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Today
10:00
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15:05
PRO 14LeinsterUlster

Three-try Leinster seal PRO14 title hat-trick

(Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

In the end it turned out as expected, Leinster galloping to the glory of yet another Guinness PRO14 title, beating Ulster 27-5 in the behind closed doors Aviva Stadium decider. Tries from James Lowe, Robbie Henshaw and Caelan Doris made all the difference, reinforcing how the collection of silverware at this level is very much a habit.

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You either have it or you don’t and with Leinster’s cabinet greedily bulging with ten trophies coming into this latest final since Ulster last lifted a pot 14 years ago, fracturing this concrete-set pattern was always going to be an uphill assignment for a visiting team that had lost its two restart derbies in August and then needed a last-gasp penalty to win a semi at Edinburgh.

It wasn’t the sort of form line that would have weighed on the mind too much of a favourite that hadn’t lost a match 16 months and come the finish there was no upset result, only the sight of Leinster comfortably securing league bragging rights for the sixth time in 13 seasons and rounding off a PRO14 campaign that had begun 50 weeks ago with a win at Benetton.

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Ireland 7s player and Love Island contestant Greg O’Shea guests on All Access, the RugbyPass interview series hosted by Jim Hamilton

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Ireland 7s player and Love Island contestant Greg O’Shea guests on All Access, the RugbyPass interview series hosted by Jim Hamilton

This latest triumph also clinched an unprecedented title hat-trick, setting them up sweetly to go on and exact revenge next Saturday on Saracens in the Champions Cup quarter-finals following their May 2019 defeat in the Newcastle European final against the Londoners.

Ulster have their own Euro hurdle to clear, a trip to Toulouse, and they will go there knowing that any repeat of the errors they coughed up in Dublin will see them on the receiving end of another largish defeat.

Leinster were by no means immaculate, their first-half error count giving Ulster the sniff that was the slender five-point margin that existed between the teams at the break. But they had all the nous to see this triumph out without any of the drama that had been witnessed in the early exchanges.

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After an eerie countdown, the silence of the empty stadium rather unsettling given how the recent two finals packed a combined 93,000 in for showpieces in Glasgow and Dublin, the game’s opening was explosive, Ulster ahead with a smashing try created from spilt Leinster ball on halfway.

It was beautiful counter-attacking, the northerners probing right with a meaty Stuart McCloskey carry before going back the other way, lock Alan O’Connor executing a sweet pop to allow James Hume arc stylishly around Ronan Kelleher and into open country.

When the rearguard did arrive, he casually stepped Lowe and had too much gas for the late intervention of Hugo Keenan, Hume diving for the line with just 230 seconds on the clock.

Leinster, who also began sloppily in the ugly semi win over Munster, continued to make errors before eventually managing to build momentum-changing pressure. Off a penalty advantage at the try line, Jamison Gibson-Park fired a powerful pass that eluded Robert Lyttle to get Lowe in at the corner for the score neatly converted by Byrne for a two-point lead.

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That riposte didn’t fix Leinster. Take the play that happened after Rob Herring went for a 21st minute HIA. Their own lineout was lost and then they were unconvincing in the air after Ulster sent up a bomb. Doris defused the threat, though, at the breakdown and a sequence of three quick penalties in a row ended with Byrne on target from in front of the posts.

Porter was next to do a Doris, foraging combatively at the breakdown and winning a pressure-relieving penalty after Ulster had kicked to the corner and tried to wrangle an opening from close range. A pass from Billy Burns that wasn’t firm enough for Hume to grasp was their next major setback in the 22 and they even went on to concede a penalty at the restart scrum, misfortunes that left them trailing 10-5 at the break.

That gap increased to eight points four minutes after the restart, Byrne applying the punishment off the tee after Sean Reidy had clattered Garry Ringrose off the ball. And it swiftly got worse, Burns feeling the heat of suffocating Leinster line speed epitomised all night by the energy of the excellent Josh van der Flier.

Burns tossed an ill-advised pass into the mitts of Henshaw on halfway, cheaply giving him an uninterrupted run to the line, and Byrne added the extras for 20-5.

Ulster’s response was to unload a bench top-heavy with former Leinster players in the hope of conjuring an even greater escape than a week previous at Murrayfield, but that cavalry got them nowhere as Leinster responded in kind, the likes of the benched Johnny Sexton introduced to calmly see out the deserved 22-point win capped by a try from Doris eight minutes from time.

