Leinster 43 Ulster 20 - as it happened

Leinster 43 Ulster 20

That, as they say, is that. A thoroughly entertaining game but Ulster never looked like pulling off an upset after falling away from that impressive opening period. Leinster found the upper gears they needed, setting up a raft of second half scores. The pick was James Lowe’s footballing skills to set himself up in the corner.

Leinster will now travel to South Africa to take on the Bulls in Pretoria. A tough task of a semi-final. That’s it for our live blog. Stay tuned for John O’Sullivan’s match report from the Aviva.

TRY MIKE LOWRY

80 mins: Ulster have the last laugh. Doak tries a crosskick playing with advantage. It lands in the arms of Lowry who has enough pace to beat Frawley on the outside to score in the corner. Cooney’s conversion will be the last kick of the game and he’s steered it wide.

Full-time: Leinster 43 Ulster 20

Joe McCarthy is named today’s player of the match.

79 mins: That is sensational from Prendergast. He chips ahead and instead of catching his own effort, he kicks it with the outside of his boot perfectly into the arms of Deegan to carry. Wow. The attack comes to nothing, but that was worth the admission fee alone.

TRY ROSS MOLONY

76 mins: In what could well be his last home game for Leinster, Molony barges his way over from close range. A long lineout throw from Kelleher is mopped up by Prendergast and from there, forward carries culminate in Molony doing the honours. Prendergast converts easily.

Leinster 43 Ulster 15

71 mins: Deegan and Prendergast are on for Leinster. Doris and Byrne make way.

TRY JOSH VAN DER FLIER

68 mins: End to end stuff! Leinster march back down the pitch after conceding, van der Flier starting it off with a big carry before Henshaw followed suit into the 22. From there Leinster go through the hands, Byrne and Osborne drawing in defenders before van der Flier finds space for a simple run-in out wide.

Byrne adds the conversion.

Leinster 35 Ulster 15

TRY STEWART MOORE

65 mins: Ulster hit back immediately. There’s an element of luck as a loose ball following a high kick bounces towards McCloskey in space. His offload is sensational, sending McIlroy away. He kicks ahead, Moore gets on the end of it and fights through some tackles to score. Cooney converts with some help from the upright.

Leinster 29 Ulster 15

TRY JORDAN LARMOUR

64 mins: A score does come but it’s one which, in all likelihood, wraps this up for Leinster. McCarthy picks up a loose ball, survives a big collision before setting off a series of offloads which put Leinster up towards the 22. Once they go wide, Byrne and Henshaw combine to suck in defenders and send Larmour over in the corner.

Byrne lines up the conversion from out wide and this time he pulls it back over the bar nicely.

Leinster 29 Ulster 8

61 mins: A Larmour interception ends another promising Ulster attack inside the Leinster half. They’re building back into this game nicely. A score in the next few minutes would make this very interesting all of a sudden.

57 mins: Changes on both sides. Kelleher is on for Sheehan at hooker for Leinster while Nathan Doak replaces Burns at 10 for Ulster. Given the current scoreline, that is likely Burns’ final appearance in an Ulster shirt.

57 mins: Ulster go through the phases nicely. They have good tempo and start to make ground until Gibson-Park gets into a breakdown to disrupt. Ulster spill as they try and get him out of there, giving Leinster a scrum.

54 mins: Ulster survive another close shave. Addison’s kick bounces nicely for O’Brien to run back. He has Lowe on the outside and it takes a last-ditch tackle to stop him and dislodge the ball. This is opening up nicely with both sides running with the ball much more than previously.

53 mins: Gibson-Park nearly scores, only a last-ditch tackle from Moore costing him asan offload from Doris opened the space. When the ball goes the other way, Byrne grubbers into the corner but the bounce just evades O’Brien who had a clear run into the corner. It skips out of play in-goal, inches from a diving O’Brien.

TRY DAVE MCCANN

A lifeline for Ulster? After a penalty into the corner, they catch Leinster napping. McCann gets up from a maul so no one in the Leinster line sees him. He runs down the short side, taking the clever pass from Cooney to score untouched in the corner.

Cooney pulls his touchline conversion wide.

