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Wales Online
3 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Scarlets' season ended by Leinster despite valiant performance
The Scarlets were knocked out of the United Rugby Championship play-offs after a valiant 33-21 defeat to top seeds Leinster at the Aviva Stadium. First-half tries from Tom Rogers and Blair Murray saw Dwayne Peel's side trail by just a point at the break. However, the pressure told in the second-half as the league leaders pushed ahead - even if Johnny Williams' late score did briefly threaten a comeback. Having reached the play-offs after finishing eighth in the league, the Scarlets were given a tough trip to Dublin to start the play-offs. And, while they'll be disappointed with how it unfolded - particularly the second-half which saw their discipline falter as they lost two players to yellow cards - they'll be able to reflect on an 80 minutes where they rattled Leinster and a season where they made big strides forward. The Scarlets hadn't graced the play-offs since 2018, when they actually reached the Pro14 final as defending champions - only to lose to Leinster at the Aviva Stadium. A similar result was heavily tipped, with Leinster the 1/50 favourites with some bookmakers. And, when Ireland winger James Lowe crossed for the opening try after some relentless pressure four minutes in, it looked like being a long afternoon in Dublin for the Scarlets. Five minutes later, the Irish province had their second score. Ireland No. 8 Jack Conan was put through a gap, with the Lion putting Jamison Gibson-Park over. The Scarlets had to wait until the end of the first quarter for their first opportunity, but when it came, they took it well. From an attacking lineout, a couple of quick phases shortened up the Leinster defence, before quick hands from Joe Roberts and Sam Costelow put Rogers in a bit of space. With the home side scrambling, the Wales wing cut back against the grain to reach over for their opening points of the game. The boot of Sam Prendergast pushed Leinster further ahead, before the home side looked destined to end the half with a third try. However, after Prendergast failed to hold onto a fizzing pass with the Scarlets' line in sight, Ellis Mee hacked forward the loose ball before elusive full-back Murray followed up with delicate footballing skills to nudge his way to a superb length-of-the-field try. That score meant the Scarlets went into half-time just a point behind. However, Leinster once again started the half of rugby strongly - with Jamie Osborne latching onto Prendergast's chip to score six minutes after the restart, even if the grounding looked a little dubious. The Scarlets stayed in the fight - although a yellow card to prop Alec Hepburn proved crucial. Down to 14 men, they quickly conceded a fourth try as Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan crossed following a charge-down on scrum-half Archie Hughes. To their credit, even as they continued to get on the wrong side of referee Hollie Davidson, the Scarlets threw everything at the league's top seeds. Some lovely offloading put recently-recalled Wales centre Williams over, as the west Walians threatened a comeback heading into the final 10 minutes. However, a high tackle by Vaea Fifita on Keenan saw the back-row sent to the sin-bin, with the boot of Prendergast ensuring that the Scarlets' play-off hopes were ended at the first hurdle. Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (capt). Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Ciaran Frawley. Scarlets: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Ellis Mee; Sam Costelow, Archie Hughes; Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree. Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Page. Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU) Live updates below:
The 42
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Seven years on, Carbery aims for second Champions Cup medal
WHEN JOEY CARBERY helped Leinster to their most recent Champions Cup trophy in 2018, as well as the Pro14 crown a week later, there were lots of people who thought the talented playmaker would go on to guide the province to a few more of those titles. Carbery himself might have been among them. He had yet to confirm his decision to move to Munster that summer and as Carbery weighed up that switch, the possibility of winning more silverware with Leinster must have been difficult to resist. Athy man Carbery had enjoyed two strong seasons for his home province, with 23 in 37 appearances over the 2016/17 and 2017/18 campaigns. Sure, many of them came at fullback and Carbery wanted to be an out-half but he was playing well with Leinster. The young New Zealand native was also establishing himself as the back-up to Johnny Sexton with Ireland, earning 13 Test caps in those two first years of international rugby. Leinster had just secured their fourth Champions Cup title and were already beginning to dream of a fifth star. Carbery was an unused replacement in that 2018 final win over Racing 92 in Bilbao, but he played his part in the run to the decider. There were two starts at fullback in the pool stages, as well as replacement appearances in the quarter-final and semi-final. Carbery's winner's medal was well-earned. Advertisement There are many from the 2018 final still playing with Leinster now and still searching for that elusive fifth Champions Cup crown. Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Luke McGrath, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, and Jordan Larmour all started the 2018 decider, as did the soon-to-retire Cian Healy. Andrew Porter, Jack Conan, and Jamison Gibson-Park were on the bench. Carbery after the 2018 Champions Cup final. