Carbery bags 20 points on return to Leinster as they demolish Connacht 50-5 in Galway

Joey Carbery marked his ongoing return to Leinster with a commanding 20-point haul — a try and seven successful kicks at goal — as the reigning United Rugby Championship champions dismantled Connacht 50-5 at the Dexcom Stadium in Galway.

The Irish international, who turned 31 on the day of the match, is in his second spell with Leinster after eight years away at Munster and Bordeaux Bègles. His Player of the Match display was part of a seven-try victory that saw Leinster lead 21-5 at half-time before pulling clear in the second half.

“I’ve loved being back,” Carbery said. “The people are a little bit different, but I’m playing the game with some of the guys I went to school with, which is really special for me. My dad works for Leinster, it’s where I’m from, so it’s pretty special.”

Carbery has not featured for Ireland since earning the last of his 38 caps four years ago, but his form has earned him a place in the Ireland XV squad for their meeting with Fiji A on 20 November. He is keeping his focus firmly on performances rather than selection talk.

“I just want to let my rugby do the talking, so the more games I play the better,” he said. “I’m feeling like I’m getting back into my groove a bit now and it’s nice to be back playing.”

Leinster made 14 changes from the previous week’s line-up, with 16 first-choice players away on Ireland duty. Two players made their senior debuts, and Carbery was quick to credit the squad depth on show.

“Connacht are a really tough side, but we just managed it really well and took our opportunities when they came,” he said. “There were two lads getting their first caps and they didn’t show any nerves, which is credit to them and the team.”

Skipper Max Deegan echoed the sentiment, highlighting the collective energy that drove the performance. “Something we were driving and pushing all week was the excitement piece — how exciting is it for all these young lads to get an opportunity to come down here and get a win?” he said. “You can see how tight this group is and how great a performance it was.”