Leinster beat Ospreys to close gap on PRO12 leaders Connacht
By Sam Drury
Last Updated: 06/03/16 7:29pm
Leinster cut the gap on leaders Connacht to just two points with a hard-fought 19-16 victory over Ospreys at the RDS Arena on Saturday.
Dan Leavy scored the only try of the first half as the hosts went in 16-3 ahead at the break, Ian Madigan kicking three penalties to go along with the conversion.
However, the visitors hit back in the second half, Sam Davies knocking over a penalty and then converting after Dan Baker had powered his way through to score.
Madigan and Davies then traded penalties to keep the gap at just three points heading into the last 10 minutes but it proved enough for the hosts as they held on to record their fourth straight win.
Ospreys made a good start to the match and took the lead in the third minute as fly-half Davies overcame the blustery conditions to kick the game's first points.
The hosts responded well, though, and took the lead after quarter of an hour as Leavy went over to complete an incisive Leinster break. Madigan exploited a gap in the Ospreys defence before passing to Fergus McFadden, the winger advancing to the visitors 22 before offloading to Leavy who was able to run in unchallenged.
From there on Leo Cullen's side bossed the first half and kept the pressure on, earning three penalties - all successfully dispatched by Madigan - to ease themselves into a 13-point lead by half-time.
It was a different story after the interval, though, as Ospreys came out fighting and really took the game to Leinster.
Davies nudged over another penalty before, in the 61st minute, Baker crashed over after a sustained spell of Ospreys possession in the Leinster 22.
Davies made no mistake with the conversion but the try seemed to jolt Leinster back into life having seen their lead whittled down to just three points.
The Dublin side quickly moved forward and soon earned another penalty that Madigan put between the posts to maintain his perfect record on the afternoon.
No sooner had they extended their lead, however, Leinster were pegged back. Davies again finding his mark from the kicking tee.
That set things up for a grandstand finish but is was not to be as Leinster used all of their experience to see out the final 10 minutes with relative ease.
