NEWPORT suffered more Irish heartache as they fell to their third defeat at the hands of Leinster in five weeks in a brilliant match at Donnybrook last night.

Newport looked to be heading for a heavy defeat when they trailed 24-3 after only 19 minutes, but they hit back superbly to get within two points, only for Leinster to go clear again.

The result preserved Leinster's unbeaten record as they won their 12th game in a row this season and their 17th on the trot in over two years at the ground.

And it left Newport badly in need of some Irish luck after pushing the star-studded Leinster side all the way without getting the verdict.

Leinster prop Emmett Byrne failed a fitness test on his back injury, but it hardly weakened the team as he was replaced by British Lion Paul Wallace.

Heavy rain before the match, after a fine day, made one side of the pitch very heavy, but the weather still didn't deter a near capacity crowd of 6,000, though not many from Newport this time.

Newport were quickly off the blocks when Shane Howarth landed a 45-yard penalty after only two minutes when the Leinster pack went over the top.

A clean lineout take by Ian Gough and a drive by the pack followed by an up-and-under by Andy Marinos (pictured) promised more, but hooker James Richards was caught off-side.

It got worse for Newport as Leinster pressed and though Andrew Powell ran strongly out of defence the ball went loose and Leinster centre Shane Horgan ran through an inviting gap for a try which Nathan Spooner converted.

More bad luck followed for Newport when full back Matt Pini partially charged down a kick and the ball bounced kindly for Wallace and then Newport were penalised for off side, Spooner landing the kick.

Howard missed with a wide angled penalty shot and Newport were made to pay when Leinster scored their second try.

Their pack drove on and when Spooner kicked high towards the corner full back Girvan Dempsey leapt to catch the ball and race over.

Spooner converted and immediately Leinster scored again as they ran riot. Wing Gordon D'Arcy ran right across the field as Spooner chipped through for Denis Hickie to shoot through an unguarded defence.

Spooner converted from a wide angle to make it 24-3.

But Newport rallied and scored a fine try of their own. Howarth dodged through and handed on to prop Adrian Garvey, who slipped the ball to Mostyn for the winger to dash over. Howarth converted.

The game was being played at a frantic pace, with Powell all over the pitch in attack and defence, but his missed clearance kick had Newport in trouble as flanker Peter Buxton was yellow carded for killing the ball.

Despite being down to 14 men Newport still took the game to Leinster and though D'Arcy impeded Marinos off the ball referee Chris Lander, who handled the Wales-Australia game last Sunday, gave only a penalty, not a yellow card.

But Newport came again with another try when Howarth put Gough through a gap with a lovely short pass and when the ball was worked left Marinos swept over in the corner for a superbly worked try. Howarth converted.

Newport had reduced a 24-3 deficit to 24-17 in the space of 14 minutes.

Buxton returned to bring Newport back to full strength, but Leinster lost flanker Eric Miller with a shoulder injury, though replaced by another international in Trevor Brennan.

Newport replaced Matt Pini with Matthew Watkins at half time, Watkins on the left wing and Ben Breeze switching to full back.

Then Newport suffered a blow five minutes after the re-start when Howarth had to leave the field with a badly cut hand, replaced by Jason Strange.

But Newport attacked strongly and Strange handled three times only for Garvey to be tackled when a try looked on.

And in another controversial decision Newport chose a scrum from almost in front of the posts instead of going for goal when they were awarded a penalty.

But they were proved right when Byrne moved the ball quickly and Garvey slipped the ball to Strange, who transferred the ball rapidly to Marinos, who put Watkins over in the corner for Newport's third try.

Strange narrowly missed the conversion attempt which would have put the scores level, but Spooner had more success when he landed a penalty.

And then Brian O'Driscoll, who had hardly been seen, stepped inside Breeze and raced over for Leinster's fourth try which Spooner converted.

Spooner left the field dazed at the same time he was announced man-of-the-match, and in his absence Brian O'Meara struck an upright with a penalty shot.