Live Commentary: Stade Francais 13-34 Leinster - as it happened

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Stade Francais 13-34 Leinster - as it happened
© PA Photos / Artur Widak

Leinster lifted the European Challenge Cup with a 34-13 win over Stade Francais at the RDS Arena in Dublin this evening.

Three first-half tries helped the Pro12 team to a comfortable lead at half time, before a late effort from Cian Healy sealed the win.

Johnny Sexton was clinical with the kicking duties, completing all five of his efforts at the uprights.

Read how all the action unfolded below.

10.01pmWell that's all from the European Challenge Cup this evening and this season! Join us again tomorrow for another Dublin final, as Clermont Auvergne face Toulon in the Heineken Cup at the Aviva Stadium. Until then, good bye!
9.59pmStade Francais kept the ball well throughout the match, but the French team could not match their opponents' efficiency in the last 22. Leinster could not equal their first-half performance after the break, but they never looked like letting Stade Francais back into the game.
9.57pmIt's a fourth piece of European silverware in five seasons for Leinster, beating Stade Francais at their home stadium in the European Challenge Cup final.
9.56pmLEINSTER WIN THE EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP!
80 minFULL TIME: Leinster 34-13 Stade Francais
80 minStade Francais crack under the pressure, allowing Cian Healy in for the try. He's made the wait as the referee consults with his official to make sure that the Leinster captain managed to get the ball down, but he decides that he doesn't need the help of a replay to award the try. Once again, Sexton is flawless with the boot, and that will seal it for Leinster.
79 minCONVERSION! Leinster 34-13 Stade Francais (Sexton)
78 minTRY! Leinster 32-13 Stade Francais (Healy)
77 minIsaac Boss sets up another attacking move for Leinster, but Nacewa is held up ahead of the line, but the Irish side still have the ball, and are just inches short of the whitewash.
75 minPlisson finds Doumayrou, who looks to pick out Sinzelle, but his pass is mis-judged and Kearney manages to collect the ball and end the danger for Leinster. However, Stade Francais are not ready to give up on this match.
73 minLeinster continue to apply pressure from the lineout, but are penalised for holding, giving Stade Francais another chance inside the Leinster 22.
72 minRob Kearney thinks he has scored a try for Leinster, but a last-second tackle from Sinzelle just forced his foot into touch, and the try is wiped out. The 20,000 strong crowd, mainly made up of Leinster fans, don't like the decision, but it's the right one.
71 minAndrew Goodman, who came on in place of McFadden, is on the charge for Leinster, but he gets the ball to Boss when he's challenged. The Irish team are looking dangerous again.
70 minScoring the try seems to have buoyed Stade Francais as they're pushing for another straight from the re-start. As they lose the ball, tempers flare a little, with some pushing and shoving between the two teams.
68 minSadly, that's the end of the game for McFadden, who leaves the field on a stretcher. Rob Kearney also picks up a knock as he lands awkwardly after jumping to make a catch, but he seems to have shaken it off.
67 minThere's a bit of a worry for Leinster at the moment, as Fergus McFadden was injured in the build up to the try and is still down receiving treatment.
67 minFinally, Stade Francais manage to get over the line, and it's a brilliant run from Jeremy Sinzelle to give the French side late hope in this European Challenge Cup final. Plisson manages to add the conversion, despite a tricky angle.
67 minCONVERSION! Leinster 27-13 Stade Francais (Plisson)
66 minTRY! Leinster 27-11 Stade Francais (Sinzelle)
65 minNayacalevu charges down the wing as Stade Francais still hunt for their opening try of the match, but once again they come up short, as the ball comes loose.
65 minSexton fires the ball through the uprights, giving Leinster a 21-point advantage heading into the final 15 minutes.
63 minPENALTY! Leinster 27-6 Stade Francais (Sexton)
62 minCian Healy's introduction has improved Leinster's performance in the scrum. Stade Francais won a couple of penalties against the scrum earlier in the game, but this time it's Leinster who force the advantage, and Sexton will kick again.
