Ulster fall as Leinster end unbeaten run

Leo Cullen’s side outscored Ulster by four tries to zero to take five match points from the game while the visitors got none - and cut Ulster’s lead at the top of the table to five points with two games in hand.

After a scrappy opening that involved a lot of kicking and a few mistakes, scrum half John Cooney opening the scoring for Ulster with a 14th-minute long-range penalty after Leinster were guilty of an illegal block in midfield.

Leinster out half Johnny Sexton missed the chance to level the scores on 19 minutes with a penalty when Ulster tight head prop Tom O’Toole infringed at the scrum. Leinster broke through the Ulster rearguard on 23 minutes, Marcell Coetzee conceded a penalty for a high tackle on Andrew Porter and the home side kicked to touch.

Sean Cronin and Josh van der Flier were both halted, however, Jamieson Gibson-Park eventually flung the ball wide for Dave Kearney and the winger was able to evade tackles by Matt Faddes and Billy Burns to squeeze over in the corner, Sexton failed to convert from a tight angle.

Coetzee was sin-binned on 29 for a shoulder to the face of Cronin.

Despite their numerical disadvantage Cooney restored Ulster’s led with his second penalty on 35 minutes after James Ryan came in from the side at a ruck.

Cooney’s third penalty on the stroke of half-time gave Ulster a 9-5 lead.

It took Leinster less than four minutes to regain the lead after the restart.

Ulster captain Sam Carter collapsed a maul and Leinster kicked to the corner, from the line out the home pack set up a driving maul and Cronin was propelled over, with Sexton converting.

Jordan Lamour was denied a try as the Ulster centre James Hume stopped the winger grounding the ball.

Leinster’s third try arrived from an attacking five-metre scrum, the defending Pro14 champions just worked the phases to create space before centre Robbie Henshaw burst through Cooney and Faddes to touch down but Sexton was off target with the conversion.

Cooney’s fourth penalty on 69 minutes reduced Leinster’s lead to five points with 10 minutes remaining.

Leinster got their bonus point try on 74 minutes, following pressure in their own 22 Ulster conceded a penalty.

Cullen’s side went to the corner, Ulster contested in the air but Ross Moloney took the lineout and the home pack rumbled towards the line before replacement hooker James Tracy touched down at the back of the maul, with Ross Byrne slotting over the difficult conversion from the touchline.

Ulster pushed for the losing bonus point with the clock in the red as they worked the ball through numerous phases in the Leinster 22 but Ross Byrne intercepted a pass and Leinster kicked the ball off the pitch to make sure Dan McFarland’s side left Dublin empty-handed.

Leinster: H Keenan, J Larmour, R Byrne, R Henshaw, D Kearney, J Sexton, J Gibson-Park; C Healy, S Cronin, A Porter; S Fardy, J Ryan; R Ruddock, J van der Flier, C Doris

Replacements: J Tracy for Cronin 56 mins, E Byrne for Healy 56 mins, M Bent for Porter 66 mins, R Molony for Fardy 66 mins, J Conan for Ruddock 62 mins, L McGrath for Gibson-Park 60 mins, H Byrne, J O’Brien for Kearney 79 mins

Ulster: M Lowry, M Faddes, J Hume, S McCloskey, E McIlroy, B Burns, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, M Moore; A O’Connor, S Carter, G Jones, J Murphy, Marcel Coetzee,

Replacements: J Andrew for Herring 62 mins, E O’Sullivan for Warwick 50 mins, T O’Toole for Moore 6 mins, K Treadwell for Carter 50 mins, N Timoney for Jones 48 mins, D Shanahan for Cooney 75 mins, I Madigan for Burns 63 mins, B Moxham for Faddes 57 mins

Referee: A Brace (IRFU)

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