A Pat Leach try and 11 points from the boot of wing Tom Prydie inspired the Rodney Parade region to their first win ever away to the PRO12 champions. It had been seven years since they had triumphed on Irish soil, but they held out to stun the Champions Cup quarter finalists.
The Dragons have closed the gap on the Cardiff Blues to just a single point, and Jones hailed his history heroes.
He said: “I am incredibly proud and it was a fully-deserved victory. We looked organised and excited by the challenge of becoming the first side to win this fixture. We were the better side, took Leinster on at their own game and there were strong performances from everyone.”
Nick Crosswell and T. Rhys Thomas were sent to the sin bin in the first half, but a try from Leach and 11 points from the boot of Prydie were enough to secure a famous 16-14 win for the Welsh region.
Jimmy Gopperth landed three penalties and Dave Kearney crossed the whitewash for Leinster as they suffered a setback in their bid to break into the PRO12’s top three.
“Leinster came out really strongly in the second half, throwing everything at us, but we showed determination and only conceded three points.
“That was a critical period and we also adapted really well during two spells down to 14 men after Nick Crosswell and Rhys Thomas were yellow-carded.
“It was an excellent performance, a really big win for the club and it further supports the good work that we are doing here.”