61 minREPLACEMENTS! Two more changes for Leinster as Leo Cullen takes over from Quinn Roux and Jamie Hagan comes on for Mike Ross
60 minAfter a strong spell, Stade Francais are starting to look tired. They continue to run at the Leinster defence but they can't find any gaps, making it look simple for the Irish side as they protect their try line.
59 minREPLACEMENT! Shane Jennings is on in place of Sean O'Brien for Leinster.
58 minThe French side bear down on the Leinster try line as Sinzelle looks for Warwick, but the ball is passed forward, wasting another opportunity for the French side to add their opening try of the contest.
57 minREPLACEMENT! It's another chance for Stade Francais as Remy Bonfils comes on for Laurent Sempere
56 minNayacalevu has made an immediate impact for Stade Francais, as he looks to force his way through the Leinster defence with his first carry of the ball.
56 minREPLACEMENT Waisea Nayacalevu comes off the bench for Stade Francais, replacing Jerome Porical.
55 minJohnny Sexton was clinical with his three conversion attempts and its no different when he's called upon to take a penalty, extending Leinster's lead with the first points of the second half.
54 minPENALTY! Leinster 24-6 Stade Francais (Sexton)
53 minREPLACEMENT! Leinster make their first chance, replacing the scorer of their second try, Sean Cronin, with Richardt Strauss.
51 minLeinster win the ball back and apply pressure against the Stade Francais defence. Kearney kicks the ball forward looking for Nacewa, but the New Zealander can't get to the ball before it goes into touch.
48 minBoss is brought down by Lyons, but he gets the ball away to O'Brien. Leinster continue to apply pressure as Sexton gets the ball to Cronin, but the ball comes lose and Mostert claims it for Stade Francais. The French side are making Leinster work hard early in the second period.
45 minLeinster regain possession and make their way into their opponents' territory, but Stade Francais break up the move with a two-man tackle on McGrath. Leinster are awarded the scrum, but concede a penalty, allowing Plisson to kick for a lineout. It's been a scrappy few minutes.
42 minDROP GOAL ATTEMPT! Jules Plisson has an early go at the uprights, but he can't quite get the distance. It's been a fast-paced start by Stade Francais.
41 minREPLACEMENT! Paul Warwick is on for Stade Francais in place for Julien Dupuy
41 minJohnny Sexton kicks off the second half
9.02pmThe players are back on the pitch, ready to get the second half underway.
8.59pmWorryingly for Stade Francais, Leinster have some impressive names on their replacements bench. Club captain Cian Healy and Richardt Strauss were both rested after picking up minor knocks in the Pro12 semi-final last weekend, but they could be in line for a second-half cameo.
8.57pmThere was very for referee Nigel Owens to concern himself with in the first half. Aside from a couple of knock ons and an overenthusiastic hit on Parisse, the Welshman was able to let the rugby flow.
8.53pmLeinster's opportunities have been sparse, but it hasn't mattered, they've capitalised on every chance they've had, as Ian Madigan, Sean Cronin and Rob Kearney all broke the whitewash with some calm, clinical finishes.
8.51pmStade Francais had a huge portion of the possession in the opening 40 minutes, but only captain Sergio Parisse looked really dangerous inside the last 22.
8.49pmIt's a fairly straight forward kick from Porical to bring the first half to its conclusion, and there is little doubt that Leinster will be the happier of the two sides as both teams head into the dressing rooms.
40 minHALF TIME! Leinster 21-6 Stade Francais
40 minPENALTY! Leinster 21-6 Stade Francais (Porical)
39 minThe French side win a lineout and look to add their first try just before half time, but Sinzelle is fouled, and Stade Francais decide to go for the penalty instead.
38 minStade Francais have a scrum, and get the ball to Parisse, but the ball comes lose when he runs into O'Brien, and Leinster regain possession inside the final three minutes of the first half.
36 minStade Francais have been inside the Leinster 22 five times not but are yet to add a try. Scott Lavalla just came within a few feet, but was run into touch.
