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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Wasps v Leinster, Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final

We went minute-by-minute, try-by-try as Leinster set off on the road to a home European final.

The clocks are ba.. forward, grass is ready to be cut again and European Rugby is back on our TV screens.

All is well with the world, so join us to find out if Leinster can set a winning tone for our three provinces in London this weekend.

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

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Wasps 28 – 48 Leinster

A very good evening, rugby fans. Leinster have led the Irish charge into London and we’ll be on hand to see whether they can capitalise of Wasps’ poor run of form.

We’ve still plenty of time before kick off, so take advantage of that big ol’ comments section and tell us how you reckon Leinster will fare.

Also, vote on how many Irish provinces will win this weekend as Wasps host Leinster, Ulster battle Saracens and Munster take on Harlequins in their own back yards.


Poll Results:

I'm confident, all three will be in the semis. (291)
Two in, one out. (244)
Just the one. (68)
None of them are good enough, Popey! (6)

If you need any clues. all the line-ups are here.

Here are your teams for tonight’s clash.

Wasps: E Daly; C Wade, A Masi, C Bell, T Varndell; N Robinson, J Simpson: Z Taulafo, TR Thomas, P Swainston; TPalmer, M Wentzel (Capt.); J Launchbury, S Jones, A Johnson.

Replacements:  T Lindsay, T Payne, W Taylor, J Poff, B Vunipola, C Davies, S Jones, H Southwell

Leinster: R Kearney; D Kearney, F McFadden, G D’Arcy, I Nacewa; I Madigan, I Boss: C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen (Capt.) D Toner; K McLaughlin, S O’Brien, J Heaslip.

Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, J Hagan, Q Roux, S Jennings, J Cooney, A Goodman, A Conway.

Sky are playing a soothing bar or two of True Colours (‘beautiful like a rainbow’). Shur, how else would you get pumped up for an Amlin quarter-final!

The teams are on the field, Leinster huddled together as a flames, bells and roars from the stands greet the home side decked out in black and yellow.

KICK OFF: Ian Madigan kicks off towards the Wasps 22. Devin Toner is involved three times. Knocking on the kick-off before blocking down not one, but two box kicks.  A knock on allows Wasps steady the ship.

TRY: Wasps 5 – 0 Leinster (Wade ’2)

Shane Horgan is fuming. Andrea Masi finds a mis-match and steams past Kevin McLaughlin. He runs 40 yards unchecked and is able to offload to Christian Wade who takes the pass and canters over from 10 metres.

Robinson misses the conversion.

TRY: Wasps 5 – 7 Leinster (D’Arcy ’5)

The visitors respond in the best possible fashion, working their way through a handful of phases on the left before the old centre finds a big hole between Jones and Johnson on the 22 and is able to jog under the posts.

Ian Madigan issues a statement of intent, aiming at the posts from a penalty just inside Wasps’ half on the left wing. A very good effort, but he can’t quite make it drift back inside the posts.

Incidentally, Warren Gatland’s at Adams Park tonight, he wasn’t impressed by Leinster’s early defending.

TRY! Wasps 12 – 7 Leinster (Wade ’15)

Wow.

Nicky Robinson adds the conversion after Wade grabs his second try in quarter of an hour. The wing ghosted inside and out of the blue shirts who were set to defend a scrum. We’ll bring you a video of that as soon as we possibly can.

There is barely time to draw breath and see where this game is going. Robinson is certainly justifying his selection over Stephen Jones, his running and distribution has given High Wycombe something to believe in here.

Leinster, of all teams, look very rigidly structured by comparison.

TRY! Wasps 12 – 14 Leinster (Madigan ’22)

A Madigan special. The out-half stepped back into a loose defensive line and powered towards the posts.

I guess you could say this is one for the purists, certainly not for defence coaches.

PENALTY: Wasps 12 – 17 Leinster (Madigan ’27)

It’s that man again, drilling his kick over from around 40 yards.

