Leinster's Celtic League aspirations suffered a crushing blow in the Millennium Stadium this evening as Cardiff consigned Michael Cheika's side to a bitterly disappointing defeat.
Hoping to leapfrog Ulster at the top of the table, Leinster took just a solitary bonus point away from the match and must now hope the northern province slip up in their final two matches to have any chance of securing the title.
In truth, a win was no more than the home side deserved and while Robert Kearney's late try looked to have secured the points for Leinster, Martyn Williams was on hand to regain the lead two minutes later with Craig Morgan's injury-time effort merely adding salt to the wound.
The writing was on the wall for Leinster as early as the third minute as Cardiff, seeking a top seeding for next year's Heineken Cup, breached the visitors defence for the first of five tries.
Cardiff Blues: Macleod, Czekaj, J. Robinson, Stcherbina, Morgan, N. Robinson, M. Phillips, Yapp, R. Thomas, Jenkins, D. Jones, Sidoli, Molitika, Sowden-Taylor, Rush. Replacements: Nuthall, T. Davies, R. Powell, S. Roberts, Goodfield, Schubert, M. Williams.
Leinster: Dempsey, Horgan, D'Arcy, Lewis, Hickie, Contepomi, Easterby, Corrigan, Jackman, Byrne, Byrnes, O'Kelly, Miller, Gleeson, Heaslip. Replacements: Kearney, Hepworth, O'Riordan, Green, Blamey,Gissing, Ronan.
Referee: R Dixon (Scotland)
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