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Leinster, a favorite for the PRO14 title, completed a 15-game winning streak in the regular season with a 28-10 win over Ulster at Aviva Stadium.
Captaining Leinster for the first time in competitive play, Ed Byrne set the example with an early try and Ross Byrne kicked the other points for a 13-0 lead at halftime.
The two Irish provinces had already secured their places in the semi-finals next week, and Ulster, who travels to Edinburgh in the last four, battled a Rob Herring maul to make it 16-7.
John Cooney’s penalty in the 67th minute further reduced the deficit, but Leinster, despite a completely changed team since last week’s win over Munster, produced a two-shot clinical finish when replacements Scott Penny and Harry Byrne they crossed at the end.
The ‘away’ team was the quickest to come out of the blocks, with man of the match Ciaran Frawley managing to climb on his own kick before prop Byrne, with solid support from Max Deegan and Will Connors, ducked for a second. Minute score converted.
Penalty costs and turnovers hampered Ulster’s progress, though a strong run from Jacob Stockdale sparked a faster ball. Going into the second quarter, however, Leinster already had a 13-point lead after elevated middle Ross Byrne had landed two well-hit penalties.
A good steal by Ross Molony thwarted a five-meter lineout for Ulster, whose talisman scrum half Cooney also suffered a couple of frustrating errors.
Leinster was making the physical mark with Connors pushing Ian Madigan back and Josh Murphy’s excellent maul defense foiling a late Ulster attack.
Successive scrum penalties, on either side of the interval, kept Leinster on course with Byrne opening the second half with three more points. Ulster failed to benefit from a Cooney break, created by an otherwise well-organized Marcell Coetzee.
Things finally fell into place for Ulster in the 53rd minute, a corner penalty and a well-executed catch and push saw hooker Herring power over Cooney to convert.
In response to the injuries suffered by Stockdale and Jordi Murphy, the Ulster bench fueled their comeback attempt with fast ruck ball and better running angles that led to a Cooney 3-pointer to 16-10.
However, Ross Byrne’s younger brother Harry brought Leinster home, as they prepare for a semi-final date in Dublin with Munster or Scarlets.
The 21-year-old’s handsome cross kick found open ground and Penny, fresh-legged, edged out Louis Ludik with 72 minutes to go.
Cooney did all the hard work running a tremendous interception attempt from 65 yards, only to be caught offside in the ruck at the TMO review.
And it was up to young Byrne to crash from a few yards in the 78th minute, adding the conversion himself for an 18-point margin of victory.
Final score Final score @dragonesrugby v @scarlets_rugby
What a game for Ken to remember! That’s what the 250th game is for Sherif to remember!#DRAvSCA pic.twitter.com/604ql9jl3h– Scarlet Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) August 29, 2020
Earlier in the night, the Scarlets moved to second place in PRO14 Conference B after a thrilling second-half performance saw them overwhelm the Dragons 41-20 at Rodney Parade.
Mainstay Samson Lee, wings Steff Evans and Johnny McNicholl, wing James Davies and replacements Tom Rogers and Dane Blacker crossed the line in an impressive display from the visitors, while Dan Jones kicked four conversions and a penalty.
Wing Jared Rosser, wing Taine Basham and center Adam Warren took the Dragons’ attempts, with elevated middle Sam Davies kicking a penalty and conversion, but fell short after a promising start.
An entertaining first half saw the leader change hands three times and the Scarlets looked ready to walk away before the home team rallied within a few points.
Davies put the Dragons ahead with a penalty in the 13th minute, but a frenzied eight-minute period turned the score from 3-0 to a 14-10 lead for the visitors.
The Scarlets, with Wales hooker Ken Owens playing his 250th game to become the second player to reach that milestone for the West Wales team in the regional era, had chances to score and pass to Jake Ball only for the referee to call him. Craig Evans.
However, a great attack line-out and a drive from the visitors left Lee with room to pass a couple of meters for a converted try.
The Dragons struck back when the pressure inside the 22 saw the ball pushed to the left and brought a two-on-one, with Basham setting Rosser up for a simple touchdown that Davies converted.
However, the Scarlets struck again when a great drive at home 22 gave scrum-half Kieran Hardy a chance to pass the ball to Davies, who sent it to Evans for the touchdown.
And with Jones adding in the extras and Davies getting run over by his pack for a third attempt at Scarlets, all was well for the visitors.
However, in the closing seconds of the half, Basham had the ball in a driving maul to pass as the Dragons closed the gap at 19-15.
After home number eight Harrison Keddie was sent off for a ruck infraction, Sione Kalamafoni thought he had scored for the Scarlets when he dived over a pile of bodies to land only for the TMO to rule him out.
But the bonus point attempt came before the time a kick into the home danger zone saw Wales attack McNicholl and Jones converted again.
A simple penalty from Jones and two more attempts by Scarlets, by Rogers and Blacker, sealed the score before Warren landed a consolation corner attempt for the Dragons with two minutes remaining.
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