Leinster will host defending champions Glasgow Warriors next weekend after beating Scarlets 33-21 in the quarter-final of the BKT United Rugby Championship at Aviva Stadium.
Leo Cullen's side led 15-14 at the break thanks to tries from James Lowe and Hugo Keenan but they conceded two in a strange first half during which some familiar failings were on show again.
However, their bench made a big difference, and they outscored the Welsh side 18 points to seven in the second half with Jamie Osborne and player of the match Hugo Keenan crossing for tries.
Out-half Sam Prendergast scored three penalties and two conversions, while the visitors had forwards Alec Hepburn and Vaea Fifita sin-binned in the second half.
Lowe gave the hosts a fourth-minute lead, crossing out wide via a couple of partially-blocked passes from Keenan and captain Jack Conan.
Leinster take the lead - James Lowe opens the scoring for Leinster against Scarlets #LEIvSCA #RTERugby
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Lowe's soft hands then sent Conan through a gap, with the latter putting Gibson-Park in under the posts to make it 12-0.
However, a 19th-minute lineout was the launchpad for Scarlets’ recovery, winger Rogers finishing strongly from a deft Sam Costelow pass. The latter crisply converted.
Well-organised defence, including a Joe Roberts turnover penalty, provided more inspiration for the visitors, who had young scrum-half Archie Hughes deputising for the injured Gareth Davies.
Despite Prendergast’s 47-metre penalty, Ellis Mee hacked a dropped Leinster pass back downfield, and the electric Murray expertly dribbled away from Jordie Barrett to make it a one-point game.
The Irish province, who lost Josh van der Flier to injury, only had themselves to blame as their decision-making was poor at times.
Osborne’s timely 45th-minute effort, from a Prendergast chip kick, steadied the ship at 22-14. TMO Andrew McMenemy’s tight call on the grounding went the centre’s way.
URC half-time: Leinster 15-14 Scarlets - Scarlets go the length of the field at the end of the first half.
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Scarlets fell further behind by the hour mark, with a Costelow penalty miss following by prop Hepburn’s yellow card for not rolling away.
Leinster’s experienced bench stepped up, a Dan Sheehan charge-down eventually leading to Keenan slaloming over from a Barrett assist.
Williams reduced the arrears to 30-21 in the 70th minute, darting over after lovely work in the build-up from Fifita and Marnus van der Merwe.
Fifita’s subsequent yellow for a high tackle on Keenan was a killer blow though, and Prendergast clipped over the clinching penalty.
Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (capt).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley.
Scarlets: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Ellis Mee; Sam Costelow, Archie Hughes; Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas; Alex Craig, Sam Lousi; Vaea Fifita, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree.
Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Page.
Referee: Hollie Davidson
