Magners League review:Leinster are down to fourth in the Magners League after an 11-3 defeat at the hands of Cardiff Blues and an Ospreys win over Benetton Treviso in Italy.
A hat-trick from Nikki Walker ensured a 34-18 win for Ospreys and helped them overtake Leinster in second before Joe Schmidt’s side took to the field at the Cardiff City Stadium.
In missing their chance to bite back, Leinster also surrendered third as Cardiff jumped ahead of Ospreys, courtesy of a lacklustre display from the Irish province in the Welsh capital.
Expertly directed by outhalf Ceri Sweeney - who kept Scotland number 10 Dan Parks on the bench - the Welsh region fully deserved their success.
The Blues showed commendable enterprise from the start, spreading the ball wide at every opportunity, but it was Leinster who created the first clear-cut scoring chance, only for centre Eoin O’Malley to hurl his pass out of the reach of unmarked winger Niall Morris and into touch.
At the other end, Blues speedster Richard Mustoe almost sneaked in on the right, but could not prevent a foot landing on the touchline. It was a penalty by Sweeney which put them in front, but they spurned further efforts, preferring to go for the close range lineout.
Mustoe was held up just short and number eight Xavier Rush lost the ball forward as he dived for the line, but the Blues’ adventure was finally rewarded when veteran flanker Martyn Williams popped up as a link man on the blind side of a ruck and put fullback Dan Fish in at the flag for an unconverted try.
Leinster came back in the closing seconds of the first half, fullback Isa Nacewa, who had missed two earlier attempts, slotting over a straightforward penalty. Encouraged, the Irish stepped up the pace after the break, lively outhalf Ian McKinley being foiled by a last-ditch tackle from home scrum-half Tom Slater, before the visiting pack drove across the line, but were unable to ground the ball.
The Blues soon regained control, however, with flanker Andries Pretorius increasingly prominent, and Williams darted over only to be called back for a forward pass by Sweeney. The Blues maintained their pressure, but were unable to turn territory into points, and their lead only survived when Leinster butchered a simple try.
Nacewa switched direction to send Andrew Conway galloping into the Blues’ 22, but the winger’s final pass went to ground when flanker Dominic Ryan had nobody in front of him.
The inevitable substitutions disrupted the flow, but the introduction of Cook Islands prop Stan Wright, making his first appearance since injuring an Achilles in August, brought new stability to a previously vulnerable Leinster scrum.
Sweeney was just off target with a penalty from halfway, but when he had another shot from wide out, the former Wales international curled the ball inside the far post to clinch the home side’s victory.
Meanhile, Ireland wing Tommy Bowecontinued his recovery from injury with 80 minutes for Ospreysagainst Treviso.
Though the former Ulster back failed to get on the scoresheet, Ireland coach Declan Kidney will be buoyed by the full appearance, having been unable to field the invaluable tryscorer so far in the Six Nations championship.
The hero of the night for Ospreys was Walker, who opened the scoring in the 10th minute and touched down twice more in five second-half minutes as the Welsh scored five.
Tobias Botes starred for the hosts. He scored both his team's tries as well as hitting a conversion and two penalties in an impressive all-round showing.