LEINSTER: 15. Jordan Larmour; 14. Hugo Keenan, 13. Garry Ringrose (Rory O’Loughlin, 68), 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. James Lowe; 10. Ross Byrne (Johnny Sexton, 60), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (L McGrath, 60); 1. Cian Healy (Ed Byrne, 53), 2. Ronan Kelleher (James Tracy, 60), 3. Andrew Porter (Michael Bent, 64), 4. Devin Toner, 5. James Ryan (Scott Fardy, 64), 6. Caelan Doris, 7. Josh van der Flier (Will Connors 72), 8. Jack Conan.

Scorers – Tries: Lowe (13), Henshaw (46), Doris (72). Con: Byrne (15, 47), Sexton (73). Pens: Byrne (26, 45)

ULSTER: 15. Michael Lowry; 14. Rob Lyttle, 13. James Hume, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 11. Jacob Stockdale; 10. Billy Burns (Ian Madigan, 55), 9. Alby Mathewson (John Cooney, 48); 1. Eric O’Sullivan (Jack McGrath, 48), 2. Rob Herring (John Andrew 21-35), 3. Tom O’Toole (Marty Moore, 56), 4. Alan O’Connor, 5. Iain Henderson (Sam Carter, 48), 6. Matthew Rea (Jordi Murphy, 56), 7. Sean Reidy, 8. Marcell Coetzee (Nick Timoney, 48).

Scorer – Try: Hume (4)

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Comments on RugbyPass

G
GrahamVF 6 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

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GrahamVF 10 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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GrahamVF 26 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

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GrahamVF 41 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

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GrahamVF 1 hour ago
How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour

Don't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.

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m
mused 4 hours ago
Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

Hopefully Joe stays where he is. That would mean Les, McKellar, larkham and Cron should as well. It’s the stability we need in the state programs. But, if Joe goes, RA with its current financial situation will be forced into promoting from within. And this will likely destabilise other areas.

To better understand some of the entrenched bitterness of those outside of NZ and NSW (as an example 😂), Nic, there is probably a comparison to the old hard heads of welsh rugby who are still stuck in the 1970s. Before the days where clubs merged, professionalism started, and the many sharp knives were put into the backs of those who loved the game more than everyone else. I’m sure you know a few... But given your comparison of rugby in both wales and Australia, there are a few north of the tweed that will never trust a kiwi or NSWelshman because of historical events and issues over the history of the game. It is what it is. For some, time does not heal all wounds. And it is still festering away in some people. Happy holidays to you. All the best in 2025.

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C
Cantab 4 hours ago
Leinster player ratings vs Connacht | 2024/25 URC

Not surprised to see Barretts rating. He has always been a solid defender for the ABs but not particularly effective in attack situations.

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Cantab 4 hours ago
Ex-Wallaby explains why All Blacks aren’t at ‘panic stations’ under Razor

Absolutely. Expect Crusaders to be a much tougher proposition this year as like the ABs last season was a transition one

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Cantab 4 hours ago
Ex-Wallaby explains why All Blacks aren’t at ‘panic stations’ under Razor

A transition stage still for the ABs even though I believe progress has been made in replacing players who have either retired or are now plying their abilities elsewhere. Challenge now is to develop greater depth across the board and fully correct remaining deficiencys in some positions

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GP 5 hours ago
The top 50 prospects under 23 in New Zealand rugby

Really interesting article.Canterbury and Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah, who debuted for the Crusaders before Canterbury , he is going places. Fellow Canterbury lock, who has debuted for the Crusaders in Europe, is big and athletic. His father Graham played in the NPC winning Canterbury side of 1997. His Uncle is former AB Chris Jack. Makos and Crusader no 8 Fletcher Anderson is developing fast with more experience. First-five James White did play well for Canterbury in the loss to Wellington. No harm in first-fives who can play fullback.

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J
JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Yep NZ national u85 team is touring there atm I think (or just has).

147 Go to comments
J
JW 6 hours ago
Warren Gatland finds out his fate as Wales undergo huge changes

What are they gonna do with the 500k and what does that achieve? They could dump the whole side and pick amateurs and save 10million, but what is that going to achieve?


The problem it feels like to me is I didn't hear what Gatland is going to do in order to win the 6N next year. How is he helping the problem. It just sounds like they're expecting miracles and for Gatland to turn around the national teams results, but what good is that when you're not fixing any of the problems and you'll just be back where you were when Gatland and the old players leave?


I think you are totally wrong in your stance. Wales abosolutely need to spend that 500k by investing in their future, it just doesn't sound like theyre giving Gatland any more resources to do it with. They're not using that 500k very well.

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J
JW 6 hours ago
James O'Connor on Crusaders preseason: 'I haven't experienced anything like it'

They would improve a lot of such a scheme were allowed though JD, win win :p

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J
JW 6 hours ago
James O'Connor on Crusaders preseason: 'I haven't experienced anything like it'

Yeah I actually think it was Havili that took it off him. Not bad himself, but on the advice of Razor, who didn't even pursue it and use Havili on a split bench as 10 cover?


