Leinster 18 Ulster 3:LEINSTER CAN put their feet up for the weekend and watch their prospective opponents in two finals, although after a typical demolition derby they will anxiously await a few scans, not least on Brian O'Driscoll's knee. Their preference will be for an Ospreys win today, if only because it would mean a repeat of last year's final here at the RDS rather than a trek to Thomond Park on May 28th.
Ulster unsurprisingly brought a large contingent of supporters and plenty of physicality in a much improved, less narrow defensive effort. But there was no disguising the class divide.
Leinster’s footwork in contact, attacking of space, dynamic ball carriers in the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Seán O’Brien and Richardt Strauss, and their handling skills were inestimably better. As much as anything though, it was their savagely accurate and effective breakdown work and defence which won them the game.
However, winning was one thing, but with their rendezvous next Saturday against Northampton in mind, emerging unscathed another. Although risking pretty much a full-strength selection, almost anybody who showed signs of a limp was hauled off and both Isaac Boss (tight hamstring) and Mike Ross (a “stinger”) departed by the half-hour mark. Soon after O’Driscoll, his knee already strapped before kick-off, was limping heavily after being hit by Rory Best, and he didn’t re-emerge after the break.
His renowned healing powers will encourage belief that he can recover. Biffing Chris Henry after being tugged off the ball, something the officials could have done more to limit on the night, also had some commentators talking of him being cited. Surely not?
Referee George Clancy spoke to both players after it had been brought to his attention by one of his assistants, and the players high fived. Strauss also went off after taking a fierce dunt on his side/hip by Johann Muller.
It was always likely Ulster would learn from their previous two beatings, and with Ulster fanning out more, Leinster had more joy attacking closer in. O’Brien took a good line off O’Driscoll’s offload and Declan Fitzpatrick took out Boss for Jonny Sexton to open the scoring from a penalty.
Soon after, Fergus McFadden made a line break out of nothing before Strauss sped on to Boss’ pass to break through, beat Adam D’Arcy and gave a routine try-scoring offload inside to Luke Fitzgerald. In an unfortunate recurring theme to his season though, Fitzgerald over-ran the ball, but redemption would come later.
If that cost Leinster seven points, Ulster weren’t helping themselves with their inability to hold on to passes and soon Leinster were knocking on the door again. Heaslip’s rumble and offload, Shane Jennings’ link to release Isa Nacewa and Strauss’ scrambling on the deck provided the catalyst, and though Nevin Spence denied O’Brien on the opposite touchline after O’Driscoll’s deft under-arm offload, Pedrie Wannenburg knocked on Best’s pass off the ensuing lineout.
Opting for a scrum when Tom Court was pinged, Heaslip, Gordon D’Arcy and Cian Healy in turn sucked in the defence before the halves, O’Driscoll and Nacewa, put McFadden over in the corner. A routine overlap try, but typical of this team’s improved finishing and clinically done.
They didn’t press it home though. Ulster’s line-out was misfiring, Heaslip galloping upfield before Pienaar timed his tackle on the supporting O’Brien to perfection. Compensation came via a Sexton penalty on half-time.
Upon the resumption Ian Humphreys missed a penalty before Ulster went through the phases, but Dave Kearney produced a good tackle on Spence and McFadden won a penalty against Darren Cave for not releasing.
Paul Marshall replaced Humphreys, the increasingly influential Pienaar moving to outhalf and comfortably landing a 58-metre penalty. Living off scraps, Leinster forced things a little but found their accuracy after another wonderful steal by Heaslip.
Patiently going through the phases, accurately clearing out and hungrily looking for the ball, Ian Madigan almost broke through before Fitzgerald did, slicing between Wannenburg and Pienaar, then stepping D’Arcy before speeding around Craig Gilroy. He needed that, so did Leinster, and soon after both teams were saluting their supporters.
Scoring sequence: Sexton pen 3-0; 25 mins McFadden try 8-0; 40 mins Sexton pen 11-0; (half-time 11-0); 61 mins Pienaar pen 11-3; 72 mins Fitzgerald try, McFadden con 18-3.
LEINSTER: I Nacewa; F McFadden, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen (capt), N Hines, S O’Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: E Reddan for Boss (31 mins), S Wright for Ross (33 mins), D Kearney for O’Driscoll (ht), I Madigan for Sexton, J Harris-Wright for Strauss (both 56 mins), H van der Meuwe for Healy (62 mins), K McLaughlin for O’Brien, D Toner for Cullen (both 73 mins).
ULSTER: A D’Arcy; C Gilroy, D Cave, N Spence, S Danielli; I Humphreys, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best (capt), D Fitzpatrick, J Muller, T Barker, P Wannenburg, C Henry, R Diack. Replacements: J Cronin for Fitzpatricdk (ht), P Marshall for Humphreys (58 mins), A Kyriacou for Best, PMcAllister for Court, C Gaston for Danieli, T Anderson for Wannenburg (all 75 mins), I Whitten for Cave (77mins). Not used: N McComb,
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU).
