Leinster 21 Ulster 22 (FT) - as it happened

Leinster 21 Ulster 22

We leave you with John O’Sullivan’s match report from the RDS.

[ Ulster show resilience to claim superb victory over Leinster ]

From Leinster’s point of view, it’s hard to look past a botched lineout inside the 22 when chasing the game. Not to mention three kicks from Gibson-Park and Prendergast combined that were easily dealt with by Ulster as they cleared there lines. That and the decision not to take a drop-goal when in the 22 inside the last 10 minutes, albeit the wet ground made that a risky option.

Full-time: Leinster 21 Ulster 22

What a game of rugby. The way it ended summed up how bonkers this was. Ulster spill it into touch to secure a win in a game that saw three scores of kick passes, a try assist via the crossbar and a whole lot else in between.

Leinster will be bitterly frustrated. They played most of the rugby, dominating the tight exchanges at times but Ulster came up with big defensive moments when it mattered. They also managed the game beautifully in the second half, using the boot of Cooney and then Doak to prevent Leinster from playing inside the 22 where their lineout and maul looked so threatening.

In the first half, Leinster errors handed Ulster scores on a platform. In the second, Ulster’s game managers took over and Leinster overplayed and made too many errors at vital stages.

80 mins: Ulster dive on a ball that squirts out the side of a ruck. It came loose because an UIster jackal knocked it on. There will be a scrum for Leinster on their own 10m line. Clock in the red, this is it.

Penalty Leinster! Scott Wilson brings the scrum down. Harry Byrne kicks down the line, but he’s missed touch! Ulster spill it into touch but because it touched a body in the field of play, that’s it! Ulster cling on, what a game of rugby!

78 mins: Leinster survive! Murphy pings Ulster for blocking at the lineout. They will have one last attack, albeit starting from inside their own half.

76 mins: Byrne gambled, he tried the money shot with the 50:22 but the ball skips the wrong direction off the turf and rolls dead. It was on, there was space in behind, just the execution was lacking. Ulster scrum back on the Leinster 10m line.

Further trouble for Leinster. Doak’s kick sits up beautifully inside the 22. Frawley has to play it and he is shunted unceremoniously into touch. Ulster could maul them over here and wrap things up from 5m out.

74 mins: It’s been a long time since the RDS was this loud. Russell kicks in behind. Lowry takes it right under his own posts and Leinster pile in looking for the ball. It’s an absolute mess, both sets of players end up lying all over the ball and Murphy gives Ulster the penalty. Cue bedlam in the stands.

72 mins: CHANCE WASTED! Gibson-Park throws an intercept with Leinster hunting inside the 22. He tried to throw the ball over referee Frank Murphy, but instead he picked out Luke Marshall. Leinster think they have a holding on penalty at the next ruck but Murphy isn’t interested. Eventually Cooney clears. Leinster have a lineout just inside the 22.

69 mins: Well he’s tried it plenty of times, but Gibson-Park finally pulls off a decent kick into the 22. He rolls one into touch beautifully, just the right side of the dead ball line.

67 mins: Ulster are looking to slow things up at nearly every breakdown while Leinster mad a dogfight out of the set-piece. The passage ends with a good Stockdale clearance from the 22.

Doris’ day is done, Conan is on for him.

64 mins: Byrne’s impact has been instant. First the conversion and now a good touchfinder that takes play from the Leinster 22 into the Ulster half.

TRY DAN SHEEHAN

The decision to go to the corner pays off. It’s a race to the corner as Leinster spin the maul around and Ulster try to use their momentum to shunt them into touch. Leinster win the race, Dan Sheehan dotting down. Byrne lines up the touchline conversion...he’s slotted it. One point game in the RDS!

62 mins: CHANCE! McCarthy blocks a Cooney clearance, scoops the ball and offloads brilliantly to Baird. Leinster are hunting inside the 22 and earn a penalty. Gibson-Park’s grubber for Henshaw to chase is won by Ulster, so back they go for the penalty. Harry Byrne is on at 10 for Prendergast and his first act is to kick to the corner. That was a very kickable penalty...

Ross Molony is also on for Jason Jenkins.

61 mins: Poor kicking all round. First Addison’s attempted up and under goes backwards in the wind. Then Gibson-Park again tries to find grass inside the 22 only to find a white shirt. The crowd isn’t happy again with Murphy looking to have missed a knock on.

57 mins: Reffell is rewarded with a jackal penalty and the crowd aren’t happy, they’re convinced he was off his feet. At the lineout, Ulster spill and then give away a penalty, making the RDS faithful quickly forget their gripe with Frank Murphy.

55 mins: A lot of excitement as the crowd thinks Turner is away after claiming another Burns cross-kick. Ulster had advantage with Leinster straying offside earlier in the piece. Joe McCarthy is getting treatment on a shoulder issue but it doesn’t look to be too serious. After turning down three in favour of the corner earlier, Cooney has called for the kicking tee.

He slots it and Ulster are out to an eight point lead.

