An apocalyptic deluge, that began over three hours before kick-off and reluctantly abated midway through the opening half, spoiled hopes of those expecting Leinster, with close to their first choice backs, to open up and play summer rugby.
Instead the writing was on the wall; the standard pre0-match passing drill was cut to a minimum as Jonathan Sexton and Luke Fitzgerald both, with the intention of testing journeyman fullback Barry Davies, practiced bombing Garryowens up against the torrent.
14 points from Dan Biggar proved the difference in the reverse fixture this season. And the young Welsh half put his side into the lead with little over 60 seconds on the clock. However as tends to happen in the Magners League, the visiting team immediately provided a reprieve, Ryan Jones going offside to allow Sexton level the scores.
If this match was to be a battle of the young fly-halves, then they started going the right way about it.
Fergus McFadden's speed almost conjured up an unlikely try but the slippy surface took Sexton's placed ball marginally over touch line. However, all is not lost when you have Devin Toner in the line out, the beanpole stole Huw Bennett's five meter line out and Eoin Reddan quickly found Sexton. Unfortunately, with speedsters outside, he elected for the straight line and (a few phases later) had to settle for three points instead of seven.
After 15 minutes: number 15 comes to the blues rescue, Fitzgerald smashing Rhys Webb after his snipe off the back of a dominant scrum. The relief was short-live for the hosts as captain, Justin Tipuric, capitalised on the disruption caused by Ian Gough by pouncing on the loose ball under the posts.
Having taken the lead the Ospreys looked unwilling to give it up. Bennett took an increasingly long time to deliver his darts and the crowd mirrored their team's frustration. A couple of rare missed tackles for Gordon D'Arcy and a missed touch from Sexton seemed set to sum up a bad first half at the office in D4. A feeling compounded when Shane Jennings went off his feet in front of the posts to allow Biggar a chance to increase the lead to seven.
But hark! A small shift in momentum, from ten metres out, directly in front of the posts the 21 year old number 10 showed all the experience and mettle he is lacking. Somehow the six cap Wales international contrived to chip the ball against the underside of the bar, rather than blast it over as his kicking coach will no doubt have taught him.
A trademark lightening quick break from McFadden on the right, briefly had the crowd on its feet. Before Toner was harshly pinged for crossing by referee, Nigel Owens. The principalities number one whistle-blower continued to draw the ire of the crowd as he failed to notice the visitors continually impinging at the breakdown.
On the stroke of half time, Tipuric, lying on the wrong side of the ruck was given a long overdue reprimand, from close to 40 metres Sexton made no mistake and gobbled up the chance to reduce the deficit to a minimum 9-10 at the break.
Biggar and Sexton began the second period with penalties from similar angles (45 meters out towards the right hand side.) But while Biggar renewed his acquaintance with the woodwork, Sexton was nudging his men into the lead.
The Ospreys number ten had looked one of their stronger players pre-kick off but on 50 minutes he missed his third penalty in succession. Meanwhile, the St. Mary's man, having missed one, swung back in the groove converting his fifth chance of the night.
Biggar was brave, he kept coming back to the plate, but after misplacing five, Tipuric, the stand in skipper should have taken the executive the decision to find another place kicker having already allowed 15 points go by the wayside.
Leinster were lucky to be in the lead, and lucky to have Sexton, who knows where the young man will end up in the coming years but if he keeps dictating play on a greasy surface with pin pint chips as he did this night, France's top clubs will not back away from the door willingly.
From the outset a losing point may seem like a bonus in every sense of the word; considering the weakened outfit they dispatched across the Irish Sea. But they will make the return journey knowing that on another night, with the number of penalties that came their way, victory and four points should have been their haul, instead on a rain sodden night they could only muster a 15-10 defeat.
Leinster: Luke Fitzgerald; Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Fergus McFadden; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Cian Healy, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross; Leo Cullen, Devin Toner, Dominic Ryan, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Jason Harris-Wright, Heinke van der Merwe, Clint Newland, Nathan Hines (Cullen '56), Rhys Ruddock (Heaslip '62), Isaac Boss (Reddan '66), Ian Madigan, Isa Nacewa (Sexton '78)
Ospreys: Barry Davies; Nikki Walker, Sonny Parker, Ashley Beck, Richard Fussell; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Duncan Jones, Huw Bennett, Craig Mitchel; Ian Gough, Ian Evans; Tom Smith, Justin Tipuric, Ryan Jones.
Replacements: Mefin Davies (Bennett '62), Ryan Bevington, Cai Griffiths, James Goode (Evans '70), Jonathan Thomas (Smith '70), Jamie Nutbrown (Webb '62), James Hook, Gareth Owen.
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