29′ – LEIN 7-0 SAL: It’s become a tough watch, in all honesty, ha!

Kick tennis and lengthy periods of scrum resets, the latest of which has led to a Sale penalty deep in their own 22′.

They make a hames of the ensuing lineout and Leinster have a free-kick near halfway.

It’s been that kind of game for the last 10 minutes.

22′ – LEIN 7-0 SAL: Joe McCarthy patched up, wearing a scrum-cap, and back on the field. Deegan was excellent for his 10-or-15-minute cameo.

Nothing really happening in the game over the last few minutes. Something of a stalemate during that period.

16′ – LEIN 7-0 SAL: Sale make it as far as Leinster’s 22′ with their first sustained attack but Leinster stop them with ease.

George Ford left with no option but to kick a bomb deep into Leinster territory, and Keenan again claims it with ease.

10′ – TRY FOR LEINSTER! Dan Sheehan!

There’s the opener! A route-one attack for Leinster which is initially well repelled by Sale, but the incessant pressure eventually tells and Gibson-Park feeds Sheehan who squirts over under the posts.

He kind of hydroplaned over the line, good finish.

Harry Byrne converts from in front of the sticks and Leinster lead 7-0 at the Aviva!

9′ – LEIN 0-0 SAL: Blood injury to Joe McCarthy so play is stopped at the moment. Max Deegan comes into the fold and Ryan Baird moves to lock.

8′ – LEIN 0-0 SAL: Another steal for O’Brien on the ground and he chips down the right but it’s well covered by Joe Carpenter.

Leinster, though, have a lineout close to the Sale five-metre line. Big chance for the hosts!

4′ – LEIN 0-0 SAL: Before that scrum, Alex Usanov has gone off injured. He’s replaced by Jerry Cahir. Ah, that’s a pity for Usanov.

Sale win a free at the scrum for early engagement. George Ford kicks a spiral bomb from up near halfway but Hugo Keenan marks it with ease. Great claim in the conditions. The Lions fullback exits to touch.

3′ – LEIN 0-0 SAL: Tommy O’Brien wins a poach inside Leinster’s half.

Harry Byrne exits with the boot but there’ll be a scrum for Sale after Rieko Ioane knocked on a loose, bouncing ball.

A swirling wind in Dublin is making the kicking game quite difficult for both sides.

1′ – LEIN 0-0 SAL: Sale made a balls of kick-off but they’ve just won a scrum penalty on Alex Usanov in their own 22′ — huge cheers from the visiting players.

An early marker laid down by them.

A reminder of your teams for this one:

LEINSTER: 15. Hugo Keenan, 14. Tommy O’Brien, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Jamie Osborne, 11. Rieko Ioane, 10. Harry Byrne, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park, 1. Alex Usanov, 2. Dan Sheehan (c), 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. James Ryan, 6. Ryan Baird, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Jack Conan

Replacements: 16. Ronan Kelleher, 17. Jerry Cahir, 18. Tom Clarkson, 19. Max Deegan, 20. Scott Penny, 21. Luke McGrath, 22. Ciaran Frawley, 23. Robbie Henshaw

SALE SHARKS: 15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr, 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Ethan Caine, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn (c), 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Dan du Preez

Replacements: 16. Alfie Longstaff, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. James Harper, 19. Reuben Logan, 20. Jos Gilmore, 21. Dom Hanson, 22. Marius Louw, 23. Alex Wills

Sale Sharks are enduring a miserable season, really — although as we saw with Edinburgh last week, weird things can happen in this competition.

Still, it should be plain sailing for Leinster today. Sale are besieged by injury and, if relegation existed in their domestic league, they’d be seriously worried.

They’ve taken some absolute beatings this season, but long removed from the play-off race in England, this is all they have to play for. So they’ll surely give it socks at the Aviva today.

Welcome, everyone, to The 42′s live coverage of today’s Champions Cup quarter-final between Leinster and Sale Sharks.

And in case you’ve been out and about, Leinster fans, some big news: your province will host a semi-final against Toulon provided they get the job done today.

That’s right: Toulon have upset Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun, earning a 22-19 victory away to the second seeds to secure their passage into the last four.

Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

So, Leinster’s route to the final just got fractionally easier, you could argue, in that they’ll return to the Aviva for a semi provided they make it themselves.

It’s Gavan Casey with you here, and I’ll bring you all the action you need to know about from 5:30pm at Lansdowne Road.