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Andrew Conway touches down for Leinster. ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Leinster v Ospreys, RaboDirect PRO12

Joe Schmidt’s men could clinch a home semi-final by beating the niggly Welshmen.

LEINSTER’S QUEST TO remain at the RDS until the end of the season kicked it up a notch against Ospreys.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail patrick@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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Leinster 37-19 Ospreys

Welcome along to our live coverage of tonight’s match. Here are your teams:

Leinster: Rob Kearney; Andrew Conway, Fergus McFadden, Ian Madigan, Isa Nacewa; Jonathan Sexton, Isaac Boss; Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Jamie Hagan; Leo Cullen (c), Quinn Roux; Rhys Ruddock, Shane Jennings, Sean O’Brien. Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Cian Healy, Michael Bent, Devin Toner, Dominic Ryan, John Cooney, Andrew Goodman, Brian O’Driscoll.

Ospreys: Richard Fussell; Tom Habberfield, Ashley Beck, Ben John, Ross Jones; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Duncan Jones, Scott Baldwin, Adam Jones; Alun Wyn Jones (c), James King; Justin Tipuric, Sam Lewis, Joe Bearman. Replacements: Dmitri Arhip, Ryan Bevington, Cai Griffiths, Ian Evans, Morgan Allen, Matthew Morgan, Tom Isaacs, Jonathan Spratt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9eEHLV_kEo

YouTube credit: LeinsterrugbyTV·

Oops, a couple of changes to that Leinster matchday 23. Luke McGrath in for Isaac Boss at scrumhalf and Jordi Murphy replaces Dominic Ryan on the bench.

Here come Leinster. Ospreys in the ode to Clermont kit: white with yellow socks and yellow & blue trimmings. The breeze is kicking up here in Dublin. I’m getting clangered with it up in the stands. Biggar KICKS OFF!

Joe Bearman peels off the back of an Ospreys scrum and paws off O’Brien before three blue shirts – one of them Jennings – hold him up in the tackle. Luke McGrath feeds. Solid enough, McGrath locates Madigan, who sets off. Sexton advances 50 metres before Jamie Hagan knocks on.

Madigan, the new darling of Leinster, is down for treatment but picks himself up in time to see Biggar go right and wide with a tough penalty chance from the left touchline.

TRY! Leinster 7-0 (Conway ’7)

An absolute clanger in defence by Ospreys left winger Ross Jones. McFadden chips on up the right wing and Jones allows it skiuttle through his legs. It pops up nicely for Conway to touch down. Sexton’s conversion is a beauty and just about beats the breeze to drop over.

Some kicking back and forth in the swirling winds as the back threes on both sides get some testing balls to deal with. Rob Kearney, no doubt imbued with Lions feel-good spirit, has started well. Leinster lineout clicking too. Cronin finding his jumpers.

Game is held up for a couple of minutes as Rhys Webb is helped off the pitch. Replacement scrumhalf Jonathan Spratt comes on as O’Driscoll warms up and the #OneMoreYear chant kicks off again.

Sean Cronin spills forward on the Leinster 10m line. Moments earlier, Adam Jones’ bulk held Jennings and Cullen to the turf as a breakdown broke out around them. If he stays injury free and links up well with Healy in Australia, the Lions will have the edge over the Wallabies. As I type this Adam Jones love-in, the Ospreys front row collapses. McGrath with the quick tap and Leinster spill up the right flank and Madigan pins the Welsh into their 22 with a clever kick.

O’Brien starting well at 8. Could be a handy option at the back of the Lions pack.

Leinster’s attacking scrum is wheeled five metres out, Ospreys clear. Nacewa plucks the ball from the air and links up well with Kearney. Conway beats a man and his smart chip forces Biggar into touch in his 22.

TRY! Leinster 14-0 Ospreys (Conway ’23)

Cullen claims and feeds McGrath, who offloads in the tackle for Conway to race clear and dot down. Well worked move again. Sexton slots it over.

After good work from AW Jones, Biggar tries a grubber for Bearman in the corner but it has too much heat on it. Chance gone.

Ulster latest: Mark Anscombe’s men trail Cardiff Blues 10-7 at Ravenhill. Ruan Pienaar converted his own try on 17 minutes but has missed one penalty attempt. Nervy times for the team that led the standings for 90% of the season.

TRY: Leinster 14-7 (Biggar ’29)

Shocking defence from the home side as they concede a penalty and drop back to their line in the assumption that Biggar will go for the sticks. They switch off. Biggar taps and heads for the corner. He is held up just short but a friendly shunt by the Ospreys forwards get him over and touching down. He follows up with a nice conversion.

Ulster update: Pienaar pulled Ulster level at Ravenhill but Rhys Patchell lands a drop goal to put the Welsh side ahead.

34 minutes gone at the RDS and two lads on their way out the exit door in the summer, Conway and Jamie Hagan, are performing well.

TRY: Leinster 14-12 Ospreys (John ’36)

Ospreys love playing Leinster. McFadden is needed to haul down Spratt but a very simple four v four out wide and right works for them. Bearman held off long enough to leave Ben John one-on-one against Sexton. He went straight for the outhalf’s solarplexes and brought him over the line to touch down. Biggar’s conversion from wide right drifts just wide.

