United Rugby Championship: Leinster 68-14 Ospreys – Irish province prepare for final with emphatic win

Leinster prepare for the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Beagles in Bilbao after scoring 10 tries in a huge 68-14 win over the Ospreys in their final United Rugby Championship game of the regular season at the Aviva Stadium.

An emphatic win for the Irish province secures second place in the URC table and a possible home semi-final of the play-offs if they progress to the last eight.

They will face the Lions at home in the quarter-finals.

Player-of-the-match Joe McCarthy shone with a hat-trick try, while his fellow Ireland international Jordan Larmour crossed twice.

Wing Tommy O’Brien was a late withdrawal from the Leinster starting line-up before the game, with James Lowe replacing him, but towards home It got off to a flying start in the fourth minute when McCarthy struck between the posts.

They were further rewarded for their early pressure when Max Deegan headed over for their second score three minutes later.

Midway through the first half Josh van der Flier dotted the back of the sticks after stopping some slick Leinster passing, with back-row colleague Jack Conan providing the pass for the flanker to run on and touch down.

The bonus-point try was to come with three minutes to go as Jimmy O’Brien completed another great attacking move for his side from inside their own half, with Jamieson Gibson-Park offloading to collect the full-back and score for the formidable hosts.

It was a scintillating display from Leo Cullen’s side in the first half as they broke through their opposition’s defense almost at will, the ball passing quickly and Harry Byrne converting all four tries.

The Ospreys responded with some enterprising play of their own as they produced some impressive offloading and second-row Huw Sutton dived under the posts just after the half-hour mark, with Dan Edwards adding the extra.

Four minutes after the restart Gary Ringrose crossed for try number five for Leinster and then Larmer collected a cross-field kick and ran on to score.

The scores continued to come thick and fast as the visiting defense was ragged by a dominant Irish side and the match often resembled a training exercise such was Leinster’s superiority and pace.

McCarthy bulldozed through a couple of tackles to try and touch down, then Larmore showed his speed to run clear for an intercept try as the Welsh team were put to the sword.

McCarthy completed his treble, then Low scored his side’s 10th try and their sixth with 20 seconds-and-a-half minutes left and 16 minutes remaining.

Half-time substitute Ciaran Frawley added the extra points to those five tries in the second 40 minutes.

Edwards crossed the whitewash for a late consolation score, which he converted himself.

Leinster: J O’Brien, Lowe, Ringrose, Henshaw, Larmour, Byrne, Gibson-Park; Cahir, G McCarthy, Slimani, J McCarthy, Mangan, Conan (capt), van der Flier, Culhane.

Replacement: Kelleher, Usanov, Furlong, Deegan, Doris, Gunne, Frawley, Cooney.

Ospreys: Walsh; Giles, Boshoff, Watkin, Hopkins; Edwards, Morgan-Williams; G Phillips, Daniel, Warren, R Davies, Sutton, Ratty, J Morgan (capt), Moriarty.

Replacement: L Lloyd, C Jones, Hyer, B Roberts, Deaves, Hardy, P Cocanasiga, L Morgan.