50 mins: Another Leinster error. This time Baird spills a Cooney box-kick. Ulster are managing this second half well with their kicking game. The error is compounded by Leinster conceding another scrum penalty, that’s three in the game so far. Burns kicks into the 22.

Tom Stewart has replaced Rob Herring at hooker, while Mike Lowry is on for Baloucoune at the wing.

Stewart’s first involvement is a crooked lineout throw which lets Leinster off the hook inside their own 22.

48 mins: Penalty Ulster! The cleaners on a Doris carry get caught up trying to stop a choke tackle, leaving the ball exposed as Ulster go in and win a holding on call. Changes for Leinster in response, Clarkson, Healy and Connors are off. Boyle, Ala’alatoa and van der Flier are on.

47 mins: Another poor kick, this time from Prendergast. He follows Gibson-Park’s attempted chip into the 22 with something similar, again Stockdale marks easily and clears.

46 mins: This time Gibson-Park is guilty of a poor decision. Off turnover ball deep in Ulster’s 22, he must not have seen Stockdale in position in the backfield. Thinking he was kicking to grass, he chips for his teammates to chase but it’s an easy gather for Stockdale who calls the mark and clears.

43 mins: Poor from Cooney. Ulster get a penalty as O’Brien hits Addison high. Instead of clearing his lines, he takes it quickly and then kicks. It’s a poor effort, holding in the wind for Prendergast to take easily and deal with the 50:22 effort.

41 minutes: Back underway at the RDS! Burns and the Ulstermen kick things off, Baird claims in the air for Leinster. Prendergast once again shows off his impressive right boot, finding touch from well inside his own 22 close to halfway.

Billy Burns’ kicking game has been top drawer so far, responsible for all of Ulster’s three tries. That certainly is one clever way of getting around the Jacques Nienaber-style defence!

The pitch is too wet for the half-time mini matches. Won’t someone think of the children!

A bizarre, yet enthralling opening 40 minutes. Ulster came flying out of the bocks, bursting through missed tackles and riding the back of some beautiful attacking kicks from Billy Burns to canter into a 14-0 lead.

Back came Leinster, taking advantage of Ulster’s ill-discipline to show off their strong lineout and maul. The first try came off the back of a good maul, while the second needed some good luck, Gibson-Park’s kick bouncing off the crossbar before eventually making its way to Russell in the corner.

Ulster added one more score via a Burns cross-kick and they hit the sheds in front. At the minute, it’s Leinster’s set-piece and power game vs the boot of Burns. It’s a great watch.

Half-time: Leinster 14 Ulster 19

Leinster are looking very good attacking down the short side. The ball squirts out the side of a ruck, someone on the floor sticks out a hand to pull it back in and Murphy pings for playing on the deck.

Ulster kick the ball off to end a phenomenal first half.

37 mins: TRY NICK TIMONEY

It’s another try from a kick! This time the forwards suck in Leinster’s defensive line, allowing Burns to slip back into the pocket and kick across the park. Timoney is in acres of space, gathers and slides over untouched in the corner.

Cooney curls in the touchline conversion beautifully. Ulster are back in front!

35 mins: Given the wet conditions, Leinster’s lineout has been excellent. Sheehan hits his jumper in a pressure spot 5m from his own line, allowing Gibson-Park to clear.

As soon as I say that, the wind takes Sheehan’s next throw and blows it crooked. Ulster scrum close to the Leinster 22.

34 mins: Ulster continue to build on their momentum. Burns sticks the head up and opts to pin Leinster inside the 22, finding touch with a lovely grubber.

31 mins: More problems at the scrum for Leinster. Cian Healy wheels under pressure from O’Toole. That’s Ulster’s way back into the match here, via the scrum. It’s the one area they’ve had clear dominance.

25 mins: TRY ROB RUSSELL

This game is absolutely bonkers. Leinster have advantage so Gibson-Park tries a dink over the top. It ends up cannoning off the crossbar of the posts and into Prendergast’s arms. He finds O’Brien who in turn sends it to Russell who waits for the ball to bounce, gathers the wet ball well and dives over in the corner. Prendergast converts from the corner.

21 mins: Leinster come again. Ulster dive in off their feet and the penalty leads to another catch and drive. They do make their way over the line but Ulster manage to hold the ball up.

Ulster try to go quickly off the goal-line drop. Stockdale links up with Marshall who is hit hard by O’Brien, the ball comes loose and Leinster win a scrum. Poor game management from Ulster playing with a wet ball so close to their own line.

TRY WILL CONNORS

Leinster are level. They look after the lineout ball, launch the maul and Ulster have no answers as Connors powers his way over with a shove from Sheehan.

NOT SO FAST! The TMO has intervened. Leinster’s lifters at the lineout were guilty of obstruction at the maul. Frank Murphy takes one look at the replay on the big screen and chalks off the score.

17 mins: Leinster are building into this nicely after a horror start. First Baird pinches a lineout and then Frawley beats Addison in the air following an up-and-under from Gibson-Park. Leinster earn a penalty which Prendergast sticks into the corner.