35 minParisse almost breaks free for Stade Francais, but he loses his footing in his haste to find the try line, and the French side must start again.
33 minLeinster have only had three try-scoring opportunities, but they've made the most of every single one of them in this opening half of the Challenge Cup final. Stade Francais have dominated possession, but have little to show for their efforts so far.
30 minA brilliant kick forward finds Isa Nacewa, but he's tackled before the try line. However, he manages to get the ball to Rob Kearney as he is dragged down, and Kearney carries is over the line. Sexton faced a tricky conversion from out side, but made it look easy to give Leinster a substantial lead.
29 minCONVERSION! Leinster 21-3 Stade Francais
28 minTRY! Leinster 19-3 Stade Francais (Kearney)
25 minStade Francais secure a penalty for the tackle on Parisse, and elect to give Jerome Porical an attempts at the uprights, and he comfortably splits the sticks to get the French team off the mark.
25 minPENALTY! Leinster 14-3 Stade Francais (Porical)
24 minOnce again Stade Francais get within a couple of yards of the Leinster try line, but the Irish side's defence holds strong, eventually dragging Parisse away.
22 minIt's textbook stuff from Leinster! Isaac Boss gets the ball from a lineout and spots Sean Cronin in space ahead of him. A simple chip forward sees the ball fall into Cronin's hands, and he powers over the try line to double the Dublin team's advantage, with Sexton added the extra two points with a simple kick.
21 minCONVERSION! Leinster 14-0 Stade Francais (Sexton)
20 minTRY! Leinster 12-0 Stade Francais (Cronin)
18 minStade Francais are on the attack again, but Plisson loses the ball and it falls to Sexton, who kicks it forward for Conway. A good chance for Leinster here.
17 minIt's a good spell of pressure from Stade Francais as they bear down on the Leinster try line, but a knock on awards the ball back to the Irish side, and Sexton kicks the ball away following the scrum.
15 minStade Francais almost find the try line following the lineout, but Paul Williams is just held up ahead of the whitewash. The French side still have the ball though
14 minRoss is up an still rubbing his shoulder, but walks straight back into the scrum. Stade Francais are awarded a penalty following the scrum, and take the lineout rather than going for the uprights.
12 minThe referee has stopped the clock to allow Leinster's Mike Ross to receive treatment. It looks like he's picked up a shoulder knock and seems to be in quite a bit of pain.
12 minPlisson is on the ball again but Madigan stops him in his tracks. He looks to pass the ball on but Leinster regain possession, but don't get too far into their opponents' territory thanks to a knock on.
10 minPlisson passes the ball out wide to Doumayrou, but there's no way through the Leinster defence. Plisson regains possession and tries to chip the ball forward, but none of his teammates can make the chase. Stade Francais don't seem too discouraged by Leinster's early try.
7 minLeinster have the scrum again, and Heaslip comes away with the ball. Stade Francais get the turnover though, and Doumayrou launches an attack, but Heaslip pushed him into touch before he found the try line.
4 minCONVERSION! Leinster 7-0 Stade Francais (Sexton)
4 minFrom a lineout, the ball is passed out wide to Heaslip, who finds Johnny Sexton, who gets the ball to Ian Madigan for an easy try. Stade Francais lacked number at the back.
3 minTRY! Leinster 5-0 Stade Francais (Madigan)
2 minLeinster win an early scrum and Jack McGrath gets the ball out for the Irish side. The ball is kicked down the wing and Leinster push inside Stade Francais' 22-yard line, but the ball comes loose and the French team clear the danger. A good aggressive start for Leinster though.
0 minStade Francais kick off the first half
7.58pmThe players are lined up in the tunnel ready to head onto the pitch, with the Challenge Cup trophy sitting on the sidelines. Kickoff is just a few moments away.
7.54pmAlthough the end of the domestic rugby union season is almost here, the British and Irish Lions tour gets underway next month. Five members of Warren Gatland's squad will be in action with Leinster this evening.
