Cardiff Edges Leinster 8-7, Ends 11-Game Streak

Cardiff secured a gritty 8-7 victory over Leinster in the BKT United Rugby Championship at Arms Park on Friday night, ending the Irish province's 11-match winning streak amid relentless rain and wind that hampered both teams' handling throughout the contest.

The match began chaotically for Leinster, with flyhalf Harry Byrne forced off after just three minutes due to a head injury, his replacement Charlie Tector sin-binned 10 minutes later for a high and late tackle on Cardiff's Ben Thomas. Playing into driving rain and wind, Cardiff capitalized on the numerical advantage to build pressure, though clear scoring chances remained scarce. Flyhalf Callum Sheedy opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a penalty kick after Leinster strayed offside inside their 22, giving the hosts a 3-0 lead at halftime.

Leinster struggled to gain traction against Cardiff's robust defense and pack, which dominated the territorial battle in the slippery conditions. With three minutes remaining in the first half, head coach Leo Cullen made a bold move, substituting his entire front row with John McKee, Alex Usanov, and Rabah Slimani, while also introducing lock RG Snyman to bolster the forward...