker Johnny O'Connor had been sinbinned. Until then it had been Connacht who had made most of the running but with little to show for their efforts.

Leinster relied heavily on some resolute defence and on the boot of fly-half Brian O'Meara, who kicked three penalties in response to Eric Elwood's two first-half efforts.

O'Meara converted all but one of his side's tries.

Connacht did respond with two tries of their own, from substitute scrumhalf Chris Keane and fullback McHugh but the day belonged to Leinster when Aidan McCullen selaed the win with the last try.

The win and the bonus point was enough to take the title away from Munster for the first time in three years.

Connacht: M McHugh; T Robinson, P Duignan, T Allnutt, W Munn; E Elwood, E Reddan; D McFarland, J Flannery, P Bracken, D Browne, R Frost, P Neville, J O'Connor, C Rigney. Replacements: R McCormack for McFarland, M Swift for Rigney, C Keane for Reddan ((all 50 mins).

Leinster: P McKenna; S Keogh, B O'Driscoll, D Quinlan, J McWeeney; B O'Meara, B Willis; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, P Wallace, L Cullen, M O'Kelly, A McCullen, K Gleeson, V Costello. Replacements: N Treston for Wllace, L Toland for Costello (57mins), D O'Brien for Cullen (63), P Smyth for Byrne (68), F Campion for O'Meara, K Lewis for O'Driscoll, B Burke for Keogh (all 72).