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Given what he has been through with injuries in the years since and given Leinster's strength during that time, it's a little crazy that Carbery could have his second Champions Cup winner's medal before any of those former team-mates. Carbery is now part of the Bordeaux set-up plotting to win this competition for the first time, as well as chasing the Top 14 title. 'The assault on history' reads the front page headline on today's edition of Midi Olympique. An exciting Northampton group stand in their way, having already ended Leinster's campaign in the semi-finals. The Top 14 side are viewed as favourites, having dethroned Toulouse in the semi-finals. Both finalists went strong with their domestic selections last weekend, opting against resting key players a week out from the Champions Cup final. Bordeaux enjoyed a 34-29 win over Castres in the Top 14, while Northampton had a 28-24 win against Saracens in the Premiership. Both of them are bouncing into this Saturday's decider in Cardiff. Carbery came off the bench for starting out-half Matthieu Jalibert against Castres and that will be his likely role in the Champions Cup final unless Bordeaux boss Yannick Bru decides to go for a 6/2 split with his replacements. That was the case for one of their pool games and the quarter-final against Munster, with Carbery missing out on involvement in both cases as Bru went with a scrum-half and an out-and-out back three player as the two backline substitutes. That would be cruel on Carbery, so he'll be hoping Bordeaux's coaches go for the classic 5/3 split they've used in their other five Champions Cup games this season, including the semi-final victory against Toulouse. Carbery has been enjoying life with Bordeaux. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO A second Champions Cup medal would add handsomely to the list of achievements Carbery has already put together in rugby. His injury record means there is understandable sympathy towards him from many quarters, but Carbery has done things that many players can only dream about. An international debut at the age of 21 that involved kicking a conversion as Ireland beat New Zealand for the first time in their history. Four appearances in a Grand Slam success in 2018. A series win in Australia in 2018 and an even bigger one in New Zealand in 2022. Carbery has 37 Ireland caps in total. He didn't play for Munster in the URC knock-outs in 2023 but made 10 starts in that title-winning campaign, while he also won an AIL with Clontarf and a Leinster Schools Senior Cup with Blackrock. That's plenty of success and he's still only 29. A victory with Bordeaux this weekend might be as sweet as any given the road Carbery has taken since that double with Leinster in 2018. It has been the one less travelled but the talented Irishman is chasing down another double now.
RTÉ News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Bernard Jackman: 'I've lost all confidence in Leinster in a knockout game'
Bernard Jackman says he can't back Leinster to win the BKT United Rugby Championship until he sees it happen, adding that it's unlikely to make amends for their Champions Cup elimination. The province haven't lifted silverware since March 2021 when they won the old Pro14 championship, with three European final and three URC semi-final defeats in that time. The recent Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints has ramped up the pressure on the province, after they were stunned by the Premiership champions at the Aviva, in one of the tournament's biggest upsets. That defeat came at a further cost, with captain Caelan Doris ruled out for between four and six months with a shoulder injury, with his surgery costing him a place on the British and Irish Lions tour. Asked if he still considered the top-seed Leinster to be favourites for the URC title this season without Doris, Jackman delivered a withering reply. "I've lost all confidence in Leinster in a knockout game," he told the RTE Rugby podcast. "Honestly, I actually think Caelan Doris [being absent] isn't the issue because Jack Conan is so good, or if Dan Sheehan gets injured, Ronán Kelleher [comes in]. "It's not the depth that's the problem, it's the lack of ability to close out knockout rugby and tight games, until they start doing that consistently. "Even a once-off isn't going to do it now. I've been led down the path so often by them, seeing them playing brilliant rugby, and then bang: it breaks up. "Obviously they should win the URC, but until they actually do start winning trophies I can't be completely confident in them." The province host Glasgow Warriors in their final game of the regular season on Saturday, but have already secured the top seed for the play-offs, which will guarantee them home advantage for as long as they remain in the competition. A stacked Leinster outfit trounced Zebre Parma 76-5 last Saturday in their first game since the defeat to Northampton. But Jackman cited dressing room footage from the Saints at the Aviva Stadium last week as an example that the province have lost their fear factor in close games. He said: "They came like they had no interest. It was pathetic from them [Zebre]. "Leinster put them away, but it doesn't heal anything. I'm not even sure if lifting the URC trophy, if they can do it, would make up for the disappointment of Europe. Obviously that's the only thing they can do now. "Knockout rugby, you heard the Northampton footage around behind the scenes, and what they were saying about Leinster. "Everyone would say that now. They have this doubt around their mentality, a doubt around their ability to close out knockout rugby and until they start doing that on a consistent basis, it's going to grow and grow. "This weekend is another match for them, but the quarter-final, semi-final, final if they get there, they need to start showing more resilience. "Bigger tests lie ahead, and I think everybody is waiting to see how they react to being challenged."
