Good evening, rugby fans, and welcome to a sold-out RDS for repeat of last season’s Heineken Cup final.

It’s Leinster, it’s Ulster and we’ve got live minute-by-minute updates coming straight for ya.

Of course, May 2012 is long, long time ago for Leinster Rugby. And this Pro12 encounter is now arguably a bigger game to them than next week’s Amlin Challenge Cup clash with Wasps.

Ulster, on the other hand, will have one eye on next Saturday’s trip to Twickenham where Saracens await.

Firing them on tonight, is the need to find form ahead of that game as they’ve managed only one win in their last five outings.

Right, just over 20 minutes to kick off. Late change for the home side sees Andrew Goodman come in for the ill Gordon D’Arcy. Here are your teams:

Leinster: R Kearney; D Kearney, B Macken, A Goodman, I Nacewa; I Madigan, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; D Toner, Q Roux; K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip (c).

Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, J Hagan, L Cullen, R Ruddock, J Cooney, A Conway.

Ulster: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar;  T Court, R Best, R Lutton; J Muller (c), D Tuohy; R Diack, C Henry, N Williams.

Replacements: R Herring, C Black, K McCall, L Stevenson, I Henderson, R Wilson, P Marshall, P Nelson.

Here is what happened the last time the two sides met, back in December. The artist formerly known as Tom Court was in supreme form that night:

YouTube credit: LeinsterrugbyTV

The red flags were flowing out of The Horse Show on our way here and there is a decent smattering of travelling support inside the ground too. But with plenty still making their way to seats, the RDS is set to be a bear-pit in around three minutes time.

KICK OFF: Ian Madigan gets us underway, Trimble takes and fires back up near halfway. A steady enough breeze is blowing in Ulster’s face this half.

Leinster pinged for holding on after first line-out and Jackson sets the platform. From there Jackson pops alovely pass for Trimble through the gap and he, in turn finds Chris Henry on the gallop.

Leinster slow the move down, but Ulster still have the ball in the 22.

A good set of phases is ended as Pienaar is slow to react at the base of a five-metre ruck and Leinster steal. George Clancy then whistles a penalty in favour of the defending team and the crowd roars its approval.

Massive effort from Court brings a penalty off Mike Ross. No mean feat from full debutant Ricky Lutton, keeping Cian Healy on the straight and narrow.

Leinster look to attack from deep through Kearney and Nacewa, but Cave and Trimble have their angles covered, The very next phase, though, brings another blue penalty and Leinster move up to within 35 metres of the goal.

Strauss’ first throw is not straight, so Pienaar will feel the scrum.

Leinster’s best set of phases tonight draws a penalty, 35 metres out and Heaslip points to the posts.

PENALTY: Leinster 3- 0 Ulster (Madigan ’15)

And now, Robbie Diack is at the wrong end of the whistle. Clancy calls him off his feet and Madigan lines up an effort from 45-metres.

PENALTY: Leiinster 6 – 0 Ulster (Madigan ’19)

It sneaks over. Leinster really hitting a groove here after a bright start from ulster.

The men in white just looking to force one or two things now, a decent restart ends in touch as Darren Cave skips Olding with a long pass out of Trimble’s reach.

TRY: Leinster 6 – 5 Ulster ( Diack ’22)

Nick Williams does what he does best, storming straight at the posts, dragging two players with him and making space outside. Ulster recycle well and Jackson fires the long skip pass right into the basket of Robbie Diack waiting on the left wing.

Pienaar misses the conversion.

PENALTY: Leinster 9 – 5 Ulster (Madigan ‘s6)

The hosts hit straight back with another penalty. Discipline the big difference between the sides at the minute.

Ooooh, Craig Gilroy denied a magic score as he catches a ball deemed to be forward from Olding after the centre was hit hard 10 metres from the posts.

Both sides still lacking great fluidity here. Madigan arrows a kick cross-field, but directly at Jared Payne. And after Trimble carries into contact, Pienaar snipes to blindside despite all his support going to the open.

BOOM! Big hit from Heaslip on Rory Best. Ulster still enjoying the territory, but can’t get any change from the Leinster breakdown.

The visitors are, however, creating openings in the line. Olding the latest to spin out of trouble, but holding on is soon the signal from Clancy and Leinster have the chance to escape.

I say ‘chance’ because Madigan fails to find touch with the penalty and his team are defending in their 22 again.

After another attacking move breaks down, Ulster disrupt a Leinster scrum. Boss manages to send a clearing kick up, but Conway is offiside in the chase. A little over-exuberant after just coming on for Macken.