One huge cluster#$@% but I think you could be right, I liked O'Connor when he won at the Reds and I've just got a funny feeling he's going to dominate Super Rugby, kinda like how Cooper came back to the Wallabies as an experienced head and spat out South Africa. I think James could do the same with the Blues and other Aus sides. I'd really love Rivez to get a lot of minutes though.

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JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I rated Lowe well enough to be an AB. Remember we were picking the likes of George Bridge above such players so theres no disputing a lot of bad decisions have been made by those last two coaches. Does a team like the ABs need a finicky winger who you have to adapt and change a lot of your style with to get benefit from? No, not really. But he still would have been a basic improvement on players like even Savea at the tail of his career, Bridge, and could even have converted into the answer of replacing Beauden at the back. Instead we persisted with NMS, Naholo, Havili, Reece, all players we would have cared even less about losing and all because Rieko had Lowe's number 11 jersey nailed down.


He was of course only 23 when he decided to leave, it was back in the beggining of the period they had started retaining players (from 2018 onwards I think, they came out saying theyre going to be more aggressive at some point). So he might, all of them, only just missed out.


The main point that Ed made is that situations like Lowe's, Aki's, JGP's, aren't going to happen in future. That's a bit of a "NZ" only problem, because those players need to reach such a high standard to be chosen by the All Blacks, were as a country like Ireland wants them a lot earlier like that. This is basically the 'ready in 3 years' concept Ireland relied on, versus the '5 years and they've left' concept' were that player is now ready to be chosen by the All Blacks (given a contract to play Super, ala SBW, and hopefully Manu).


The 'mercenary' thing that will take longer to expire, and which I was referring to, is the grandparents rule. The new kids coming through now aren't going to have as many gp born overseas, so the amount of players that can leave with a prospect of International rugby offer are going to drop dramatically at some point. All these kiwi fellas playing for a PI, is going to stop sadly.


The new era problem that will replace those old concerns is now French and Japanese clubs (doing the same as NRL teams have done for decades by) picking kids out of school. The problem here is not so much a national identity one, than it is a farm system where 9 in 10 players are left with nothing. A stunted education and no support in a foreign country (well they'll get kicked out of those countries were they don't in Australia).


It's the same sort of situation were NZ would be the big guy, but there weren't many downsides with it. The only one I can think was brought up but a poster on this site, I can't recall who it was, but he seemed to know a lot of kids coming from the Islands weren't really given the capability to fly back home during school xms holidays etc. That is probably something that should be fixed by the union. Otherwise getting someone like Fakatava over here for his last year of school definitely results in NZ being able to pick the cherries off the top but it also allows that player to develop and be able to represent Tonga and under age and possibly even later in his career. Where as a kid being taken from NZ is arguably going to be worse off in every respect other than perhaps money. Not going to develop as a person, not going to develop as a player as much, so I have a lotof sympathy for NZs case that I don't include them in that group but I certainly see where you're coming from and it encourages other countries to think they can do the same while not realising they're making a much worse experience/situation.

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B
Barry 6 hours ago
Loose Leinster scrape by Connacht to extend winning run

Could well be their year. Still winning games while playing utterly puke rugby.

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J
JWH 8 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

NZ regularly plays games against Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa, and almost all of the players who play for NZ are born here. Its a bit like an English born Scot, or an Italian born Frenchman.


WR does NOT schedule matches for the big unions. It is a big union problem, not a problem for WR to fix for once.

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J
JWH 8 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Yes, I don't really rate Lowe and don't see him as a big loss. But PI players are more often leaving their home nation to play for a richer union like France or England or NZ, which is frankly just wrong.

147 Go to comments
J
JWH 8 hours ago
'Springbok Galacticos can't go it alone for trophy-hunting Sharks'

Why don't you tell me?


NZ regularly plays games against PI nations, Japan, and USA, expanding their unions and markets. What has SA done for the game, aside from winning RWCs and playing some really good rugby?


Nothing.

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JW 8 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Theyre just reference links to were they got the numbers from. Just couldn't be arsed removing them, theyre irrelevant.


Remember they'll be for all forms of rugby, and 'competition's as well as proper club leagues, for some of the more unique countries in the list. But yes, its fairly interesting what countries are getting upto with the game, Sri Lanka are just off that list. Have you watched Rugged Rugby on Netflix?


I really should check those references on Wales numbers. I had heard it was super popular down through the community, a bit like France in the south, but I'm still surprised by them. NZs mens numbers rose by 5% this year. Google list of rugby union playing countries.

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