Lansdowne's new coach Michael Cosgrave declared himself well pleased after watching his side run in seven tries against an outclassed Old Crescent outfit at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

"Up to now Lansdowne's play has lacked a little structure," Cosgrave said after Saturday's game. "We want to speed things up all round. To get to rucks in numbers and to close down quickly defensively. To move our targets out wide and to keep it mobile."

Mobility was the key as Lansdowne, using their versatile back row of Stephen Rooney, Anton Forde and Colin McEntee as a platform for attack, pulled the visitors all over the park.

Up to now Lansdowne have not fully utilised the speed in their back division but that looks as if it's about to change. Here, right wing Marcus Dillon probably saw more ball than he had seen in the previous four matches.

The home side signalled their intention of a more expansive game as early as the second minute when centre Shane Horgan sprinted through from halfway for a fine individual try. Old Crescent, who were playing with the aid of a strong wind, replied with two penalties from Brian Begley in the sixth and ninth minutes.

However, the visitors had no answer to the strength of McEntee and Forde and as their frustration, like Lansdowne's scores, mounted apace. Full back Rory Kearns kicked a close range penalty before Dillon skipped over in the right corner for the first of his two tries following good work by captain Kurt McQuilkin.

Another Kearns penalty gave Lansdowne an 18-6 lead at half-time and when second row Willie Aherne crossed over for a third try in the first minute of the second half the game was effectively over as a contest. Six minutes later out-half Richard Governey held the ball up brilliantly for Dillon, whose diagonal run split the Crescent defence.

Prop Warren O'Kelly showed he was no slouch himself when he sprinted in from the 22 for his side's fifth try at the start of the final quarter. But by that stage one felt the visitors were already thinking about the long trip home.

New recruit left wing Melvin McNamara added a sixth while full back Rory Kearns crossed over for the seventh a minute from time. As Cosgrave said it was a good start but he must surely know that McEntee and Co will not always get it as easy as this.