Leinster warm up for final by trouncing Ospreys
Leinster warmed up for next week's Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Begles in Bilbao by scoring 10 tries in a thumping 68-14 win over Ospreys in their final United Rugby Championship game of the regular season at the Aviva Stadium. The Irish province's convincing win secured second place in the URC table and a potential home semi-final in the play-offs should they progress past the last eight. Player-of-the-match Joe McCarthy shone with a hat-trick of tries, while his fellow Ireland international Jordan Larmour crossed twice.
Wing Tommy O'Brien was a late withdrawal from the Leinster starting line-up before the game, James Lowe coming in to replace him, but the home side got off to a flying start when McCarthy barged over between the posts in the fourth minute. They gained further reward for their early pressure when Max Deegan went over for their second score three minutes later. Midway through the first half Josh van der Flier dotted down behind the sticks after rounding off some slick Leinster passing, fellow back row Jack Conan providing the pass for the flanker to run through and touch down.
The bonus-point try was only another three minutes in coming as Jimmy O'Brien completed another fine attacking move by his side from inside their own half, Jamison Gibson-Park offloading for the full-back to gather and score for the rampant hosts. It was a dazzling first-half display by Leo Cullen's side as they broke through their opponents' defences almost at will, ball passing quickly through the hands and Harry Byrne converting all four tries. Ospreys responded with some enterprising play of their own when they put together some impressive offloading and second row Huw Sutton dived over under the posts just after the half-hour mark, Dan Edwards adding the extras.
Four minutes after the restart Garry Ringrose crossed for try number five for Leinster and then Larmour gathered a cross-field kick and ran in to score. The scores continued to come thick and fast as the visiting defence was run ragged by the dominant Irish side and the match often more resembled a training exercise such was Leinster's superiority and speed. McCarthy bulldozed through a couple of attempted tackles to touch down, then Larmour showed his pace to run clear for an intercept try as the Welsh team continued to be put to the sword.
McCarthy completed his treble, then Lowe scored his side's 10th try and their sixth in the space of 20 second-half minutes with 16 minutes still remaining. Half-time replacement Ciaran Frawley added the additional points to five of those tries in the second 40 minutes. Edwards crossed the whitewash for a late consolation score, which he converted himself.