URC Final: Leinster v Bulls, Croke Park, 5pm
Matchday squads
LEINSTER: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (capt).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Fintan Gunne, Ross Byrne, Jamie Osborne.
BULLS: Willie le Roux; Canon Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw; Cobus Wiese, JF van Heerden; Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje (capt), Marcell Coetzee.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
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Leinster’s Jack Conan relishes ‘incredibly special’ moments at Croke Park following URC win
URC Grand Final: Five things we learned as Leinster end trophy drought after four years
Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Devon Williams.
Hello and welcome to the Irish Times blog, John O’Sullivan here and I’ll take you through the afternoon’s URC final between Leinster and Bulls at Croke Park.
Some early news and it’s not good from a Leinster perspective, scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park is out, Luke McGrath is promoted to the starting team with academy prospect Fintan Gunne promoted to the replacements.
Leinster’s haven’t clarified as yet the reason for Gibson-Park’s absence, but he carried an injury from the win over the Glasgow Warriors and wasn’t able to train fully this week. They announced the news on their official X feed this morning. The Ireland scrumhalf is due to travel with the Lions to Australia.
The bookmakers still make the Irish province 12-point favourites, which maybe a slight surprise given the morning bulletin from UCD.
In other news there are roadworks on the Sean Moore Road in Ringsend, the one that leads to the East Link bridge. A one-way system is in operation. Four hours before the match it was chaos. Whoever decides these things where the majority of supporters travelling from Wicklow, Wexford, and Kilkenny as well as South Dublin might like to elaborate why.
For those of you who subscribe to the importance of omens when it comes to sport, Luke McGrath was the starting scrumhalf in both of Leinster’s victories over the Bulls in previous URC meetings. The Pretoria club lead the head to head 4-2 in terms of victories. McGrath was in the Leinster run-on team earlier in the present campaign, a 21-20 win for the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
On the Bulls official website, they offered the following appraisal of the match.
“There are no home favourites in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final.
That’s the message the injured Elrigh Louw has for his Vodacom Bulls teammates as they prepare for Saturday’s battle with Leinster at the iconic Croke Park in Dublin.
Louw has joined his teammates in Dublin for a Grand Final that is being billed by the Irish media as the “grandest of all Grand Finals” between two teams who each have a huge point to prove on Saturday.
The Vodacom Bulls are into their third Grand Final and are yet to lift the trophy. Leinster are desperate to turn their perennial dominance of the league phase of this competition into some silverware after years of disappointment in the playoffs.
But while it may seem obvious that Leinster will enjoy home ground advantage on Saturday, Louw points out otherwise.
“If you look at the past Grand Finals, the home team almost has the disadvantage. Apart from the DHL Stormers beating us on their home field in Cape Town in the first Grand Final, every other home team in a Grand Final has lost,” said Louw.
As such, the Vodacom Bulls now have the opportunity to make South African rugby history as the country’s first team to win this competition away from home.
That’s a goal former Springbok Hanyani Shimange believes is important for South African rugby.
“I think this is a different Grand Final because as South African rugby we’ve got to prove that we can do what Munster and the Glasgow Warriors did and win a final away from home,” he said.
Fellow Springbok Steven Kitshoff, a winner of the inaugural Vodacom United Rugby Championship with the DHL Stormers, also believes Saturday’s final represents something bigger for the South African game.
“It shows the depth and consistency of South African rugby that we have a South African team in the final for the fourth season in succession. It’s great for the Springboks. It would be great for the Vodacom Bulls to win it away. They’ve beaten Leinster away before, so hopefully they do it again and we have a South African team lifting the trophy twice in four seasons,” he said.
There are a number of goals driving the Vodacom Bulls towards their pursuit of possible Grand Final glory on Saturday. But for captain Ruan Nortjé, there is one overriding focus.
