Another giant stride towards that dream double for Leinster as they easily took out the Sharks in the URC quarter-finals this afternoon at the Aviva Stadium.
With the potential for three more weeks of high-stakes knock-out games to come beyond this game, Leo Cullen made nine changes from last week's Champions Cup semi-final victory over Toulouse.
The outcome similar, even down to the visitors scoring the first try before counting the cost of indiscipline as the province took full advantage in front of a 14,642 crowd - the capacity will be upped to 27,000 for next Saturday's last four clash with Glasgow Warriors or Munster, who face off this evening in Scotstoun.
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And so Leinster are back to where they were last season in the URC and in the Champions Cup. The million euro question is can they deliver this time.
Despite all the toing and froing in terms of personnel Leinster lived up to their favourites billing against the eighth seeds as Harry Byrne guided them expertly around the pitch in his first big play-off start and his 50th appearance overall, and with a 100% record off the tee to boot.
Despite an early injury scare Hugo Keenan had another massive game while the likes of Ciarán Frawley - playing in a new centre partnership with Charlie Ngatai - and Jordan Larmour did their hopes of further involvement no harm at all with next week's URC semi followed by the Champions Cup decider in a fortnight's time.
Although they bossed possession early on, a scrum penalty win against Michael Milne - in at loosehead for Andrew Porter - buoyed the Sharks, who were without injured Springbok powerhouses Siya Kilosi and Eben Etzebeth.
And, in the eighth minute, scrum-half Grant Williams ran in untouched after spotting a mismatch with Leinster's two props minding the house.
Boeta Chamberlain missed the conversion but it was start that the South Africans wanted and, a little rattled, Leinster survived throwing an intercept pass in midfield moments later. The Sharks' satisfaction was short-lived, however.
Dave Kearney's 12th break underlined the vulnerability in the visitors' defence and, soon after, Caelan Doris crashed over off lineout ball taken by Ryan Baird.
Referee Craig Evans and his officials had another look at Makazole Mapimpi's high tackle on Doris in attempting to stop the rampaging no 8 and the outcome was a yellow card for the Springbok winger before Harry Byrne's successful conversion.
Leinster scored 14 points with Thomas Ramos in the sin-bin a week earlier and they repeated the trick here as the Sharks' discipline crumbled and the concession of two penalties put the Blues within five metre tap penalty range.
Doris almost broke through to score but when the ball was recycled, Milne powered over and Byrne's fine conversion made it 14-5 after 23 minutes.
Within 120 seconds Leinster were celebrating again after taking the bold decision to play out of their 22 from the restart. Frawley made a big break before Keenan made further strides, shrugging off full-back Aphelele Fassi's challenge.
Byrne spotted the acres of space and the blue shirts to his right and his cross-kick bounced before Larmour calmly crossed for the third try, Byrne adding the extras with equal composure and, the damage done, Mapimpi was finally back onto the pitch.
Jack Conan replaced Scott Penny who went off for a HIA in the 37th minute and, on the stroke of half-time, skipper Luke Byrne found himself on the wrong side of the ruck and was pinged.
But it summed up the Sharks' afternoon to date that couldn't split the posts from the 10 metre line and his side had a 21-5 deficit to try to make up for the second half.
Tadhg Furlong was withdrawn at the break and Cian Healy introduced for his 263rd appearance. There was no disruption as a flowing move involving backs and forwards saw Conan slip Max Deegan in for an easy try in the 51st minute, and once more Byrne was up to the task with the conversion.
The impressive Ngatai, who made his return to action last week after four months out injured, almost drifted for the fifth try, then a brilliant Doris break came close to Deegan getting over.
Ross Byrne replaced Ngatai in the 58th minute as Porter also came on for a run out. When the Sharks finally got back into Leinster's 22, Fassi knocked on and a scrum penalty win for the hosts produced one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon.
The Blues propelled themselves back up field and Liam Turner was finally spotted in space on the right - that space quickly diminished but the replacement burrowed his way to the try line, only to be held up.
Some 65 minutes after scoring the first try, Sharks thought they had another when replacement Janse van Rensburg raced in.
However before the conversion could be taken the score was disallowed - flanker James Venter was spotted piling dangerously into Porter at the ruck with a no-arms tackle.
By then the Sharks had already known their season was long since cooked but there was still time for Jamison Gibson-Park to rub salt in their wounds, the replacement scrum-half running onto Kearney's well weighted kick.
This time it was Ross Byrne who converted to end the rout, although it was concerning for Leinster fans to see the veteran Healy come off injured before the final whistle.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour (Liam Turner 55), Ciarán Frawley, Charlie Ngatai (Ross Byrne 58), Dave Kearney; Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath (Jamison Gibson-Park 69); Michael Milne (Andrew Porter 58), Dan Sheehan (John McKee 59), Tadhg Furlong (Cian Healy ht); Ryan Baird, Jason Jenkins; Max Deegan, Scott Penny (Jack Conan 37), Caelan Doris (Joe McCarthy 69)
CELL C SHARKS: Aphelele Fassi; Marnus Potgieter (Cameron Wright 73), Lukhanyo Am (capt), Ben Tapuai (Janse van Rensburg 57), Makazole Mapimpi; Boeta Chamberlain (Nevaldo Fleurs 58), Grant Williams; Ox Nche (Ntuthuko Mchunu 60), Bongi Mbonambi (Fez Mbatha 60), Thomas du Toit (Carlu Sadie 26); Corne Rahl, Gerbrandt Grobler (Jeandre Labuschagne 69); James Venter, Vincent Tshituka, Sikhumbuzo Notshe (Phepsi Buthelezi 58).
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