The 42
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Josh van der Flier believes Leinster can end their season on a high
DESPITE THEIR latest disappointment at the Aviva Stadium last weekend, Josh van der Flier believes Leinster are more than capable of ending the current season with some silverware to show for their efforts. Following three consecutive final losses, Leinster were hoping the 2024/25 campaign would finally see them reclaim the European Champions Cup. Leo Cullen's side defeated Northampton Saints by three points in the last-four of Europe's top-tier 12 months ago, but in their renewal of acquaintances at the Aviva on Saturday, Phil Dowson's English Premiership outfit produced an outstanding display to overcome the eastern province by the same margin (37-34). Instead of challenging on two fronts in the coming weeks, Leinster's only shot at winning a major trophy in the present term will now be in the United Rugby Championship. While the Blues have suffered three successive semi-final reversals since the competition was rebranded as the URC — they were the last winners of the old Pro14 in March 2021 — Van der Flier is confident he and his provincial colleagues can still end the season on a positive note. Advertisement 'Certainly, that would be great, to win a trophy. In my head, from a sports psychology point of view, you'd probably get in a bit of trouble if you're putting too much pressure on yourself. If we can perform at our best in a quarter-final, semi-final, final in the URC, in my head that's enough to win a trophy,' Van der Flier said at a Leinster media briefing in UCD on Monday. 'You could also play your best, another team plays their best, and it doesn't go our way, but it's definitely the goal.' In a frantic finale to Saturday's game, Van der Flier was seemingly on the verge of joining Northampton winger Tommy Freeman in claiming a hat-trick of tries. Yet after the Wicklow native came under intense pressure from Saints lock Alex Coles within inches of the opposition whitewash, the ball broke loose for Leinster replacement Ross Byrne to dot down in the left corner. While Byrne being off his feet when he grounded the ball was the reason why he wasn't awarded a five-pointer, Leinster did earn a penalty after Coles was yellow carded for what was deemed to be an illegal intervention on van der Flier. Since the conclusion of Saturday's gripping contest, many commentators have suggested this incident could have led to a game-changing penalty try for Leinster as it was felt Van der Flier would more than likely have grounded the ball only for Coles' indiscretion. Although he couldn't understand at the time why his side weren't awarded an automatic seven points, Van der Flier acknowledged he was always likely to feel that way and that he couldn't say for certain if he was definitely going to score his third try of the game. 'I actually didn't ask anyone today [Monday] what came back. I couldn't see why it wouldn't be on the field, but obviously, I'm biased because you're in the heat of the moment and everything. I carried and then got tackled. Then, as I was turning, the ball got pulled out of my hands when I was on the ground. 'I don't know which I was going to do, to be honest. Sometimes in the moment, you do what feels right, but I'm not sure. I definitely was thinking of trying to get to the line obviously, when I was carrying, but it's hard to think back to the moment exactly.' While van der Flier's main focus from a team perspective will be on Leinster's URC round 17 game against Zebre at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, tomorrow's British & Irish Lions squad announcement is also set to be of interest to the openside flanker. After missing out on trips to New Zealand and South Africa in 2017 and 2021, the Ireland international is expected to be included in Andy Farrell's official selection for the Lions' Tour of Australia later this summer. He admitted it would mean a huge amount if he were to make the cut tomorrow, and is hopeful the performances he has delivered across 23 appearances for province and country this season will be enough for him to book a seat on the plane to the southern hemisphere. 'It would mean a huge amount to me. I remember watching it since I was a kid. It's obviously the pinnacle in terms of individual selections. I know the Irish internationals are also incredibly special, but it's kind of different that way,' van der Flier added. 'At the start of the season, I put a bit of pressure on myself because I'm 32 now. You never know, but I decided earlier in the season that I'm just going to play my best, try my hardest and try to just forget about it. Take it out of my own control. That's where my head is at. I'm at peace with it, whether I'm involved or not.'