The game’s just calmed down a touch. Robinson cut a difficult penalty off the touchline well wide. But after Leinster cleared, Madigan mis-judged the return kick and Wasps attack from halfway.

The 10 follows up that little error with a whistle ringing in his ears. Pascal Gauzere says he was slowing the black ruck down.

Directly in front from 40 metres…

PENALTY: Wasps 15 – 17 Leinster (Robinson ‘ 35)

PENALTY: Wasps 15 – 20 Leinster (Madigan ‘ 39)

That’s Madser for ya. A little give, a lot of take. he smashes another one over from 40 metres to quieten the crowd.

HALF TIME: Wasps 15 – 20 Leinster

The visitors take a lead in, but Wade was inches away from getting his hat-trick and levelling this quarter final.

The winger showed the full extent of his pace, breezing past Isa Nacewa in chase of a kick. Rob Kearney was on hand to cover and denied the wing a sensational third.

Good game, this.

The second half is up and running. Will it be more of the same or has Schmidt sent his side out to shut this party down?

Nope, it’s more of the same: Mad stuff!

Wasps break through in midfield, but their passing is loose and Madigan hacks on. His opposite number tackles him, but Leinster attack from the 22, moving left to right through D’Arcy and Kearney.

The black shirts scramble back, preventing a try but conceding a penalty.

PENALTY: Wasps 15 -23 Leinster (Madigan ’44)

TRY! Wasps 15 – 30 Leinster (Ross ‘ 46 )

All of a sudden, Leinster are at double scores after big Mike Ross gets his reward for storming up in the field after Isa Nacewa who broke clear from the 22 and chipped a grubber in behind the defence.

Daly fumbled to bouncing ball and Nacewa recovered it and popped it into Ross’ arms as he put his head down to burn through the back three.

PENALTY: Wasps 18 – 30 Leinster (Robinson ’49)

The tie is certainly going Leinster’s way now. Strauss carries into trouble and replacement Billy Vunipola is very harshly adjudged to have hit him high on the 22.

PENALTY: Wasps 18 – 33 Leinster ( Madigan ’54)

TRY! Wasps 18 – 38 Leinster (Kearney ‘ 60 )

The Leinster support are singing ‘we all dream of a team of Sean O’Briens’ and no wonder. The openside laid in a big hand-off to break through a defensive line which had looked well set. The Tank then offloaded on the five-metre line for Rob Kearney to scramble to ball onto the line.

How about we just tell you when no try has been scored?

Madigan misses the conversion, that’s becoming a rare one.

Leinster are home and hosed and Joe Schmidt knows it.

Cian Healy is withdrawn with 17 minutes left. Jack McGrath will see this one out.

TRY! Wasps 23 – 38 Leinster (Varndell ’65)

Ah, here. Varndell crosses over in the right corner. If anyone knows how many tries that is, answers on a postcard.

TRY: Wasps 23 – 43 Leinster (Nacewa ‘ 67)

GTFOH.

Cronin charges down a kick and as the defence sets, Boss whips it wide and D’Arcy instantly helps it onto Nacewa on the left wing. A quick check with the TMO and the flier is awarded the score.

Madigan makes the difficult conversion too. He can kick, this kid.

TRY! Wasps 28 – 45 Leinster (Varndell ‘ 71)

We’re over the 70 point mark. *throws pen across desk*

PENALTY: Wasps 28 – 48 Leinster (Madigan ’77)

With advantage in the offing Madigan inexplicably went for a drop goal, missed. But he can’t miss off the tee these days.

FULL TIME: Wasps 28 -48 Leinster

Hope you all enjoyed that, a game with everything… except a great deal of defending. Shane Horgan’s resisted the temptation to give Mdigan the moan of the match. Instead, he’s given it to his old mate, Gordon D’Arcy.

I’m off for a lie down.

9 great reasons to watch European Rugby this weekend

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