“This year it’s about playing for more than a trophy. It’s about the memories we’ve made as a group over the past few years. The highs and lows we’ve been through. The passing of Cornal Hendricks has also put things into perspective for all of us. This is a rugby game and we’re blessed to be able to do what we love. So it’s about playing the game we love and playing for the guy next to you who you’ve built a bond with. The result will then take care of itself.”
There’s been torrential pulses of rain at Croke Park but the forecast is that the weather will break up a bit into a pattern of showers come kickoff time.
IT rugby corr, Gerry Thornley argues that some of the dislike of Leinster may come from false pretences.
He wrote: “Leinster haven’t helped themselves by blatantly prioritising that elusive fifth star while coming up short in URC semi-finals. But much of this “revelling” at their expense is based on false premises.
“For example, the idea that they are somehow handed a glut of home knock-out ties or central contracts without actually earning them. Or that the IRFU doesn’t receive a handsome return in leasing out the Aviva, sharing gate receipts, while Leinster remain bulk suppliers to a golden era for the Irish team.”
[ Gerry Thornley argues that Leinster aren't unlovedOpens in new window ]
Tongue in cheek.
Just under 45 minutes to kickoff.
Very few sitting in their seats in the stadium. The good news is that the rain has stopped. There’s a couple of hundred hardy souls on the Hill.
Leinster’s All Black Jordie Barrett finishes up on his place-kicking routine. Garry Ringrose is very animated in his message in the huddle ahead the squad’s half lap of the pitch. The music is basically drowning out any atmosphere.
The rain is back with a vengeance.
Just watching the warm-up, there are a few few balls being spilled in the contact, symptomatic of the weather conditions.
The Bulls head for the changing room. Leinster still out working through the last couple of plays.
Leinster head in. Seven minutes to kickoff.
Croker looks about a third full maybe a little more.
Raining heavily as we await the arrival of the teams.
Ready to go. Sam Prendergast to get the game underway.
2 mins: Leinster lose a couple of early collisions after winning the first lineout of the match. Jimmy O’Brien with a fine high ball take and then Jordie Barrett’s clever grubber forces Willie Le Roux into a knock-on. The first scrum of the match. Re-set.
5 mins: Leinster win a scrum penalty. Andrew Porter. Prendergast kicks the ball into the Bulls 22. James Lowe and Ryan Baird with strong carries. Bulls penalised for not rolling away at breakdown.
6 mins. TRY. Jack Conan. Baird with the lineout take, Dan Sheehan surges off the back and Conan is sharp and alive to pick up the ball near the Bulls’ line and dive over. Prendergast nails a fine conversion; arrow straight.
Leinster 7 Bulls 0
McGrath watches his box-kick drift into touch. Prendergast with a fine tackle on Marco van Staden. Two questions answered.
9 mins: TMO check for a hand in the face. Bulls centre Harold Voster on Joe McCarthy. Penalty to Leinster. Conan queries referee about Voster’s actions, suggesting that even though he didn’t make contact with the eyes, it wasn’t a natural action. Upshot is a penalty.
Leinster 7 Bulls 0
11 mins: Prendergast kicks the penalty to touch. Leinster carry through several phases but it comes to an end when Barrett’s pass to Tommy O’Brien is adjudged forward. Free-kick at scrum. Leinster early engage.
Leinster 7 Bulls 0
13 mins: TRY. Barrett. Lovely training ground move. James Ryan with a superb carry. McGrath judges a little chip over the top perfectly, Barrett hacks the ball through and wins the race to dot down beside the posts. Prendergast adds the conversion. One for the video analyst and coaching team.
Leinster 14 Bulls 0
17 mins: Bulls manage some continuity but it ends with a David Kriel knock-on. Prendergast kicks a brilliant 50/22. Prendergast tries a chip against the grain for Tommy O’Brien but it lacks accuracy and Bulls get the ball back. Bulls get a scrum inside their 22. Mike Adamson shouted in a penalty for Leinster but Andrea Piardi. The other assistant referee Sam Grove White to calls a scrum penalty against Porter. Hinging.
