Battling Ulster in memorable Dublin derby win as URC leaders Leinster suffer first home loss since 2022

It was Leinster’s first home defeat since the 2022 URC semi-final reversal against the Bulls while it’s a third consecutive win in all competitions for Dan McFarland’s side.

Ulster struck first with only four minutes on the clock.

Steven Kitshoff won a scrum penalty and Billy Burns found touch in the Leinster half.

John Cooney took the ball of the top of the lineout and fed Burns, the out half put a chip over the on-rushing home defence for Nick Timoney to race on to, the No8 had pace to get over the whitewash for a try.

Cooney added the conversion.

Ulster struck again four minutes later, Will Addison took a great ball in the air to start a counter attack, Sean Reffell made a huge line break into the Leinster 22.

The ball was moved across the pitch and with a two-man overlap, Burns put in a grubber kick for winger Jacob Stockdale to collect and go over but Cooney couldn’t convert.

Leinster got back in the game on 11 minutes, they kicked a penalty to the corner, from the lineout Dan Sheehan and Jason Jenkins had powerful drives for the line before power Cian Healy barged over from close range and Sam Pendergast converted.

Leinster had a try disallowed on 17 minutes, flanker Will Connors went over from a lineout maul but it was chalked off for obstruction in the build-up.

The Ulster defence managed to hold Leinster up over the line a minute later to deny the home side again.

Leinster finally made their pressure count on 23 minutes as Rob Russell squeezed over in the corner.

Jamison Gibson-Park made a break, the ball was recycled and the scrum half tried a chip that came back off the upright. Pendergast and Liam Turner combined to put Russell over in the corner. Pendergast converted from a tight angle to give Leinster the lead.

Timoney’s second try on 36 minutes put Ulster back in front. Again, Burns was the architect, following a big drive from Luke Marshall into the Leinster 22 the out half put in a perfect weighted crossfield kick for Timoney, who was lurking on the wing.

The back row judged the bounce of the wet surface to gather and slide over. Cooney’s conversion gave Ulster a 19-14 win at the interval.

Cooney extended Ulster’s lead with a penalty just outside the Leinster 22 on 55 minutes.

Leinster got back in the game on 62 minutes as Ulster conceded a penalty for hands in the ruck.

The home side went to the corner, from the lineout they set up the maul and Sheehan was forced over with replacement out half Harry Byrne adding the conversion.

Luke Marshall came up with an important intercept in the shadow of his own posts as Gibson-Park went for a speculative try-scoring pass.

Leinster had a chance to win the game when they forced a scrum penalty with the clock in the red but Byrne missed touched with his penalty to give Ulster a victory which moves them up to fourth in the league table.

LEINSTER: C Frawley; T O’Brien, L Turner, R Henshaw, R Russell; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; C Healy, D Sheehan, T Clarkson; J Jenkins, J McCarthy; R Baird, W Connors, C Doris.

Replacements: L Barron, J Boyle for Healy 48 mins, M Ala’alatoa for Clarkson 48 mins, R Maloney for Jenkins 61 mins, J Conan for Dorris 67 mins, L McGrath for Gibson-Park 78 mins, H Byrne for Pendergast 61 mins, J van der Flier for Connors 48 mins.

ULSTER: W Addison; R Baloucoune, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, R Herring, T O’Toole; K Treadwell, I Henderson; M Rea, S Reffell, N Timoney.

Replacements: T Stewart for Herring 49 mins, A Warwick for Kitshoff 62 mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 62 mins, A O’Connor for Henderson 61 mins, D Ewers for Reffell 63 mins, N Doak for Burns 74 mins, M Lowry for Baloucoune 50 mins, J Postlethwaite.

Referee: F Murphy (IRFU).