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Josh Thomas’ late attempt to charge down led the Ospreys to a sensational 24-19 win over Guinness Pro 14 giants Leinster at the RDS.
With replacement Andrew Smith in the trash, Leinster lost his grip on a 19-3 lead as the Ospreys ruthlessly regained the converted scores of Olly Cracknell (68 minutes), Owen Watkin (71) and Thomas (75).
Full match details
It was a season-defining result for Toby Booth’s men, as it guarantees them a third place in Conference A and the Heineken Rugby Champions Cup for next season.
The loss will undoubtedly sharpen Leinster’s minds before next week’s Pro 14 final against Munster. Attempts by Harry Byrne and Jamie Osborne, in their second start, gave them a 12-3 lead at the break.
Byrne, out-half, had a double, but it went downhill for the defending champs during the fourth quarter. Thomas blocked a Byrne kick to score, adding his third conversion to seal the Ospreys’ first victory in Dublin since their final win in 2012.
Frustrated by a trio of recent losses, the Ospreys came very close to an early try, but Reuben Morgan-Williams received a whistle for a knock-on.
Once Leinster put pressure on the right areas, the visitors struggled and lost prop Ma’afu Fia to the bin in the 19th minute.
Good play from a scrum, combined with a simulated run from center Osborne, played on Byrne for his converted try in the 21st minute.
Luke Price responded with a penalty, only for Will Griffiths to fail the restart of Byrne’s skyscraper. Osborne pounced on the loose ball and launched for five more points in the right corner.
Price hit the post with a subsequent penalty and the Ospreys did not benefit from two late penetrating runs from Morgan Morris, the Guinness player of the match.
Just three minutes into the second half, Byrne crossed a pass from Rowan Osborne after header Michael Bent took advantage of a defensive gap.
Ciaran Frawley converted for 19-3 and Leinster looked comfortable. That was until his scrum began to award penalties and the Ospreys bench made a big impact.
Smith caught Dewi Cross with a high tackle in the 67th minute and the Ospreys group stacked up for Cracknell to dive to the side of the posts.
Twenty-year-old replacement Thomas coldly converted and also added the extras to Watkin’s rumble down the line, following a furious chase and a robbery of the Morris wing.
Victorious in Ireland on just two previous occasions since 2016, the Ospreys snatched the result when Thomas pushed ahead in his block, beating Max O’Reilly.
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