Leinster 14 Bulls 0
21 mins: Brilliant counter-attack from Leinster, Conan, breaks a tackle, links with Tommy O’s Brien and Sheehan. McGrath taken out off the ball. Penalty. It should have been a yellow card. Prendergast to corner, lineout maul and Josh van der Flier dives over. Prendergast misses conversion. There is plenty of niggle after the score.
Leinster 19 Bulls 0
Sorry some Wifi problems at Croke Park.
32 mins: Bulls get into the Leinster 22 for the first time in the match with a series of muscular carries. Sheehan caught offside. The Bulls take a tap penalty, Porter puts in a huge hit on Johan Grobbelaar but it’s adjudged a knock-on in the tackle. Bulls scrum seven metres out.
Leinster 19 Bulls 0
34 mins: The Bulls with a full frontal assault for three and a half minutes, sheer brute force, but Leinster defence is Alamo-esque but with a happier outcome, when the Bulls kick the ball away needlessly. Cobus Wiese (HIA).
Leinster 19 Bulls 0
38 mins: Ringrose has a grubber blocked and even though Tommy O’Brien re-gathers, Leinster are penalised at a ruck. Le Roux kicks into the 22. Conan is penalised at the lineout. Bulls kick to corner. Leinster with good maul defence. Nicely aggressive off the line. Brilliant intensity in defence from Leinster ends when they force the Bulls into a forward pass. Andrea Piardi blows the half-time whistle.
Half-time: Leinster 19 Bulls 0
Well that was a decent half for Leinster. Three tries for Jack Conan, Jordie Barrett and Josh van der Flier with Sam Prendergast kicking two conversions.
Jordie Barrett shows his skills on the deck.
One for the captain Jack Conan.
Leinster mixed some slick attacking play, the power of their lineout maul and bloody-minded defence into a 40-minutes of high calibre cup rugby. The lineout has proved a lucrative platform or launchpad for the Irish province with two of the tries starting there, while in between McGrath showed vision and a lovely weighted chip, while Barrett timed his run and produced the footballing skills to ensure another try. The teams are back out.
41 mins: Conan loses a boot and has it throw 30 metres away from the ruck. A lineout to the Bulls on the halfway line.
Leinster 19 Bulls 0
42 mins: RG Snyman is on for James Ryan; the latter had a super 42-minutes in terms of work-rate and the effect of his efforts. Piardi warns both frontrows at a Leinster scrum.
Leinster 19 Bulls 0
44 mins: Leinster win another scrum penalty, Porter and McCarthy getting the shouts-out. Prendergast is asked to go for the posts and makes no mistake. Akker van der Merwe is on at hooker for the Bulls.
Leinster 22 Bulls 0
46 mins: Snyman nicks van der Merwe’s first throw but Tommy O’Brien has his kick partially charged down. Leinster get a little sloppy in their efforts over a 60-second back and forth exchange of “kicks.”
Leinster 22 Bulls 0
48 mins: Assistant referee Grove-White with what might be charitably described as a questionable scrum call. Both frontrows slip and Porter is penalised. Grove-White then shouts in a penalty against Leinster for collapsing the maul, which looked reasonable.
48 mins: TRY. van der Merwe. Goosen con. A second drive off the lineout maul enabled the hooker to power over. Goosen converted nicely. That’s a warning to Leinster about being sloppy and then giving away penalties and field position. The Bulls maul was never going to be stymied for the whole game. Alulutho Tshakweni on for Wessels.
Leinster 22 Bulls 7
53 mins: Porter penalised by Piardi at a Leinster put-in. Bulls kick down the line. Great energy from Leinster in defence forces a knock on.
55 mins: Rónan Kelleher and Rabah Slimani on for Leinster. Scrum is the first action for the newbies
Leinster 22 Bulls 7
57 mins: Leinster on penalty advantage from a scrum work a nice opportunity down a touchline but Lowe kicks the ball dead. Bulls refuse a 22 and instead take a scrum from which they are penalised. Conan doesn’t ask for a shot at goal and Prendergast kicks the penalty to five metres from the Bulls line.
