Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Cardiff versus Leinster. We’re just underway now.

TRY FOR LEINSTER!

7-0: Heaslip makes a typical powerful break, before off-loading to O’Brien who hands off the tackler and dives under the posts. Sexton kicks an easy conversion.

TRY FOR LEINSTER: Rob Kearney makes a superb run from Conway’s clever pass, outpacing two defenders before running in under the post. Sexton gets the conversion. Leinster seem to be running away with this game already.

Due to the frantic opening, I didn’t even get the chance to confirm the teams. Here they are:

Blues: Gavin Henson; Leigh Halfpenny, Casey Laulala, Gavin Evans, Tom James; Dan Parks, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins, Marc Breeze, Scott Andrews, Bradley Davies, Michael Paterson, Maama Molitika, Sam Warburton (capt), Xavier Rush.

Replacements: Rhys Williams, John Yapp, Sam Hobbs, Macauley Cook, Josh Navidi, Richie Rees, Ceri Sweeney, Richard Mustoe.

Leinster: Rob Kearney; Dave Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Gordon D’Arcy, Andrew Conway; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross; Mark Flanagan, Devin Toner; Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip (capt).

Replacements: Aaron Dundon, Heinke van der Merwe, Jamie Hagan, Rhys Ruddock, Leo Auva’a, Isaac Boss, Isa Nacewa, Fionn Carr

14-3: Leigh Halfpenny successfully kicks a penalty from distance to get some points on the board for a bewildered-looking Cardiff side.

14-6: Leigh Halfpenny registers another excellent penalty. Leinster must not get overly confident, despite their impressive start.

Hear, hear.

Leinster are starting to play as if rugby is as easy as their opening blitz suggested. There’s been one or two individual errors creeping into their play.

14-9: Great change of pace by Lloyd Williams, who evades the Leinster tacklers, helping them to gain considerable yards in the process. Dan Parks subsequently kicks an audacious drop goal.

Cardiff look far more assured in possession now. Leinster’s aggressive start seems to have woken them up.

Leigh Halfpenny narrowly misses a penalty from distance. Leinster need to up their game at the moment.

17-9: Sexton kicks a penalty to put some breathing space between the teams, but more worryingly for Leinster, Gordon D’Arcy has had to go off injured. Nacewa takes his place.

HALF TIME: CARDIFF BLUES 9-17 LEINSTER

So a sporadically impressive first-half showing from Leinster, slightly overshadowed by Gordon D’Arcy’s injury. There is undoubtedly room for improvement thought – Joe Schmidt’s men were playing on auto-pilot at times, once they established a commanding lead, allowing Cardiff back into the game in the process.

(Sean O’Brien dives over for his try – INPHO/Huw Evans)

And we’re underway again…

20-9: Sexton adds to the lead with a kick slightly to the right of the posts, after a Cardiff player is penalised for a high tackle.

Nacewa produces a clever kick for a lineout just inside the Cardiff half. So far, this has been a much more controlled performance from Leinster, in comparison with the latter, error-ridden stages of the first half.

20-12: Right on queue following my last post, Leinster concede a penalty, which Halfpenny converts impressively from a difficult angle.

Another great run from Heaslip who, following an indifferent World Cup, appears to be rediscovering something resembling his best form. However, the attack breaks down, as Leinster concede a penalty when agonisingly close to the opposition try line.

TRY FOR CARDIFF!

19-20: After consulting with the TMO, the referee awards the try after Gethin Jenkins just about drives over the line, despite the best efforts of Heaslip. Halfpenny gets the conversion.

Great attempt from Leigh Halfpenny, whose penalty from the halfway line just falls short of the posts.

Halfpenny misses a considerably easier penalty this time. This is highly reminiscent of Leinster’s match with Connacht on New Year’s Day – the Boys in Blue are just about hanging on to their slim lead.

23-19: Fergus McFadden kicks what could be a crucial three points for Leinster (Sexton has left the action).

Great play from ex-Score.ie columnist Fergus McFadden, who intercepts a poss, just when Cardiff were threatening to score. His good work is followed by an excellent clearance kick from Kearney.

Cardiff are looking tired now, as Evans drops the ball carelessly, handing Leinster back possession in the process.

For those who are interested, the Scarlets are currently leading Glasgow 16-14 in a similarly tight game.

Less than a minute left. I hate to potentially curse them but it looks like Leinster have this game won.

FULL TIME: CARDIFF BLUES 19-23  LEINSTER

I hate to say it, but if only a certain other game in the summer involving Irish and Welsh sides had a similar outcome.

To summarise, relief will be Leinster’s predominant feeling this evening. While it was ultimately an impressive, hard-earned victory, they let their performance slip in certain periods of the game and almost blew a 14-point lead. Nonetheless, an away victory against a side of Cardiff’s quality is always welcome, irrespective of the circumstances surrounding it.

Right, I’m off to rapidly set up the Munster liveblog. Thanks for reading and commenting.