A DROP OF MAGIC
A LAST minute drop goal by replacement out-half Ross Byrne snatched Leinster a dramatic win over Ospreys. But his opposite number Dan Biggar missed a chance to win it when he pushed his added-time penalty wide.
Both sides scored two tries with Leinster’s hooker Seán Cronin and flanker Dan Leavy crossing, as did Ospreys’ Sam Davies and Justin Tipuric.
Biggar was not up against Lions rival Johnny Sexton, with Joe Carbery starting at fly-half as one of eight changes. But Leinster were still able to field an allcapped front row of Cronin, Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong.
Ospreys clung on to a slender 11-10 lead at half-time helped by an explosive start which saw them score a try after only five minutes after Biggar’s opening penalty shot had rebounded off the right upright.
Matavesi and Cracknell combined well to help Ospreys to break in to the 22 before Davies made it into the right corner.
Biggar, on his 200th Ospreys appearance, missed the conversion but was on target on nine minutes after Leinster conceded a penalty.
At that stage Leinster were not in the game but the tide turned dramatically when Cronin was put away down the right and sprinted impressively round Biggar. Nacewa converted.
Five minutes from the break Leinster stole the lead with a Nacewa penalty after Ospreys failed to release at a ruck after good work by Josh van der Flier.
But in the final minute of the half Biggar wrestled back the lead with a 45-metre penalty.
Leinster went ahead seven minutes in to the second half when a break for the line by Cronin was finished off by Leavy, who claimed his side’s second try for Nacewa to convert.
But on the hour Justin Tipuric squeezed over from a line-out. Davies converted to give Ospreys a slender lead which they held till the final minute when Byrne struck an impressive drop goal.
However, three minutes into injury time Byrne turned villain when he was penalised for a high tackle on Dan Evans, but happily for Leinster Biggar’s penalty kick sailed wide.