Leinster beat Cardiff 29-5 to mark Laya Arena return with first URC win

Leinster claimed their first victory of the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship season with a 29-5 home win over Cardiff, scoring five tries on their return to the redeveloped Laya Arena. According to BBC Sport’s match report, a sell-out crowd of 20,600 watched the defending champions hand the Welsh visitors their first defeat of the campaign.

Watch the highlights:

The result followed losses away to the Lions and Sharks, from which Leinster had collected three bonus points. Leo Cullen brought back a number of Ireland internationals for their first appearances of the season as the province returned to its former RDS home after two seasons at the Aviva Stadium. The venue’s redevelopment cost €52 million, the BBC reported.

Leinster established control early through tries from Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O’Brien and Jack Conan inside the opening quarter. Keenan finished the first after quick passing released him on the left, kicking forward and regathering. Cardiff scrum-half Aled Davies then received a yellow card for stopping the ball illegally near his own line, with O’Brien and Conan adding further tries.

Cardiff nevertheless scored while a player short. Fly-half Callum Sheedy used a penalty to send a cross-kick towards Mason Grady, whose finish reduced the deficit to 15-5. That was the visitors’ only score, despite opportunities later in the match to put pressure on the home defence.

O’Brien’s second try arrived in the 37th minute from a set move, giving Leinster their fourth try and securing the attacking bonus point before the interval. Sam Prendergast added his first successful conversion of the evening to leave the hosts 22-5 ahead at half-time, with Cardiff facing a substantial deficit despite Grady’s response.

The visitors gained territory and made several entries into Leinster’s 22 after the restart but could not turn those positions into points. Neither side scored in the second half until Jamie Osborne crossed from close range with five minutes remaining. Prendergast finished with two conversions as Leinster completed the five-try victory and Cardiff left Dublin without a league point.