PENALTY Leinster 9 – 8 Ulster (Pienaar ’38)

Robbie Diack dives over for the game’s first try. (©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

Another Leinster attack, another Leisnter penalty; Nick Williams called for hands this time.

PENALTY: Leinster 12 – 8 Ulster (Madigan ’40)

The home favourite bisects the posts a fourth time from four to send his side in with a healthy four point lead at the break.

HALF TIME: Leinster 12 – 8 Ulster

Stop everything, there’s a fox on the field…. the PA man jokes he’s off to get his Leinster season ticket – Banter!

Enough of that, though, here comes the second half.

The second half begins with a bang as Isa Nacewa flattens 20-year-old Stuart Olding. The Kiwi doesn’t look ready to retire to us.

There goes Clancy’s arm again and Johann Muller gets a talking to as Jamie Heaslip points at the posts a fifth time.

PENALTY: Leinster 15 – 8 Ulster (Madigan ’48)

There’s a rare breakdown penalty against the hosts, Mike Ross called for not rolling away. Ruan Pienaar from 47 odd metres…

PENALTY: Leinster 15 – 11 Ulster (Pienaar ’50)

Vitally important score for Ulster, that. Keeping them within a single try of the lead. Just as they dominated territory in the first half, though, Leinster are playing smart stuff so far this period.

Here is that Diack try from the first-half:

YouTube credit: RaboDirectPRO12

Twice now Conway has failed to read the back-spin bounce on a Jackson kick. Gilroy makes the delay count with a firm tackle in front of the posts, but the Munster-bound wing recycles and Goodman clears.

The game starting to open up now and bodies are visibly tiring. Another brilliant step and carry from Trimble draws a penalty from 35 metres. Pienaar will kick to reduce the gap to one.

PENALTY Leinster 15 – 14 Ulster (Pienaar ’57)

The replacements are starting to flow now. Iain Henderson is on for Nick Williams. Leo Cullen has replaced Quinn Roux and Cronin is on for Strauss.

The RDS faithful are growing loud as the temperatures drop here. A crooked line-out from Cronin is whistled, this one will go down to the wire.

Clancy’s arm starting to balance up the infringement columns now. Ulster attack off a penalty from their own half and Gilroy makes Nacewa feel very old indeed, accelerating by the stand-in centre to set the  white wave in motion.

TRY: Leinster 15 – 19 Ulster (Henderson ’62)

The score comes in the far corner from us, so we initially awarded it to the wrong back row. it was, in fact, the young powerhouse, diving over into the corner after Andrew Trimble was held just short after another flowing Ulster attack from left to right.

Pienaar misses the conversion, so we’re in for a big finish. Buckle up.

The crowd goes wild, but not in a good way. The patrons are furious at Clancy’s failure to award a penalty as Ulster’s scrum back-peddles into the 22 – their ire is soon eased, though…

PENALTY: Leinster 18 – 19 Ulster (Madigan ’68)

More boos as Jackson rises for a high ball only to be taken before he touched down by Conway. From 45 metres…

PENALTY: Leinster 18 – 22 Ulster (Pienaar ’71)

Leinster are beginning to look a little ragged here, understandable perhaps due to the need for a try. They’ll get a chance from a scrum penalty, Madigan fires to the corner and the crowd rises to its feet.

Leinster sent Heaslip into the wall, then Goodman, crash balls are the order right now, but Ulster hold on. Diack called offside, another Leinster scrum v….

The maul is anything but ragged, sucking in white shirts, before it’s eventually put to ground. Incredible scenes in front of the posts as 12 men from each side pile in.

Leinster spin left and Dave Kearney looks favourite in a two on two, but Gilroy loves a try saving tackle and he races to add another to his collection.

We come back for a Leinster penalty and a scrum in front of the posts.

The clock is red and still Leinster attack. An amazing finish here.

Another penalty, another blue scrum, the crowd behind the goal are baying for a card and more.

Well folks, I don’t quite know how Dave Kearney didn’t score the winner there. The corner seemed to be at his mercy but he got all wrapped up by a white shirt.

Jared Payne is in the bin, a linesman’s call gave an obstruction penalty against him. Scrun Leinster on the right and they attack the middle again.

FULL TIME: Leinster 18 – 22 Ulster

Wow, that’s it from me folks. A dramatic finish to an enthralling game. We’ll bring you the reaction from both camps in the coming hours.