Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures Behind the Lines Sportswriters discuss their careers and the work that inspires them. Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Action from Leinster v Ospreys.Mike Jones/INPHO Leinster hold on for narrow win against gutsy Ospreys to continue unbeaten run It was just the third time in 11 games that Leo Cullen’s side failed to earn a bonus point. 9.47pm, 14 Feb 2025 Share options Leinster 22 Rob Cole reports from Swansea.com Stadium IF WALES CAN play with the same passion, commitment and courage as the Ospreys displayed against the URC league leaders next week then maybe Simon Easterby’s Irish side may face a battle for the Triple Crown. The home side threw the kitchen sink, the toaster and the kettle at Leo Cullen’s side and were still in with a shout with 10 seconds to go when Justin Tipuric won a turn-over penalty. They had one final shot at glory, but unfortunately for the home fans Iestyn Hopkins failed in his bid to plonk the ball on the five metre line and Ross Byrne was more than happy to kick out to end the game. It meant that for only the third time in 11 games this season in the URC Leo Cullen’s side failed to pick up a bonus-point. In the end they were happy to be leaving with the win that extended their lead at the top of the table and their unbeaten run in the league this season. The Ospreys threw the kitchen sink at Leinster in the opening exchanges, and in the case of Harri Deaves a little bit more, and No 8 Morgan Morris picked up two vital turn-overs in the first five minutes to frustrate Leinster’s early attacking ambitions. Advertisement A neck roll by Leinster back row man James Culhane then gave the home side a shot at opening the score in the eighth minute. Owen Williams ignored the posts, choosing to kick to the corner instead, but the Ospreys line-out was stolen and the stalemate continued. It was Leinster skipper Luke McGrath who finally got the scoreboard moving in the 13th minute. It was the scrum half’s cross field kick to the edge of the home 22 that created the position from which the attack was launched and Jamie Osbourne’s skip out of Keiran Williams midfield tackle that kept the move going. Jimmy O’Brien raced into the 22, found Max Deegan in support and the back row man’s one-handed offload to McGrath created the space for his skipper to score. Frawley missed with his conversion, but made it 8-0 soon after with a penalty from in front of the posts. Jack Boyle and Rabah Slimani then ganged up on the Ospreys scrum and put the squeeze on the home scrum. On looking Irish coach Simon Easterby must have been impressed by what he saw from Boyle But the Ospreys, unbeaten in five games since Mark Jones took over from Toby Booth as head coach in December, wouldn’t go away. They turned up with a driving line out try from Deaves before the break that Williams converted to cut it to a single point game. Charlie Tector was quick to reply and Frawley’s conversion made it 15-8 to the visitors at the break. The Ospreys stepped up their effort at the start of the second half and hooker Ethan Lewis converted a second driving line-out score to cut the gap to three points. RG Snyman laid a try on a plate to Slimani in the 65th minute, which Ross Byrne imporved, but back came the home side with a close range score from young prop Cam Jones. The Walsh conversion cut the gap to three points, but that was as good as it got. It as a hell of a game, though. Ospreys scorers: Deaves, Lewis, James 1 try each; Williams, Walsh 1 con each. Leinster scorers: McGrath, Tector, Slimani 1 try each; Frawley, Byrne 1 con each; Frawley 1 pen Ospreys: J Walsh (T Florence 77); D Kasende, E Boshoff, K Williams, K Giles (T Florence 66-77); O Williams (I Hopkins 45), R Morgan-Williams (K Hardy 30); G Phillips (C Jones 55), E Lewis (W Austin 74), T Botha (B Warren 55), J Ratti (W Spencer 53), J Fender, H Deaves, J Tipuric (captain), M Morris (M Morse 62) Leinster: J Osborne; T O’Brien, H Cooney, C Tector (R Byrne 53), J O’Brien; C Frawley, L McGrath (captain, F Gunne 53); J Boyle (P McCarthy 53), G McCarthy (A Soroka 62), R Slimani (R McGuire 67), D Mangan, B Deeny (RG Snyman 47), M Deegan (A Soroka 62), S Penny, J Culhane Reps: A Osborne Referee: Filipo Russo (Italy) View 29 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Leinster hold on for narrow win against gutsy Ospreys to continue unbeaten run”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Leinster hold on for narrow win against gutsy Ospreys to continue unbeaten run”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Ospreys rugby News in 60 seconds FreeRivalry Guardiola taunts Liverpool over Man City's 100-point record 13 mins ago FreeRound 2 McIlroy in contention at Genesis Invitational as Lowry slips back 15 mins ago League of Ireland Power cut at Tolka but champions Shelbourne blow Derry City away David Sneyd reports from Tolka Park 34 mins ago Freeemphatic Brighton dent Chelsea's Champions League hopes with thumping 3-0 win 51 mins ago FreeNo Separating Them Cork City and Galway United finish all square after four-goal battle FreeAs it happened League of Ireland Premier Division opening night FreeStalemate Mason Melia cameo not enough as Pat's frustrated at home by resilient Drogheda Gavin Cooney reports from Richmond Park FreeAs it happened League of Ireland Premier Division opening night A Penny For Them 'It's the best club in the world' - Penny happy at Leinster despite limited game time Josh Wycherley's return the only change to Munster's XV to face Scarlets 5 gifted young players to watch in the League of Ireland this season more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account