Here is Conway’s opening try. Check out the nutmeg that did for Ospreys’ Ross Jones:

YouTube credit: RaboDirectPRO12

PEN: Leinster 17-12 Ospreys (Sexton ’40)

Nigel Owens plays a long advantage for penalty as two Ospreys men go off their feet. With the rain starting and wind swiring, McGrath lies and steadies for Sexton, 38 metres out but straight in front. Solid connection and it soars over.

HALF-TIME

Not exactly as comprehensive as the Biarritz game last weekend – blame it on the rain, as Milli Vanilli sang. Other half-times: Ulster 10-13 Cardiff Blues; Connacht 3-10 Glasgow Warriors; Zebre 25-27 Munster.

What did you make of that?

FULL-TIME RESULT: Zebre 25-27 Munster. Close again for the hapless Italians but tries from BJ Botha, Paddy Butler and Johne Murphy give Rob Penney’s men a narrow win. Ian Keatley kicked three conversions and two penalties as Munster finish their season on a winning note.

KICK-OFF

TRY! Leinster 22-12 Ospreys (Conway ’41)

Conway again! He burns Ross Jones up the right wing and does a spin around a bouncing ball before clutching it in and diving over in the corner for his hat-trick. Sexton judges another peach of a conversion, over with the help of a post.

Leinster 24-12 Ospreys

Munster have themselves a bargain there. Conway has pace to burn.

Ulster update: 20-13 to the home side at Ravenhill. Andrew Trimbvle’s try is converted by Pienaar, who adds a penalty two minutes later.

Ospreys did well to fight back once but is there heart in this fight after falling 12 behind? Hagan, Cronin and Jack McGrath get the scrum shunt on and the Ospreys pack reels. Penalty Leinster but it is in their half. Alive, Alive O! rings out at the RDS as Madigan is loose with a pass. No bother to head-strapped McFadden who bursts up the centre for a 30-metre gain.

Ulster and Nick Williams hitting their straps up in Ravenhill. (©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

PEN: Leinster 27-12 Ospreys (Sexton ’55)

A few scrum re-sets from Nigel Owens before the penalty goes Leinster’s way. Adam Jones pingd. Sexton to kick. Thar she blows. Great kick.

Here is Conway’s second try:

YouTube credit: RaboDirectPRO12

Great work from O’Brien at the breakdown, securing a turnover. Nacewa with a clever kick up the left touchline as, as Adam Jones ambles off, the ball goes out of play just outside the Ospreys 22. Lineout steal for Leinster and they are on the attack, before the Welshmen hack clear and Conway is forced to cover. Jordi Murphy on for Shane Jennings. He is my outside bet to travel with Ireland this summer.

With Owens playing advantage, Biggar nearly does a repeat of his first-half jinking but he is held up. Then Lewis meets a similar fate. Eventually they take the penalty and kick for the line. Triple substitution for Leinster – Healy, Strauss and Cooney on. Not bad replacements.

Ulster update: Looks like the Ulstermen have this in the bag as Trimble dives over and Pienaar converts to make it 30-13. Connacht still trail Glasgow 10-3. Semi-finals, as it is right now, would be Ulster v Scarlets (Ravenhill) and Leinster v Glasgow (RDS).

Ospreys think they are back in the game through Ashley beck as he dives over but Owens calls it back for a forward pass. Here is Conway’s hat-trick try:

YouTube credit: RaboDirectPRO12

67 minutes gone and Toner and Bent come on Cullen and Hagan. Ospreys on the attack but Leinster should have too much of a cushion. Oo-er. Alun Wyn Jones bundles over the ball is lost forward. How are the other lads getting on? I’ll let you know…

Ulster still 30-13 up and Connacht trail Glasgow 13-3 now. Might be a losing farewell for Eric Elwood. Enda Kenny’s video jinxed it!

TRY: Leinster 27-19 Ospreys (Isaacs ’72)

Tom Isaacs is all alone out left and dives over unopposed. Biggar finds his range and over it goes.

PEN: Leinster 30-19 Ospreys

Bold boys Ospreys at the breakdown and Sexton, with Quinn Roux holding the ball steady, slots over from 35 metres out.

TRY! Leinster 37-19 Ospreys (Healy ’78)

Conway the creator up the right this time as his grubber bounces up nicely for a charging Healy who busts clear to dive over at the posts. Madigan converts.

Game over (on the scoreboard) in Galway. New Lion Sean Maitland scores a try and Glasgow lead 20-3.

Game over at the RDS and Leinster get the win. Ulster have it wrapped up against Cardiff as Robbie Diack scores a try in his 100th game. 37-13 at Ravenhill.

Sean O’Brien gets Man-of-the-Match. What does Andrew Conway have to do?!

FULL-TIME

Cheers for the company. Stay with us for reactions and interviews over the course of the night. Home semi finals… SORTED!

Ian Madigan and Luke Marshall only Irishmen on Pro12 Dream Team

Now we can pay Leinster back for Heineken Cup appearances – Kieran Marmion

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