FORGET THE FA Cup — today is all about the magic of the Saturday afternoon inter-pro. It’s Leinster v Ulster, live from the RDS.
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Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of Leinster v Ulster in the Guinness Pro12.
We’re not quite accustomed to 2.40pm Saturday afternoon kick-offs in the Pro12 but do you know something? I think we could get used to it.
Team news coming up.
Team news: Five changes for Leinster including the return of Fergus McFadden on the right wing, while Ben Te’o is fit enough to take his place on the bench.
Rory Best, Tommy Bowe, Stuart Olding and Ruan Pienaar all start for the Ulster men.
Leinster
1. Jack McGrath
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Devin Toner
5. Mike McCarthy
6. Jack Conan
7. Shane Jennings
8. Jamie Heaslip (Capt.)
9. Isaac Boss
10. Ian Madigan
11. Dave Kearney
12. Gordon D’Arcy
13. Luke Fitzgerald
14. Fergus McFadden
15. Zane Kirchner
16. Sean Cronin
17. Michael Bent
18. Tadhg Furlong
19. Kane Douglas
20. Jordi Murphy
21. Luke McGrath
22. Jimmy Gopperth
23. Ben Te’o
Ulster
1. Callum Black
2. Rory Best (Capt.)
3. Wiehahn Herbst
4. Dan Tuohy
5. Franco Van Der Merwe
6. Robbie Diack
7. Clive Ross
8. Roger Wilson
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Paddy Jackson
11. Craig Gilroy
12. Stuart Olding
13. Darren Cave
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Peter Nelson
16. Rob Herring
17. Andrew Warwick
18. Bronson Ross
19. Alan O’Connor
20. Sean Reidy
21. Paul Marshall
22. Ian Humphreys
23. Luke Marshall
Sean Farrell is in an “anticipant” RDS for us. More from him shortly.
Late change for Leinster: Shane Jennings is out, so Jordi Murphy starts at openside. Josh van der Flier is on the bench.
If the BBC comms have their stats sheets correct, Ulster have only beaten Leinster once in a competitive game in Dublin since the turn of the century. Can they right that wrong and push on towards the top of the table?
Paddy Jackson gets us underway.
Franco van der Merwe spots a gap and darts through in midfield but it’s quickly turned over by Leinster.
Ulster win the game’s first penalty — McFadden pinged for not releasing, it seems — and Jackson kicks to touch.
Sean Farrell in the RDS:
Tannoy appealing for support from Leinster fans as the team comes out and at pains to point out that the RDS is a fortress.
Peter Nelson tries the grubber but Tommy Bowe hasn’t read his intentions. Still, it pins Leinster back inside their own 22. They win the lineout, and then a penalty, and clear their lines. Scrappy enough from both sides in these opening minutes.
Good possession from Ulster as they grind out the yards towards the Leinster 22. Craig Gilroy bounces off a big tackle by Dave Kearney to keep the move going, and then it springs to life as Dan Tuohy chooses a great line to run into space.
Darren Cave has half a chance to score as it’s sent out wide but Ian Madigan is across to cover and, after a couple of probing efforts on the Leinster line, the blue defence turns it over and clears.
That’s a big stop.
Sean Farrell in the RDS:
Initial Tuohy break was thanks to a (forward) pass from Jackson, but Ulster just used the lock once too often and he was instantly turned over.
Bowe will be kicking himself for dropping an uncontested ball on halfway. Meat and drink for him.
D’Arcy tries to kick in behind the Ulster line and get them turned but it’s half-blocked. Leinster regain possession just outside the Ulster 22.
Superb defence by Ulster to hold firm. Dan Tuohy flattens Jack McGrath with a tackle and the Leinster prop is pinged for not releasing.
Pienaar will have a penalty from the halfway line…
OFF THE BAR! Desperately unlucky for Pienaar who was only a couple of millimetres shy on the distance there.
Ian Madigan penalised for a high tackle on Stuart Olding and Pienaar will have a second bite at the cherry, this time from a couple of yards inside Leinster territory.
Leinster 0-3 Ulster: No mistake this time – straight and true and Ulster lead.
Over on BBC, Eddie O’Sullivan is waxing lyrical about the quality of scrummaging on show from both sides.
Diack is holding the ball on the ground and it allows Madigan to kick Leinster all the way up to the 22. Great defending again by Ulster, led by Callum Black, but Heaslip manages to dig in and retain possession.
Great break by Fitzgerald and the Ulster tackler fails to release him five or six yards from the line. In the circumstances, giving away a penalty is preferable to the try which was certainly on.
Madigan steps up…
Leinster 3-3 Ulster: It’s the kind of penalty you’d expect Madigan to score all day, every day — and he does. All square again.
Sean Farrell in the RDS:
There’s the massive roar the tannoy cheerleader was after. It comes as Leinster break in to the Ulster 22 for the first time. That’s how to get a crowd going, not with pleas
Jamie Heaslip is slow to get up. Looks like it’s his right shoulder that’s bothering him.
Heaslip is ok to resume as Ulster put into the scrum on the Leinster 22. He’s still feeling the shoulder a bit though.
Leinster penalised for not rolling away from the ruck inside their own 22. This should be a handy three points for Ruan Pienaar.
Leinster 3-6 Ulster
From the restart, Ian Madigan kicks the ball straight to Robbie Diack. Erm…
Bad news for Leinster as Heaslip — the bionic man who never gets injured — is unable to continue. Van der Flier, who wasn’t even in the 23 this morning, is on.
No doubt that Ulster have been on top in this opening half-hour but they keep giving away cheap penalties to allow Leinster relieve pressure and keep the scoreboard ticking over. Madigan has a chance to level it here.
