Double Kearney blow for Leinster
International wing Dave Kearney limped out of proceedings with a nasty ankle injury to join brother Rob on the sidelines.
It was the 27-year-old's first start since returning from injury and he hurt his left ankle in a collision with home hero John Muldoon, who was making his 300th appearance for Connacht.
Now Dave Kearney will face an anxious wait to see if he is fit to possibly face Clermont Auvergne in Sunday's Champions Cup semifinal in Lyon.
The win was Leinster's 12th game without defeat in all competitions and they remain unbeaten this year.
If they can maintain their success in Lyon this weekend they will reach their fourth European Cup final having won the title in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
The game in Galway was a repeat of last season's Pro12 Final, which Connacht famously won at Murrayfield, and the home side threw the kitchen sink at their Dublin rivals.
Their offloading and free-flowing style will have given Leo Cullen's men the perfect build-up to their clash with Clermont, who ran in nine tries in a 59-18 win at Grenoble that condemned the home side to a return to ProD2 next season.
The lead actually changed hands seven times before Leinster emerged victorious by five tries to two.
Their win earned them a home game in the Pro12 play-off semifinals, while Connacht look as though they will now have to rely on booking a Champions Cup ticket next season via the end of the season, play-off battle for the Final place.