Leinster 22 Bulls 7
59 mins: Leinster hammer away around the fringes, oblivious to the fact that after four rucks there is both space and numbers out wide. Bulls are offside, Leinster take a tap penalty but Slimani knocks on and the Bulls escape.
Leinster 22 Bulls 7
62 mins: Bulls offside again and this time Prendergast does go for the posts but misses from 22-metres. A huge let-off for the Bulls on several levels over the last 10-minutes for so. Nizam Carr on for Coetzee while Mornay Smith is on for Louw. Tommy O’Brien with a brilliant high ball take but Bulls wing Sebastian de Klerk picks up an unfortunate injury. Devon Williams is on for him. The crowd has been announced as 46,000.
Leinster 22 Bulls 7
66 mins: Leinster kick penalty to corner and even though they don’t make it as far as the line, the Bulls are offside once again. Prendergast taps this one over. Keagan Johannes on for Goosen.
Leinster 25 Bulls 7
68 mins: Ross Byrne is on for his last appearance before a move to Gloucester in the summer and replaces Prendergast while Fintan Gunne replaces McGrath.
Leinster 25 Bulls 7
71 mins: Zak Burger for Papier. Le Roux’s handling error under no pressure kind of sums up the Bulls afternoon.
Leinster 25 Bulls 7
72 mins: TRY. Appropriately given the venue, faint strains of Molly Malone can be heard ringing around Croke Park. And on cue, a slick Leinster backline move, culminates with Gunne on a wraparound move taking Byrne’s pass to escape the clutches of the Bulls’ defence and slide over for a try. Byrne lands a brilliant conversion.
Leinster 32 Bulls 7
75 mins: Jack Boyle is on for Porter, Max Deegan for the outstanding Conan and Jamie Osborne for Ringrose.
Leinster 32 Bulls 7
Man of the match goes to Ryan Baird, for the second game in succession having picked up that accolade in the semi-final. He’s been superb in a brilliant effort from the backrow, individually and collectively.
Leinster win the URC crown, their first major silverware in four years.
Fulltime: Leinster 32 Bulls 7
The reaction of the Leinster players speaks volumes about what the title means to the group. Smiles, hugs, high fives. A nice moment from Cian Healy who made his way over to congratulate Jack Boyle.
Baird: It’s quite surreal, it’s long time coming winning a trophy with this team. Last year was tough going away and losing to these boys (Bulls) who are a great outfit. We kept coming back to win moment by moment and win inch by inch. I am so proud to shake everyone’s hand.
The Bulls never really had a chance to settle into their rhythm, caught early by Leinster and then shipping further points when the Irish province were dominant for large swathes of that first half. Even when the Bulls did get possession and field position they were met with a fierce resistance as Leinster’s aggression and alignment in defence, yielded only once and that from a lineout maul.
Leinster can look back on so many positives, the performance of the backrow in an exceptional display from the pack, the fact that they won the penalty count against the vaunted Bulls pack, the effectiveness of the Leinster maul and in the tries from Barrett and Gunne two training ground moves that worked like a charm.
Credit to Bulls coach Jake White and captain Ruan Nortje who spoke superbly, magnanimous in defeat.
A huge roar for Jordie Barrett. A special send off for two great servants of Leinster rugby Cian Healy, who retires and Ross Byrne, who leaves for Gloucester. A nice ovation for Byrne. RG Snyman gets a big shout as does stand-in captain Jack Conan, who lifts the trophy with the injured regular captain Caelan Doris and Healy.
Leinster’s four year wait is over.
We will have all the reaction including Gerry Thornley’s match report up shortly. The players are still lapping up the love from their supporters on the pitch. Some of the sons and daughters of the players are having a ball with the tinsel.