15 mins: Prendergast shows off his boot. Tracking back to gather a Baloucoune punt into the 22, the outhalf launches a spiral that finds a good touch inside the Ulster half.

12 mins: TRY LEINSTER! What a start to this one. Leinster earn a penalty off the restart and go to the corner. McCarthy takes the lineout and after Sheehan goes close off the maul, Healy eventually barges his way over aftera number of phases close to the line.

Prendergast converts from out wide.

TRY JACOB STOCKDALE

Ulster are running rampant! It all starts with a missed tackle in the Ulster half. The visitors break and eventually work space on the outside. Tommy O’Brien is the only defender in a 30 metre radius and Burns kicks over the top of him. Stockdale scoops it up and coasts over in the corner.

Cooney pushes the conversion out to the right hand side.

TRY NICK TIMONEY

Ulster catch Leinster out with a first-phase strike. Burns kicks in behind off a lineout, it takes a bounce but sits up kindly for Timoney. He brushes past the first man and, despite a good last-ditch tackle from Frawley, uses the wet turf to his advantage to slide over the line. Cooney converts.

4 mins: Kitshoff et al have the better of the Leinster frontrow at that scrum. Referee Frank Murphy gives the penalty Ulster’s way and Burns finds touch past the 10m line.

2 mins: This time Leinster spill as Doris tries to com sprinting onto a short pass. Leinster have played three phases in attack and Sam Prendergast hasn’t touched the ball yet apart from when he took the opening kick-off.

1 min: Not a good start for poor Bob Baloucoune. Leinster go to the air via Gibson-Park, the kick is too long with no serious chase but Baloucoune spills nonetheless. Scrum Leinster on the Ulster 10m.

1 min: It’s Sam Prendergast and Leinster who kick things off at the RDS. He launches the ball long into the 22 where Cooney gathers. His clearance is a belter, finding touch up inside the Leinster 10m line.

Here come the teams. For all the miserable talk about the weather, this should be a cracker. Henshaw vs McCloskey with an Ireland squad being announced shortly, Stockdale looking to prove he’s back to his best, McCarthy smashing into Henderson all day, there’s a lot to be excited about.

It’s wet, it’s cold. Mercifully, the rain has eased approaching kick-off but it is still coming down nonetheless.

Sam Prendergast has never looked fazed no matter what’s thrown at him, writes John O’Sullivan, and that strength of character is an important addendum to his skills; he doesn’t die wondering, so to speak. He will have the experience of Jamison Gibson-Park beside him. Gibson-Park, a late withdrawal the last day, has proved his fitness and will be on hand to coax his young halfback partner through the early bedding-in period and beyond, while Robbie Henshaw, restored to inside centre, should provide a calming and assured influence.

[ Sam Prendergast gets his chance to shine as Leinster entertain Ulster at the RDS ]

Let’s look at the team news. The latest to come in is Leinster have made two late changes to the side that was originally announced. James Ryan and Jimmy O’Brien have pulled out so in come Joe McCarthy and Ciarán Frawley. Ross Molony comes onto the bench.

Caelan Doris captains Leinster for the first time in the absence of Ryan.

That means there are now three members of the side that beat Munster on St Stephen’s Day lining out, Rob Russell being the third.

The headline new man is Sam Prendergast, the young outhalf making just his second start of the season.

As for Ulster, they’ve made five changes to the side that beat Connacht before Christmas. Steven Kitshoff, Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole come into the frontrow, Billy Burns is back at outhalf while Luke Marshall replaces James Hume at centre.

The big battle will be between Iain Henderson, Kieran Treadwell and Joe McCarthy and Jason Jenkins in the secondrow. Battle of the engine room will be the order of the day in this weather.

Hello all and welcome to the day’s second interpro as Leinster host Ulster in the RDS.

The bad news is the rain seen earlier today in Galway has made its way to Dublin. It is absolutely biblical at the moment - has there been a worse week of weather for festive interpro rugby?

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made 14 changes for the clash, resting a host of frontline players while repatriating others who last week got to tuck into their Christmas dinner with gusto.

Sam Prendergast’s selection is notable, the 20-year-old is the third outhalf to wear the 10 jersey in the province’s last three matches domestically and in Europe.

Kick off at 5.15 at the RDS.

The teams:

LEINSTER: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, L Turner, R Henshaw, R Russell; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; C Healy, D Sheehan, T Clarkson; J Jenkins, J Ryan (capt); R Baird, W Connors, C Doris.

Replacements: L Barron, J Boyle, M Ala’alatoa, J McCarthy, J Conan, L McGrath, H Byrne, J van der Flier.

ULSTER: W Addison; R Baloucoune, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, R Herring, T O’Toole; K Treadwell, I Henderson (capt); Matty Rea, S Reffell, N Timoney.

Replacements: T Stewart, A Warwick, S Wilson, A O’Connor, D Ewers, N Doak, M Lowry, J Postlethwaite.

Referee: F Murphy (IRFU).