Leinster 6-6 Ulster: No mistake. We’re all square again.
Confusion among the Leinster backs as both Boss and Dave Kearney go to deal with Pienaar’s clearing kick. They get their wires all crossed, make a mess of it, and spill possession into touch for an Ulster lineout.
Another Leinster penalty, this time for Rory Best going in off his feet. Referee Marius Mitrea has a word with Best, presumably to let him know that the next Ulster infraction might well yield a yellow card.
Into the last minute of the half here. Leinster inside the 22.
Dan Tuohy flies in off his feet and tackles Boss. There’s the yellow card we were talking about — Ulster will play most of the first 10 minutes of the second half with 14 men.
Leinster 9-6 Ulster: Madigan kicks it and that’s all we’ve got time for.
Leinster 9-6 Ulster
Sean Farrell in the RDS:
Ulster will feel aggrieved by the last few penalties that took Leinster from halfway to within scoring distance. Neither side really doing enough to deserve a lead, but Leinster have their noses in front and, often, that’s all that matters.
We’re back underway. Remember, Ulster down to 14 for the first nine minutes or so of this second half.
Leinster bolt out of the traps and Ian Madigan very nearly has Jordi Murphy free on the left wing but Peter Nelson does just enough to cover and make the tackle.
When it comes back infield, D’Arcy switches the ball back inside to Kirchner who takes it to within yards.
We come back for a Leinster penalty as Gilroy is offside.
Leinster 16-6 Ulster: It’s magic by Ian Madigan and Leinster have the game’s first try. He shapes as if he’s about to kick to touch, but then takes a quick tap-and-go and dives over the line. When it works, you’re a genius, and it worked for Mads there.
He converts and Leinster, who were second-best for a lot of the first half, lead by 10.
Sean Farrell in the RDS:
That’s the Ian Madigan magic. He’s far from a conventional out-half, but that ability to recognise when a defensive is sound asleep is why so many people are excited by the Leinster 10.
BOD likes what he sees:
That’s bad by Leinster. Murphy pops the ball down from the top of the lineout but Boss fumbles it to the ground. Ulster will have the put in to the scrum inside the Leinster 22.
Luke Marshall is on for Tommy Bowe. More on that as we get it.
Try? Or is it? Herbst goes over for Ulster but we’ll need the TMO to decide…
Leinster 16-11 Ulster: It’s a try alright. Wiehahn Herbst did ground the ball as he was driven over the line with Franco van der Merwe on his shoulder. Herbst was short initially but there’s no double movement.
Pienaar misses the conversion, but Tuohy is on and Ulster are back to full strength.
Play stops so that Franco van der Merwe can get some treatment. When we resume, it will be an Ulster put-in to the scrum just inside their own half.
Penalty Leinster — Callum Black held on in the tackle a split-second too long and Madigan will put this one into the corner.
Two changes for Leinster: Cronin and Furlong on for Strauss and Ross.
Superb by Luke Fitz who jinks into the Ulster 22 and then plays a basketball pass outside to D’Arcy, who in turn finds van der Flier on his shoulder. He’s just short but Leinster are still knocking on the door. Toner just short…
Back for a Leinster penalty five yards out. I presume the Ulster defence will be switched on this time.
Leinster 19-11 Ulster: Madigan puts eight between the teams.
Kane Douglas on for Mike McCarthy
Bad, bad miss by Ruan Pienaar. Leinster give away a penalty from the restart but Pienaar gets under it too much and it drops short.
Ulster shoot themselves in the foot as both Herbst and Ross are pinged for coming in from the side, and Leinster clear their lines. This is gone very scrappy.
Uh oh, Jack McGrath could be in a bit of trouble. Rory Best is on the wrong side of the ruck and the Leinster prop has a couple of stamps on his ankle as he tries to clear him out. There’s no punishment — I wonder if that might be one for the citing commissioner?
Jimmy Gopperth on for Zane Kirchner for Leinster; Reidy on for Clive Ross for Ulster.
Luke McGrath on to replace Boss at scrum-half for Leinster.
Madigan dinks the ball over the top of the Ulster defence and into touch. He’s been superb all round again today (and not just because he’s scored all 19 of Leinster’s points.)
Michael Bent on for Jack McGrath up front.
Leinster come forward again but Dave Kearney is just too quick for the ball, if that’s even possible, and he knocks it on. Ulster scrum on their own 22.
Two Ulster changes — Herring on for Best, Marshall on for Pienaar
Try Leinster? Maybe? We’re going upstairs…
NO TRY! Gopperth touches down but the referee comes back to see if he knocked it on as the ball came up off his foot. After multiple replays, we see that it brushed his fingertips.
Nice boost for Leinster as Ben Te’o comes on to replace D’Arcy for the last couple of minutes.
Leinster on the Ulster line with 30 seconds to play…
Leinster 24-11 Ulster: Jack Conan! Seconds after the PA announces him as man of the match, Conan crosses to cap a very impressive afternoon at blindside. Luke McGrath picked the ball off the base of the scrum and popped it to Conan who had plenty of momentum to barge his way over the line.
Madigan misses the penalty but that’s the lot.
Leinster 24-11 Ulster
So that’s the lot. It wasn’t vintage Leinster by any means but they did more than enough against an Ulster side who shot themselves in the foot too many times, and never really recovered from the momentum they lost when Dan Tuohy was sinbinned at the end of the first half.
Not a vintage game by any means but Leinster move above their northern rivals and into fourth place, four behind leaders Ospreys who kick off against the Scarlets in a half-hour’s time.
Sean Farrell will have all the reaction and analysis from the RDS over the course of the evening, but that’s my lot for now. Thanks for reading.