Leinster 22 Ulster 8

48 mins: Stockdale is in the wars. While chasing a high ball, Mike Lowry ran into his own man, making contact to the head with his shoulder. Stockdale looks groggy and is helped off the field with a bloody mouth. Ethan McIlroy replaces him.

TRY JAMES LOWE

Wow. That is one of the best tries you’ll see all year. Playing under advantage from a scrum penalty, Byrne kicks across the park for Lowe to chase. It looks to be going into touch but Lowe sticks a boot out, keeps it in play while also sending past fullback Moore and towards the line. He runs around Moore, kicking it one further time before grounding in-goal. What a senasional score.

Byrne hits the post with the conversion.

Leinster 22 Ulster 3

This might not be good news for Leinster fans with one eye on next weekend. Furlong has been taken off for Ala’alatoa. No clear signs of an injury but this is an early juncture to take him off.

42 mins: Ulster have an early penalty inside the 22. O’Brien spills a high ball and then Henshaw plays it in an offside position. Ulster decide to open their account, calling for the tee with an easy kick on offer.

No mistake from Cooney from in front of the posts.

Leinster 17 Ulster 3

41 mins: We’re back underway at the Aviva as Billy Burns kicks off. Leinster deal with the kick-off and find touch through Gibson-Park.

The news from the other games is that the Bulls have beaten Benetton. That means the winner of this game will have to travel to Pretoria for a semi-final next week.

Given their lack of secondrow depth, the last thing Ulster needed was an injury to someone in that position early in the game. Izuchuwku, of all people, was the worst man to lose. He was Ulster’s best source of go-forward ball while doing a decent job of repelling Leinster around the fringes. His departure 20 minutes in looks to have completely killed off any chance of an Ulster upset.

A strange half of rugby. For the first 20 minutes, Leinster were one-dimensional and unable to bash through Ulster’s defence. The visitors, by contrast, found plenty of joy with their kicking game and sending runners such as Izuchukwu and Stockdale hard into the line.

However, once Izuchukwu went off, with him went Ulster’s momentum. Leinster scored a belter of a breakaway score against the run of play before following up with a well constructed score for Lowe. Ulster started losing set pieces and couldn’t hold onto the ball thereafter, albeit they did have that late chance in the 22 which Leinster repelled.

Half-time: Leinster 17 Ulster 0

Baird pinches the lineout at the front and Leinster get the ball off the park. You feel Ulster needed a score there. Huge momentum boost for the home side to keep a zero on the board at the break.

41 mins: Leinster think they have pinched the lineout and can go to half-time, but an infringement was spotted at the lineout. Playing the jumper in the air. Andrew Brace gives Leinster a warning, next penalty goes to the bin. Ulster go back to the lineout.

40 mins: CLOSE! Greg Jones is over the line but he’s spilled the ball. Leinster gave away at least three penalties in that sequence off the maul, so back we go for one of them. Burns sends the ball into the corner again.

39 mins: Baird gives away a very kickable penalty inside his own 22. He cynically played the ball while being cleared out of the ruck. Ulster, though, don’t take the kick, instead going to the corner.

We’ll take a break here as Dave McCann receives treatment for a head knock close to where play was heading.

TRY JAMES LOWE

34 mins: After a rough start, this game is well and truly Leinster’s to lose now. Byrne feeds an inside ball to his wing. Ulster read it but O’Sullivan can’t make the tackle, allowing Lowe to burst through. He beats Moore in the backfield before riding the tackle of Sheridan to reach and score. Once again, Byrne converts.

Leinster 17 Ulster 0

32 mins: Ulster’s attacking momentum continues to desert them. After a handful of soft carries which do no damage, McCarthy swoops for a breakdown turnover.

Off the following possession, Gibson-Park kicks into the 22. It bounces in-goal where Sheehan bats the ball back towards the try line. Leinster’s other chasers had given up on the kick which looked to be long, otherwise someone could have been there to pounce on the loose ball. Instead, a white jersey cleans up.

31 mins: Byrne gets back to his feet after the high shot to kick the penalty from a central position right on the 22. Leinster open up a two-score lead.

Leinster 10 Ulster 0

30 mins: Ulster read Leinster’s backline move well but they concede a penalty. Addison smashes Byrne behind the gainline but he hits him high. Penalty only for now, but they are checking in the background.

