Ireland Select XV 38-3 Connacht

Ulster's Darren Cave shrugs off Eoin Griffin as Ireland beat Connacht

A largely second string Ireland side scored six tries as they comfortably beat Irish province Connacht in a World Cup warm-up game at Donnybrook.

Mick O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen scored first-half tries and Geordan Murphy, Fergus McFadden, Ian Keatley and Denis Hurley touched down after half-time.

Fly-half Paddy Wallace kicked four conversions for the Select XV.

Niall O'Connor scored Connacht's only points of the match with a penalty in the first half.

For the players in the Ireland side, the game represented their final chance to impress coach Declan Kidney in a competitive context before the final 30-man squad for the World Cup is named on Monday.

A great break by McFadden opened the way for O'Driscoll's 14th-minute try, Wallace converting.

A Keatley intercept set up skipper Cullen for his try three minutes later and Wallace again added the two points.

O'Connor kicked his penalty after Ireland had been caught offside and then Keatley and Wallace missed with further penalty attempts before the break to leave the score 14-3.

Geordan Murphy looked to be in for a try just after the interval but some good defensive work by Connacht saw the danger cleared.

Murphy did manage to touch down soon after thanks to a fine breakaway by Ulster centre Darren Cave. Wallace missed with the conversion attempt.

Wallace did successfully convert McFadden's 64th-minue try and then Keatley crossed the line for his side's fifth try after accepting a fine pass from McFadden.

Replacement Hurley crossed the line for the final points of the game after being set up by Murphy.

Ireland Select XV team: G Murphy; J Murphy, D Cave, I Keatley, F McFadden; P Wallace, I Boss; T Buckley, S Cronin, J Hayes; M O'Driscoll, L Cullen; K McLaughlin, N Ronan, D Leamy.

Replacements: D Varley for Cronin (74), M Horan for Hayes (49), D Ryan for Cullen (61), C Henry for Ronan (61), C Murray for Boss (47), D Hurley for J Murphy, I Whitten for Keatley (74).

Connacht: T O'Halloran; M McCrea, E Griffin, H Fa'afili, B Tuohy; N O'Connor, P O'Donohoe; D Rogers, A Flavin, R Ah You; M Swift, M Kearney; J Muldoon (c), R Ofisa, G Naoupu

Replacements: E Reynecke, D Buckley, J O'Connor for Ofisa (55), TJ Anderson for Kearney (49), D Moore for O'Donohoe (75), M Jarvis, J Loxton for McCrea (68)

Not used: E Reynecke, D Buckley, M Jarvis