Scotsman
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Finn Russell ends seven-year wait as big guns return for Edinburgh and Bath
Teams named for EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Finn Russell will play a competitive club rugby match in Scotland for the first time in seven years after being named at stand-off in the Bath side to play Edinburgh on Saturday in the semi-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup. Finn Russell is back in the Bath starting side. | Getty Images The Scotland co-captain has been reunited at half-back with Ben Spencer as Bath recall the big guns to their starting line-up after resting several for last weekend's league match against Newcastle. Russell, who started on the bench against the Falcons, will have his Scotland team-mate Cam Redpath alongside him at outside centre at Hive Stadium and England international wingers Joe Cokanasiga and Will Muir both return after injury Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Russell, who has not played club rugby on home soil since his farewell match for Glasgow Warriors in the Pro14 semi-final defeat by the Scarlets at Scotstoun in 2018, was described this week as 'world class' by Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt. Finn Russell is back in the Bath starting side. | Getty Images The capital club are playing in their first European semi-final for a decade and have also brought back some international class, with Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman and Grant Gilchrist all restored to their starting XV. Everitt has urged his side to seize the opportunity. 'Everyone wants to win trophies and big competitions,' said the coach. 'When I came in we had one-on-one introductory meetings with the players and it was something that they were all wanting to achieve. And they've got an opportunity now to get into a final, to get what they've been wanting. 'So it's a massive game for them. These opportunities don't come around that often, so you've got to make the most of it. That's why when you get to semi-finals and finals they can be 50-50 affairs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We know what Pierre Schoeman can bring to the table from a set-piece point of view and a work rate and ball-carrying and defence. Also the energy that he brings to the field - the other players feed off it. 'And then you've got a real competitor in Jamie Ritchie, who is probably at his best at the moment. He performed well at international level and he's performed well in the URC. Jamie Ritchie will start for Edinburgh against Bath. | Getty Images 'So it's always good to have them back. They are leaders in this group, and the more leaders we have in a pressure situation, the better it is for us.' Edinburgh also boosted by the return of Wes Goosen who has recovered from a back spasm that caused him to miss recent games. He lines up at full-back, with Harry Paterson switching to the wing in place of Jack Brown. Ewan Ashman replaces Paddy Harrison as starting hooker, with the latter named on the bench. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Edinburgh: 15. Wes Goosen, 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Matt Currie, 12. James Lang, 11. Harry Paterson, 10. Ross Thompson, 9. Ali Price; 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. Ewan Ashman, 3. D'arcy Rae, 4. Sam Skinner, 5. Grant Gilchrist (c), 6. Jamie Ritchie, 7. Hamish Watson, 8. Magnus Bradbury. Replacements: 16. Paddy Harrison, 17. Boan Venter, 18. Javan Sebastian, 19. Glen Young, 20. Ben Muncaster, 21. Charlie Shiel, 22. Ben Healy, 23. Mosese Tuipulotu. Bath: 15. Tom de Glanville, 14. Joe Cokanasiga, 13. Cameron Redpath, 12. Will Butt, 11. Will Muir, 10. Finn Russell, 9. Ben Spencer (c); 1. Beno Obano, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Thomas du Toit, 4. Quinn Roux, 5. Charlie Ewels, 6. Guy Pepper, 7. Sam Underhill, 8. Miles Reid. Replacements: 16. Niall Annett, 17. Francois van Wyk, 18. Will Stuart, 19. Ross Molony, 20. Ted Hill, 21. Louis Schreuder, 22. Ciaran Donoghue, 23. Alfie Barbeary.