No card. Addison first made contact with the shoulder before sliding up. Byrne also dipped into the collision.

28 mins: Ulster have lost their mojo since that score. They lose a lineout and Henshaw then pins them inside their own 22 with a beautiful touchfinder.

A look at that Henshaw try which is the difference between the two sides. Keep an eye out for that delayed pass from Furlong.

26 mins: Stockdale is unlucky there. His attempted 50:22 is well judged but the bounce is favourable for Leinster, allowing Gibson-Park to come across and gather before it goes into touch.

25 mins: A bout of kick tennis ends with a poorly struck Byrne kick giving Ulster possession in the Leinster half. A good platform to strike back.

Maybe not. James Ryan gets into the air to compete and bat the ball back onto the Leinster side. It takes a wicked bounce and Ulster regather. Burns goes to the air but Addison knocks on while chasing.

TRY ROBBIE HENSHAW

21 mins: Leinster strike first but it’s against the run of play. Tadhg Furlong sets it all up, delaying a pass beautifully to suck in the defence and send Osborne into space. He nearly butchers it, failing to send Gibson-Park in under the sticks when he throws a dummy instead. Addison, though, bounces off the tackle, allowing Osborne to stay on his feet and feed Henshaw. Leinster have been poor, but their ability to cut open the defence there was excellent.

Byrne lands the conversion.

Leinster 7 Ulster 0

18 mins: Ulster’s kicking game, again, causes problems. Burns finds grass inside the 22. The bounce sits up for O’Brien but McCloskey is right in his face and charges down the clearance. O’Brien gets away with it as the ball ricochets into touch.

For all Ulster are playing beautifully, this is not good news. Cormac Izuchukwu leaves the field. Given the lack of secondrow on the bench, that is a big, big loss. Greg Jones, a backrow by trade, is on for him.

17 mins: A long Leinster attack which, apart from a thunderous McCarthy carry and a celever Osborne line, Ulster deal with easily, ends when Furlong spills an unsympathetic byrne pass. Ulster immediately kick in behind, Stockdale pressures Henshaw and forces him into touch. Ulster are by far and away the best side in the opening quarter.

14 mins: Ulster definitely have the upper hand in the air. This time Stockdale chases a box kick, beating Gibson-Park to it but he spills it forward. Gibson-Park then kicks, finding a good touch inside Ulster’s half which relieves some of the pressure on Leinster.

12 mins: Leinster are under some serious pressure here. First of all Byrne completely misses a high ball after a pinpoint box kick. He’s lucky it bounces into touch for a Leinster lineout 10m from their own line, but Sheridan gets in the air to disrupt the throw. Izuchukwu tears off for the Leinster try line but Brace says Sheridan knocked it on. Leinster hanging on.

NO TRY

Timoney did initially get the ball on the floor, but he was short. As he reached for the line, Leinster got their hands on the ball.

11 mins: HELD UP! Ulster are convinced they’ve scored but Andrew Brace says Leinster held Nick Timoney up over the line. It was a brilliant attack, highlighted by some delicate Addison handling, but Ulster took Leinster on around the fringes and got over the line.

They will check if Timoney got the ball down, or if McCarthy and Ryan did enough to prevent the grounding.

8 mins: Ulster are fortunate to keep the ball at the scrum but they nearly score off it! Leinster’s frontrow overpowers them but Cooney does enough to get the ball out before Brace pings for a penalty. In broken field - again - Izuchukwu powers through Doris to break the line. He offloads to Rea who looks to feed Cooney for the scoring pass but Ryan cleverly sticks a hand out to interfere, knocking the ball backwards. Leinster survive. Just.

7 mins: Stockdale gets the Ulster contingent in the crowd on their feet by beating Larmour on the outside. His chip is gathered by Byrne who is under pressure and takes a big shot from McCloskey. He kicks ahead, Addison gathers and runs it back. Ulster are looking good in broken field here.

4 mins: Leinster make their intentions known very early. They go through nearly 10 phases after the lineout maul with pick and goes from the forwards. They want to take Ulster on up front and dominate around the fringes. Another penalty is kicked into the corner after Izuchukwu fails to roll away. Sheehan’s throw, though, is long and Ulster gather before Cooney clears.

