Off-colour Leinster advance into URC semi-finals with win over Scarlets
Leinster were not at their best but they had enough in the tank to see off Scarlets with a 33-21 victory in the BKT URC quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium.
Defending champions Glasgow Warriors are Dublin bound next week after the top seeds capitalised on Alec Hepburn and Vaea Fifita's second-half sin-binnings to win in front of a disappointing crowd of 12,879.
Advertisement
In their first play-offs appearance since 2018, Scarlets recovered brilliantly from conceding two early tries to only trail 15-14 at half-time.
James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park both crossed before Tom Rogers replied from the visitors' first real opportunity.
Blair Murray then cancelled out a Sam Prendergast penalty with a cracking counter-attacking try just before the break.
However, Leo Cullen's men had the better of the closing half, with Jamie Osborne and player-of-the-match Hugo Keenan contributing tries, and Johnny Williams grabbing Scarlets' only response.
Advertisement
Lowe gave the hosts a fourth-minute lead, crossing out wide via a couple of partially-blocked passes from Keenan and captain Jack Conan.
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.
Advertisement
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.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
Barbara Ferris dead: Beloved Coronation Street star dies aged 85 after decades-long career as tributes pour in
A FORMER model and Corrie actress has passed away aged 85. Barbara Ferris played a barmaid in Coronation Street in 1961. She played the part of Nona Willis, at the Rovers Return, but left the drama after 10 episodes because she didn't understand the accents. Ferris may also be remembered as Dinah, the woman who eloped with Dave Clark in the 1965 film Catch Us If You Can. She retired to raise her family, and travel with her husband's work. They had homes in Ireland, Zurich and in London. Ferris is survived by her husband and their children, Nicholas, Christopher and Catherine. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
UK politics live: Labour reveals new nuclear programme and submarines ahead of Starmer defence review
Britain will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in its warhead programme, Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce. The government will unveil its strategic defence review today. Significant investment in the UK warhead programme this parliament and maintaining the existing stockpile are among the 62 recommendations that the government is expected to accept in full. Building the new submarines, which is part of the Aukus partnership with the US and Australia, will support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s as well as 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles across the next 10 years, the Ministry of Defence said. The £15 billion investment into the warhead programme will back the government's commitments to maintain the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, build a new fleet of Dreadnought submarines and deliver all future upgrades. From the late 2030s, the fleet of up to 12 SSN-Aukus conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines will replace seven Astute-class attack submarines the UK is due to start operating. UK to build up to 12 new attack submarines and invest £15bn in warheads The UK will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in its warhead programme, the prime minister will announce today as the government unveils its strategic defence review. Significant investment in the UK warhead programme this parliament and maintaining the existing stockpile are among the 62 recommendations that the government is expected to accept in full. Building the new submarines, which is part of the Aukus partnership with the US and Australia, will support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s as well as 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles across the next 10 years, the Ministry of Defence said.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Starmer under pressure to save factories crushed by energy prices
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to dramatically cut factory energy costs amid warnings huge bills are pushing Britain towards 'de-industrialisation'. Make UK, which represents Britain's biggest manufacturers, said domestic companies faced some of the highest electricity prices in Europe – and that half now viewed this as their biggest future challenge. It called on the Prime Minister to scrap a series of 'regressive' net zero levies on bills, arguing this is 'the most direct and impactful way to improve industrial competitiveness'. Make UK is also calling for the Government to provide manufacturers with wind-farm style electricity deals, known as contracts for difference (CfDs), which would fix their electricity price at a set level. The announcement comes as ministers are preparing to unveil their industrial strategy for Britain, with Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves under pressure to help firms with their energy bills. Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, said: 'If we do not address the issue of high industrial energy costs in the UK as a priority, we risk the security of our country. 'We will fail to attract investment in the manufacturing sector and will rapidly enter a phase of renewed de-industrialisation.' The proposal to remove net zero levies would not be cheap, however. It would cost the Treasury £3.8bn, while giving manufacturers CfDs would cost a further £1.1bn. Without other immediate cuts to government expenditure, this would probably have to be shifted on to general taxation or the bills of domestic consumers. Make UK suggested the schemes could be 'phased in' gradually to reduce the financial impact and argued that both measures would be revenue-neutral in the long-run because they would stimulate industrial growth. Scrapping net zero levies would slash prices Removing net zero levies would instantly slash the electricity price paid by manufacturers by about one quarter, according to the lobby group's analysis. The report said this should include scrapping the so-called renewables obligation, feed-in tariffs levy, capacity market levy, climate change levy and CfD costs. They currently account for about 6.4 pence per kilowatt hour of the 27.1 pence per kilowatt hours paid by industrial firms for electricity, Make UK said. A single levy, the renewables obligation, accounts for £2bn of the £3.8bn in levies paid per year by manufacturers alone. The legacy scheme was set up to support early wind and solar farms with 20-year subsidy deals, topping up the electricity price they are paid. It closed to new entrants in 2017, having been replaced with newer CfDs. CfDs guarantee renewable generators a price at which they can sell electricity, with the Government paying the difference if market prices are lower than this and generators repaying the state when market prices go higher. Manufacturers want a similar arrangement, but in reverse. This would mean they are guaranteed a fixed price for buying, rather than selling, electricity – with the Government once again covering any difference. Ministers have previously suggested they intend to provide further support on energy costs for manufacturers in the industrial strategy, but this has previously only been extended to the most energy-intensive firms such as steel makers, glass blowers and ceramic factories. A policy known as the 'British industrial supercharger', which exempts these companies from many policy costs as well as network charges, benefits around 400 businesses. But Make UK warned that the supercharger 'does not eliminate the need' for greater action on energy bills, as it only benefitted a relatively small number of firms. 'Not only is most of the manufacturing sector still exposed to these high costs, [but] as the costs of the supercharger are met by other electricity bill payers, ineligible manufacturers are facing an even greater share of costs, to subsidise eligible energy-intensive industries, further exacerbating the problem,' its report added. On Friday, a spokesman for the Government said: 'Through our clean power mission, we will get off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets – protecting business and household finances with clean, home-grown energy that we control. 'We are already bringing energy costs for UK industries closer in line with other major economies through the British Industry Supercharger – saving businesses £5bn over the next ten years.' Inflation to rise Separately on Monday, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned households must brace for more inflation as businesses face rising costs. Private sector output is set to plunge at the fastest pace since Liz Truss's mini-budget in 2022, according to its survey of businesses across the economy. Alpesh Paleja, economist at the CBI, said the £25bn raid on employers' National Insurance Contributions and recent minimum wage rise were the primary concerns among businesses. Rising prices raise the threat of sustained high interest rates as the Bank of England balances the risk of low growth against stubborn inflation. Mr Paleja said: 'There is a very strong concern among the Monetary Policy Committee, at least a majority, of inflation persistence, particularly domestic price pressures being quite sticky. 'You've got price pressures in the services sector firming further but output remaining weak, so that trade off is quite prominent for the MPC. Rates will probably be cut at still quite a gradual pace going forward.'