7.50pmWith just 10 minutes until kickoff, the RDS Arena is beginning to fill up nicely. Although the majority of the supporters are in the blue of Leinster, it looks like plenty of French support has made the journey to Dublin, as there is a decent display of pink in the crowd too.
7.47pmWhile Leinster are without O'Driscoll this evening, the 34-year-old confirmed yesterday that he will be continuing with the club and as an international with Ireland for another season.
7.43pmAs the players continue their warmups, I think now is a good time for a prediction. It's difficult to see anything other than a Leinster win this evening, but I'd be surprised if Stade Francais don't put up a good fight. I'm going for the Dublin side to win by less than five points.
7.39pmThe players are heading out onto the pitch ready for tonight's game. The Leinster side are met with a rousing roar from the Dublin crowd. The home support could be a big factor this evening.
7.36pmLeinster are the overwhelming favourites with the bookmakers for this evening's match. However, with several players rested ahead of next weekend's Pro12 final, it should be a good contest.
7.31pmLeinster's Isaac Boss is expecting a tough game against the French side. He told Sky Sports News: "They have got a very strong team. They haven't done as well in the league as they should this season, but I think they have got a real focus on [the Challenge Cup]. We have put everything into this Amlin competition because that is the way the team plays. We are gunning for Stade Francais."
7.27pmAhead of kickoff, Stade Francais captain Sergio Parisse has urged his teammates to make history for the club. The Italian told Sky Sports News: "The club has never won a European trophy and that is an historic objective for us. We have to play the game free in our minds, just like we did at Bath in the quarter-finals. Above all, we shall not be afraid. It would be wonderful to win the trophy, and I just hope those who play in the final earn a lot of experience from the occasion."
7.23pmThe only time the trophy has been lifted from a club from outside France or England was in 2010, when Cardiff Blues beat Toulon 28-21 in Marseille. Tonight will see an Ireland represented in the final for the first time.
7.20pmFrench sides have fared well in the 17-year history of the Challenge Cup. Six of the 16 previous winners have come from across the Channel, but Stade Francais have never lifted a European trophy.
7.17pmAs we head towards kickoff, let's have a reminder of how both teams progressed to the final. After dropping out of the Heineken Cup, Leinster eased through a quarter-final against London Wasps, before crushing Biarritz in the semis. Stade Francais have faced a tougher path in the knock-out stages, beating Bath 36-20 in the quarters, before a three-point victory over Perpignan in the last four.
7.13pmStade Francais had a strong showing in the pool stage of the Challenge Cup, finishing top of their group. However, a lacklustre season in the Top 14 league means they need a win this evening to book a place in next season's cup.
7.11pmThe Irish side may never have lifted the Challenge Cup, but their recent record in the Heineken Cup has been impressive, lifting the trophy in three of the last four years, but they dropped into this competition after some mixed performances in the pool stages.
7.09pmThe big news for Leinster is that Brian O'Driscoll misses out after failing to recover from a back injury, despite the club being confident earlier this week that the centre would be fit for tonight's clash.
7.07pmSTADE FRANCAIS REPLACEMENTS: Bonfils, Wright, Becasseau, van Zyl, Tomiki, Nayacalevu, Arias, Warwick LEINSTER REPLACEMENTS: Strauss, Healy, Hagan, Cullen, Jennings, Cooney, Goodman, D Kearney
7.05pmSTADE FRANCAIS XV: Porical, Sinzelle, Doumayrou, Williams, Bonneval, Plisson, Dupuy, De Malmanche, Sempere, Slimani, Lavalla, Mostert, Lyons, Rabadan, Parisse LEINSTER XV: R Kearney, Conway, McFadden, Madigan, Nacewa, Sexton, Boss, McGrath, Cronin, Ross, Roux, Toner, Ruddock, O'Brien, Heaslip
7.02pmGood evening. Tonight sees the first of two rugby union finals this weekend, as Europe's second-tier competition comes to its conclusion. Let's start by taking a look at the teams for tonight's European Challenge Cup final.
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