Dismal Ospreys are buried beneath a seven-try avalanche from Dublin hosts

THE Ospreys were handed a lesson their players will never forget as Leinster dished out a seven-try Guinness PRO14 hammering at the RDS.

It was a ghastly evening for the Welsh side.

When they won at the venue to clinch a league title in 2012 the Welsh side were seen as Leinster’s bogey team.

Such days seem an eternity ago. They haven’t won there since and they were light years from doing so this time, with the Irish province on top in every area.

The Ospreys had no one to match James Lowe’s quality behind or Scott Fardy’s experience and craft up front; they made unforced errors and their line-out was hopelessly unreliable.

Leinster’s youngsters also excelled with the debut-making Scott Penny catching the eye plus fly-half Ciaran Frawley.

For the hosts, Conor O’Brien, Penny, Nick McCarthy, Fardy, Ed Byrne, Max Deegan and Bryan Byrne crossed, with the Ospreys replying through Hanno Dirksen with a minute to play.

It was a lamentable effort from the visitors that will hurt them deeply. They ought to be better than this. Much better.

Leinster led 24-0 at the break after displaying a ruthless edge the Ospreys could only dream about.

The Irish province soaked up early pressure that saw the visitors dominating possession and territory, with Clarke’s team taking the ball through 18 phases at one point before coughing up the ball in the shadow of the home posts.

That isn’t the way to win at the RDS and Leinster soon made the Ospreys pay, Fardy charging through a gap and delivering a short pass for centre O’Brien to cross.

The Ospreys saw four lineouts go awry in the opening half and made a number of other errors that prevented them from making headway.

By contrast, Leinster were efficient without being spectacular. They simply did the basics well, preyed on opposition mistakes and took their chances.

Try number two came on 32 mins after a short-range line-out ended with a drive for teenage debutant Penny to touch down.

There was a third before the break after more forward pressure forced the Ospreys back until scrum-half McCarthy had the simple job of diving over.

In between Sam Davies had worked James Hook across quite brilliantly, only for the touchdown to be chalked off after the referee deemed Johnny Kotze had prevented a Leinster player from tackling Davies.

The Irish refused to let up, with Fardy, Deegan, Ed Byrne and Bryan Byrne crossing.

Dirksen’s late score for the Ospreys was cleverly worked but meant little.

Leinster: Tries: C. O’Brien, N. McCarthy, S. Penny, S. Fardy, M. Deegan, E. Byrne, B. Byrne. Cons: C. Frawley (7). Pen: C. Frawley.

Try: H. Dirksen. Con: S.

Ospreys:

Davies.