2 mins: Ulster go to the maul off the penalty but there’s McCarthy, powering through the middle of it to win the ball back. Leinster then earn advantage as Rea plays the ball off his feet. Henshaw kicks into the 22 and a tricky bounce sees Moore let it bounce into touch. Back we go for the penalty which is kicked into the 22.

1 min: The teams are on the pitch, referee Andrew Brace blows his whistle and we are underway! Ross Byrne kicks off in front of what is by no means a packed Aviva crowd. It looks like only the lower tier is open. Leinster immediately give away a penalty as Henshaw takes Moore in the air off the kick-off. Penalty only.

The decision to play Izuchukwu as a blindside flanker of late is very much on trend in the modern game, where players who might previously be considered for the secondrow alone, like Ryan Baird, Tom Ahern, Evan O’Connell, Joe Hopes and Diarmuid Mangan to highlight a quintet, have the athleticism and speed to thrive in the backrow.

—  John O'Sullivan

Some last minute pre match reading as we wait for the teams. John O’Sullivan, our man in the Aviva Stadium, has written about the resurgence of Cormac Izuchukwu in his new position given to him by Richie Murphy.

[ Ulster backrow Cormac Izuchukwu brings diverse talents to the table ]

Ulster have beaten Leinster twice already this year. The Billy Burns kick special in the RDS back in January and a last-gasp victory over a Leinster side resting plenty of big names for Europe were highlights of what has otherwise been a tumultuous year for Ulster. They have changed both head coach and CEO, crashed out of the Champions Cup in shambolic fashion and at one point looked unlikely to even make the top eight.

Under Richie Murphy, fortunes have taken a turn for the better. What has gone right, and where will Ulster go from here? This week’s rugby podcast delved into the topic in depth.

Ulster’s turnaround under Richie Murphy

Listen | 30:50

As for Ulster, they’ve been forced into a reshuffle in the pack with a number of injuries, particularly at lock. With Iain Henderson, Alan O’Connor and Kieran Treadwell ruled out, Cormac Izuchukwu shifts into the five shirt having impressed significantly in the backrow in recent weeks. Harry Sheridan packs down alongside him to give a youthful look to the engine room.

There is no specialist lock on the bench. Instead Greg Jones and Dave Ewers, backrow by nature, will likely be expected to fill in.

Perhaps in a bid to shore up the lineout with two young secondrow jumpers, the more experienced and traditionally stronger thrower Rob Herring starts at hooker with Tom Stewart on the bench. Herring also captains the side in place of Henderson.

Will Addison is at 13 alongside Stuart McCloskey with James Hume still injured, while Stewart Moore is given a run at fullback. Ethan McIlroy and Jacob Stockdale join him in the backthree.

We’ll start with the team news. First up, the hosts, Leinster. For the first time in what feels like quite a significant time given Leinster’s European focus, this is the first time they’ve named a full-strength XV in the URC. Well, at least as close to full strength as they can get.

Hugo Keenan remains unavailable as he continues to play with the Ireland Sevens side in a bit to make the Olympic squad. Jimmy O’Brien is given first crack at replacing him in the 15 shirt. He’s joined by Jordan Larmour and James Lowe in the backthree. Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Osborne continue in midfield - despite the return to fitness of Garry Ringrose - while, interestingly enough given criticism of his performance in the defeat to Toulouse, Ross Byrne remains the trusted option at 10.

Josh van der Flier returns at flanker in place of Will Connors from that final loss, while James Ryan starts and captains the side at secondrow. There is no 6/2 split, Leo Cullen opting for a more traditional bench. Both Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley are in the matchday squad. There is no Harry Byrne.

Good afternoon all and welcome to coverage of the URC knockouts. Nathan Johns here to tell you what’s what from the Aviva Stadium as Leinster look to banish some of their European demons by going on a run in the domestic competition.

Ulster, for their part, have seen an uptick in their fortunes ever since Richie Murphy took over as head coach. After at one point looking like not even making the top eight, Ulster finished sixth in the league to set up this interpro derby.

Kick-off is at 5pm and we’ll be building up to the action until then.