The story of Leinster's URC semi-final frustrations

RTÉ News​

9 hours ago

When Leinster won the Pro14 title for the fourth year in a row in 2021, it seemed inevitable that their dominance of the league would continue, even with the arrival of four South African big-hitters to the new and improved BKT United Rugby Championship.
They have remained the pace-setters in the regular season, finishing top of the table in three of the last four seasons, but the URC has proven a tough nut to frack for Leo Cullen's side.
While their Champions Cup disappointment has been the dominant storyline of recent seasons, it might have been a bit more palatable had they been able to secure some domestic silverware along the way.
Four years on from out-muscling Munster in the Pro14 final in 2021, the province haven't even made it back to the decider since, with three semi-final defeats in consecutive seasons putting even more pressure on them ahead of welcoming the Glasgow Warriors to the Aviva Stadium this afternoon.
Ahead of that game, we look back on how their URC title bids have fallen short in recent seasons.
Having finished top of the URC table in the regular season, and handsomely defeated the Bulls 31-3 at the Aviva on the opening weekend of the season, it was expected that Leinster would have too much for the Bulls in their semi-final at the RDS in June 2022.
Two weeks earlier, the province saw their Champions Cup hopes dashed by a late Arthur Retiere try, as La Rochelle edged them out in the final, but when they bounced back a week later by trouncing the Glasgow Warriors 76-14, it looked like they had shaken off some of that disappointment and were ready to take out their frustrations in the URC play-offs.
Like all of the South African sides, the Bulls had started slowly in their debut season before going on a run later in the season as they adapted to northern hemisphere rugby, and while they were seen as a better team than the one that had been in Dublin nine months earlier, an away semi-final win, against the five-in-a row chasing Leinster, seemed like a tall order.
With James Lowe injured, and Johnny Sexton on the bench, the game looked like it was going according to script when Dan Sheehan scored an early try to put Leinster 7-0 in front, but as the first half progressed it was clear the Bulls had come to Dublin ready to cause a shock.
They should have scored a try on 19 minutes when a 19-year-old Canan Moodie spilled the ball as he dived over in the corner, but although they try was chalked off by the TMO, the Bulls scored with their second attempt, as Johan Grobbelaar finished off a brilliant move from a five-metre penalty.
A few minutes later, the Bulls' power was again too much for Leinster, Marcell Coetzee getting his side's second try, as they moved 17-7 in front.
Robbie Henshaw's converted try got Leinster back to 17-14 before half time, but it was as close as they would get to turning it around. On 53 minutes, a penalty try and a James Ryan yellow card left Leinster trailing 24-14, and while they had plenty of chances to get back into the game, it took then until 69 minutes to make one stick, Jordan Larmour scoring in the corner to make it a five-point game.
Morne Steyn's penalty with four minutes left the Bulls on the verge of a great upset, and they saw it out impressively, with Cian Healy's try in the final minute just a consolation score.
Having endured a trophyless season in 2021/22, Leinster were on course for a double ahead of their URC semi-final against Munster in May 2023.
Just as they had the previous season, Leinster came into the play-offs with the top seed, winning 16 of their 18 games, and although Munster had been on a late-season run, including an away quarter-final win at Glasgow the week before, this derby had been emphatically one-sided in the previous years.
Leinster had won 10 of the previous 11 games between the sides, and Munster's only win in that time had been in the Rainbow Cup two years earlier. Graham Rowntree's side were also counting the cost of a taxing quarter-final win at Glasgow, which saw RG Snyman, Malakai Fekitoa, Calvin Nash and Conor Murray all ruled out with injury.
With another Champions Cup final coming up against La Rochelle seven days later, Leo Cullen took a major risk with his selection, naming a largely second string team. Only Jack Conan and Robbie Henshaw would continue in the starting side the following week at the Aviva.
The gamble looked like it was paying off when Leinster carried a 10-6 lead into the half-time break. Ryan Baird had previously seen a try disallowed for a knock-on, but right on half time Jason Jenkins crashed over against his former side, to give Leinster a lead into the second half.
Munster came out flying after the break, Tadhg Beirne's converted try giving them a 13-10 lead on 45 minutes, and Rowntree's side were utterly dominant in that third quarter, but wasted a series of opportunities which could have put the game out of reach.
It was looking like a familiar tale when Joe McCarthy's try on 62 minutes put Leinster back in front, although Harry Byrne's missed conversion means they were just two points ahead, 15-13.
With four minutes left, Leinster even had Munster pinned back into their own 22 as they looked to close out the win, but Rory Scannell and John Hodnett combined to get Munster free, before they advanced upfield and Jack Crowley drilled a dropgoal on 78 minutes to secure a famous Munster win.
From a Leinster point of view, the result would have been easily digested had they done the job a week later against La Rochelle, but another late defeat at the Aviva saw them end the season without a trophy yet again.
Two years on from ending Leinster's season at the RDS, the Bulls were again celebrating a URC semi-final win against Leo Cullen's side.
Unlike previous seasons, where Leinster cantered their way through the regular season, the damage in this campaign had been done in the weeks leading up to the URC play-offs.
Through 13 rounds, the province were top of the table and five clear of Glasgow in second, and had just hammered the Bulls at the RDS, but as they put their chips in on winning the Champions Cup, their URC form hit a wall.
Heavy defeats on their tour of South Africa against the Lions and Stormers put them under pressure, before a defeat to Ulster the week before the Champions Cup final left them third in the table at the end of the regular season, and facing an away semi-final, at altitude, against the Bulls.
Big favourites when they hosted the Bulls in the semi-final two years previous, this game was billed much more evenly. With the Champions Cup final defeat behind them, there was no question of Leinster resting bodies, and they travelled to Pretoria with a fully-loaded side.
After an evenly matched opening quarter, a yellow card for Sergeal Peterson gave Leinster the advantage and they took the lead with a James Lowe try, but that was cancelled out by Johan Goosen's converted try just before the end of the sin-bin period.
The game flipped in the minutes either side of half time. Goosen nudged the Bulls 10-7 ahead with a penalty right on the half, before Peterson's try 90 seconds after the restart extended that advantage to 17-7.
With their season on the line, Leinster hit back, a Caelan Doris try and a Ross Byrne penalty levelling the game at 17-17, and heading into the final quarter, it was Leinster who looked primed to kick on.
Goosen and Byrne traded penalties, but with 14 minutes left Peterson grabbed a high ball from under the nose of Ciarán Frawley to score his second try, and it proved to be the difference as the Bulls once again ended Leinster's season, a third URC semi-final defeat in a row for thee province.