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United Rugby Championship
Cardiff (3) 8
Try: A Davies Pen: Sheedy
Leinster (0) 7
Try: McGrath Con: Tector
Cardiff took a huge step towards making the United Rugby Championship play-offs by ending Leinster's winning streak at a rain-lashed Arms Park.
The Blue and Blacks climbed to third in the table by recording their first win against the Irish province since January 2022.
The hosts led 3-0 at the break in horrendous conditions and went into the final quarter 8-0 to the good thanks to scrum-half Aled Davies' counter-attack try.
Leinster struck with a converted try by their scrum-half Luke McGrath in the 68th minute and suddenly Cardiff, down to 14 men after a yellow card for Jacob Beetham, were creaking.
However, they held on and killed the clock expertly to end the champions' winning run in all competitions at 11 games.
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Cardiff are level on points with second-placed Leinster and crucially have a 15-point lead over those aiming to break into the top eight.
Testing conditions meant the only score of the first half came through the boot of Callum Sheedy, with the Cardiff fly-half knocking over a 19th-minute penalty.
The Blue and Blacks were left to rue the lack of a cutting edge in the 22, especially when Leinster had a spell down to 14 men courtesy of a yellow card for Charlie Tector for a high and late hit on Ben Thomas.
Tector had been introduced after just three minutes when the Irish province lost fly-half Harry Byrne, their only player released from Six Nations duty, to a head injury.
That was an enforced change but four of his fellow replacements – including former France tight-head prop Rabah Slimani and giant South Africa lock RG Snyman – were introduced by Leo Cullen with four minutes of the first half to play.
Cardiff continued to have the territorial edge at the start of the second half, despite playing into the wind, and Davies came up with a key score in the 54th minute.
Jimmy O'Brien failed to find touch with a clearance and the scrum-half ran a good supporting line to finish off the counter-attack, sparked by Cam Winnett and Mason Grady, from flanker Dan Thomas' pass.
Leinster trailed 8-0 and needed to respond, with their hopes boosted by a yellow card for Cardiff wing Beetham on 65 minutes after he was tempted into a deliberate knock-on.
Two minutes later the visitors were over when scrum-half McGrath finished off after a line break and neat offload by replacement full-back Andrew Osborne.
Tector added the simple extras to make it a one-point game but Cardiff held their nerve to earn a vital, and deserved, victory.
Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl said: "We adapted well to the conditions because it was easier to play without the ball, so the kicking came into play.
"Leinster are a quality outfit with what they have done over the years and it was good chance for us to measure ourselves. I was pleased with the game plan and how things unfolded."
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said: "I thought that Cardiff deserved the win.
"I am disappointed for our guys, there was lots of good effort and intent but we could get into the game. That was because Cardiff were better with their kicking strategy."
How they lined up
Cardiff: Winnett; Beetham, Millard, B Thomas, Grady; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Nott, Lawrence, D Thomas, Basham.
Replacements: D Hughes, Southworth, Assiratti, Thornton, E Rees, Mulder, I Lloyd, Bowen.
Yellow card: Beetham 65
Leinster: O'Brien; Kenny, Ioane, Henshaw, Moloney, Byrne; Gunne, Cahir, McKee, Sparrow, Spicer, Deeny, Deegan (capt), Penny, Culhane.
Replacements: McCarthy, Usanov, Slimani, Snyman, Ericson, McGrath, Tector, Osborne.
Yellow card: Tector 12
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse (Wales) & Carwyn Sion (Wales)
TMO: David Sutherland (Scotland)