Leinster ease past Bulls to win ninth URC title
United Rugby Championship final: Leinster: 32 (19)Tries: Conan, Barrett, Van der Flier, Gunne Cons: Prendergast 2, R Byrne Pens: Prendergast 2Bulls: 7 (0)Try: Van der Merwe Con: Goosen
Leinster won the United Rugby Championship for the first time since 2021 as they produced a dominant display to beat Bulls 32-7 at Croke Park.Leo Cullen's side raced ahead through early tries from Jack Conan, the departing Jordie Barrett and Josh van der Flier, whilst rendering the Bulls scoreless at half-time with a terrific defensive effort.Replacement Akker van der Merwe's try had briefly sparked hopes of a comeback from the unusually lacklustre Bulls, but Fintan Gunne crossed late to help Leinster to a resounding win.They have now won nine URC titles, whilst the Bulls have lost three finals in the five years they have appeared in the competition.
Hosts storm into the lead
Leinster were on the front foot from the off and immediately won a pair of penalties for the scrum collapsing and the Bulls not rolling away. In typically clinical fashion, they took this early chance as captain Conan peeled off the back of the maul and powered over. Sam Prendergast added the extras and Leinster were seven up after as many minutes.The Bulls were perhaps fortunate not to go a man down after Harold Vorster made contact with Joe McCarthy's face on the ground after a bit of an off-the-ball scuffle. However, Leinster did not let that get in their heads as, just a couple of minutes later, they returned Johan Goosens' free-kick with interest.Luke McGrath – in for late drop-out Jamison Gibson-Park – chipped off the base of the ruck on halfway and Barrett hacked on before winning the foot race for a superb improvised try on his last appearance in blue.Jake White's men were shell-shocked and couldn't get a foothold at all. The usually composed Willie Le Roux's bewildering chip in his own 22 did not cost his side at the time but summed up their inefficiencies. Leinster's third try arrived soon after though and it was another Lion, van der Flier making the most of a powerful maul after McGrath had been taken out off the ball following a powerful Dan Sheehan burst.Now three scores down, the South Africans had to respond and they did. However, despite two lengthy spells of pressure in the last 10 minutes of the first half, they were rebuffed by a wall of blue. The first ending in another poor Le Roux kick and the second with a forward pass from Goosens right on the whistle.
Bulls fail to muster response
Leinster built on that morale-boosting defence as Prendergast knocked over a simple three-pointer four minutes after the break to open up a 22-0 lead. However, the Bulls were never going to go down without a fight and were saved the indignation of being shut out as replacement hooker van der Merwe crashed over from close range off a maul and Goosens added the extras.Despite this setback, Leinster never lost composure and neither did Prendergast as, after missing a relatively simple penalty, he knocked over another just moments later, nudging Leinster further ahead at 25-7.As the sun finally began to shine on an-otherwise wet and muggy day in Dublin, replacement scrum half Gunne – only drafted into the squad on Saturday morning – hit a perfect wraparound run to find a gap in the tiring Bulls defence and score a lovely try. It was converted by Ross Byrne who got a big round of applause on his final appearance for his province.As the clock ticked down, Bulls captain Ruan Nortje spilled the ball with space ahead of him and promptly came up lame with cramp to sum up his side's disappointing day.The Bulls lost a second final in succession having fallen to Glasgow last year but it was Leinster's day as they got over their final hoodoo.
Line-ups
Leinster: J O'Brien; T O'Brien, Ringrose, Barrett, Lowe; Prendergast, McGrath; Porter, Sheehan, Clarkson, McCarthy, Ryan, Baird, Van der Flier, Conan (captain)Replacements: Kelleher, Boyle, Slimani, Snyman, Deegan, Gunne, R Byrne, Osborne.Bulls: Le Roux; Moodie, Kriel, Vorster, De Klerk; Goosen, Papier; Wessels, Grobbelaar, Louw, Wiese, Van Heerden, Van Staden, Nortje (captain), Coetzee.Replacements: Van der Merwe, Tshakweni, Smith, Kiersten, Carr, Burger, Johannes, Williams.
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