Cardiff edged Leinster in a rain-soaked Vodacom URC clash at the Arms Park on Friday night.
The 8-7 win took the Welsh outfit up to third on the URC log ahead of the Stormers. However, the Cape side has two games in hand, including Saturday’s clash against the Lions at Ellis Park.
It was Cardiff’s first win over Leinster since January 2022.
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The hosts went into the break 3-0 ahead after Callum Sheedy slotted an early penalty in a first half dominated by territorial exchanges and defensive discipline.
The decisive moment came in the final quarter when scrumhalf Aled Davies pounced on a loose ball and raced away on the counter to stretch the lead to 8-0.
Leinster finally sparked into life in the 69th minute when fellow No 9 Luke McGrath dotted down, trimming the deficit to a single point.
For a brief spell, it looked as though the Irish giants might snatch it. But Cardiff’s defence held firm in the closing stages, repelling wave after wave to seal a statement victory.
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Elsewhere, Edinburgh strengthened their own top-eight ambitions with a hard-fought 24-19 bonus-point win over the Scarlets.
Photo: @Cardiff_Rugby/X
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