WHY THEY’RE CHAMPIONS..
Leinster launch campaign with gutsy late win
LEINSTER staged a superb second half fightback to begin the defence of their title with a thrilling victory over Cardiff.
Cardiff had looked set to topple the defending champions after building a 29-14 lead heading into the final half-hour at the Arms Park.
But three close-range tries from the visitors robbed Blues of a morale-boosting victory in a pulsating game.
For the hosts, debutant Jason Harries and Ray Lee-lo scored two tries each with Jarrod Evans converting three and adding two penalties.
Leinster forward Bryan Byrne also collected a brace of tries, with Jamison Gibson-park and James Tracy notching one apiece.
Out-half Ross Byrne added two conversions, including the winning kick two minutes from time, and two penalties with Fergus Mcfadden also on target with a penalty.
The Irish, who started with only three players that began last season’s European Cup final, conceded the first points when Evans knocked over a fifth-minute penalty.
The visitors then suffered two further setbacks in the next five minutes. First wing Barry Daly limped off, to be replaced by Mcfadden, before they fell further behind to a well-crafted try from Lee-lo.
It took until 21 minutes for Leinster to finally give Cardiff something to worry about as they picked up their first score with a Byrne penalty before the Tracy try levelled it.
A hash of a Leinster lineout allowed Cardiff prop Dmitri Arhip to set in motion a flowing move which ended with Harries stepping inside two defenders to score.
Evans converted before Byrne nailed a long-range penalty to leave Leinster trailing 15-14 at the break.
Cardiff came out flying and looked to have decided the match when both Harries and Lee-lo grabbed their second tries.
The visitors immediately changed the whole of their front row and were soon rewarded when one of them, Bryan Byrne, finished off a driving lineout to reduce the deficit.
Leinster soon added a third try when Gibson-park forced his way over from close range.
Cardiff still held the edge but, after Evans slotted a penalty to make it 32-26, Bryan Byrne broke their hearts with a try three minutes from time, Ross Byrne’s successful conversion sealing a one-point win.