Ulster exit Europe with Leinster defeat in Dublin

Leinster, who mislaid past year's last to La Rochelle, are favourites to triumph the competition

Ulster exited the Heineken Champions Cup astatine the last-16 signifier for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment arsenic Leinster ran retired comfy winners successful Dublin.

Jamison Gibson-Park and Andrew Porter added second-half scores for Leinster, who ever looked to person the borderline implicit their inter-provincial rivals.

James Hume and Rob Herring scored tries for Ulster but it was not enough.

Ross Byrne, who started astatine fly-half for Leinster successful spot of the injured Johnny Sexton, was awesome disconnected the tee, kicking 15 points to assistance his broadside implicit the line.

While Ulster came into the crippled having won 5 of their past six matches, the bluish state were good beaten by a star-studded Leinster broadside who person present won 20 of 21 games successful each competitions this season.

The four-time Champions Cup winners, who boasted 14 Ireland internationals successful their starting line-up, produced a show that underlined their presumption arsenic the competition's favourites, grinding Ulster down with an businesslike and authoritative show astatine a rainy Aviva Stadium.

While it is different disappointing European exit for Ulster, Leinster tin look guardant to a location quarter-final against Leicester Tigers connected Friday evening arsenic Leo Cullen's broadside proceed their quest to avenge decision successful past year's decider by La Rochelle.

Leinster unmoved by flashes of Ulster quality

James Hume scored a good first-half effort for Ulster but Leinster soon regained power of the match

In a lucifer that failed to replicate the play and nail-biting decision of their 2019 quarter-final, Ulster started with committedness and determination were cheers from the visiting supporters erstwhile Ireland prima full-back Hugo Keenan spilled a Billy Burns kick.

From there, Ulster won a punishment erstwhile Leinster were caught offside and Nathan Doak slotted implicit the bar.

But typically of Leinster, determination was nary panic from the men successful bluish and they responded instantly done Byrne earlier Baird touched down for the game's archetypal try, the TMO ruling that helium had grounded the shot contempt unit from 2 Ulster tacklers.

Byrne converted and past nailed a superb punishment from region to found a 10-point pb for Leinster.

At that stage, it looked progressively ominous for Ulster but Dan McFarland's broadside responded by conjuring their champion infinitesimal of the lucifer arsenic Hume plucked a pinpoint Burns cross-field footwear retired of the entity and crashed over.

But portion Ulster hoped that Hume's involution would substance their challenge, Leinster reasserted power immediately. They had a 2nd effort chalked disconnected erstwhile Conan failed to crushed the ball, but with Ulster pinned back, Leinster won different punishment which allowed Byrne to enactment the favourites 8 points up astatine the break.

The 2nd fractional followed a akin signifier to the first. After a play of sustained unit and a yellowish paper for Hume, Gibson-Park picked up a escaped shot and darted nether the posts.

But similar they did erstwhile Hume charged implicit successful the opening period, Ulster recovered a mode to reignite their hopes erstwhile Herring touched down aft a powerful, driving maul.

Again, that failed to plaything momentum backmost successful Ulster's favour, and portion Stuart McCloskey produced a fantastic tackle to thwart a Jimmy O'Brien try, Porter finished from abbreviated scope to enactment the effect beyond doubt.

Leinster: Keenan; Larmour, O'Brien, Henshaw, Lowe; Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Molony, Ryan (capt), Baird, van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: McKee, Healy, Ala'alatoa, Jenkins, Penny, McGrath, Byrne, Frawley.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Burns, Doak; Sutherland, Herring, O'Toole, O'Connor (capt), Treadwell, McCann, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Stewart, O'Sullivan, Toomaga-Allen, Sheridan, Rea, Cooney, Moore, Moxham.