Bulls bid to test Leinster's composure in exciting URC final
Such is the reality of top-level rugby nowadays. Football still has genuine league competitions where the best side over the course of the season gets the trophy, but rugby has veered away from that kind of reward for sustained performances.
Earning silverware requires composure and class in knock-out rugby, something that has evaded Leinster in the United Rugby Championship since the four big South African sides joined in 2021. Indeed, today's clash with the Bulls at Croke Park [KO 5pm, TG4/Premier Sports] is Leinster's first-ever URC final.
The Bulls have been here before, twice. They too have yet to lift the URC trophy, so there is a similarity between these sides. Both have been consistently good in recent years, leading the way for their nations, but haven't been able to get over the line.
Jake White's men finished second in the URC regular-season table, so this final truly is a meeting of the two best teams in the championship. It's a riveting match-up of strengths and while Leinster are deserved favourites, there should be fireworks at GAA headquarters.
Their history makes it all the more fascinating. They have met in the URC five times. The Bulls have won four times. Twice, those victories were in the semi-finals. The Bulls rocked up to the RDS back in 2022 and shocked the Irish province. Even springing Johnny Sexton from the bench couldn't save Leinster.
Then last year, Leinster travelled to Pretoria and were squeezed out by White's powerful team. The Bulls have beaten them in two other regular-season games at Loftus Versfeld, so Leinster will be glad this one is on home soil.
It's a big advantage for Leo Cullen's men, who looked in determined, focused form as they swept past defending champions Glasgow in last weekend's semi-final. The vicious physical edge to Leinster's performance will have settled some of their fans' nerves.
Advertisement
Bulls lock Cobus Wiese is a powerful presence. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
But there will still be jitters among some of the 40,000 or so who make their way to Croke Park this evening. The longer Leinster's wait for a trophy has gone on since they lifted the Pro14 back in 2021, the worse the anxiety has grown.
Captain Jack Conan – who continues to lead the side in Caelan Doris' absence – and his lieutenants will need to show lots of composure against a Bulls challenge that should be ferocious.
The South African pack has been excellent this season, particularly at the scrum where the gigantic tighthead Wilco Louw and clever loosehead Jan-Hendrik Wessels have shone. That could be the key battleground today, as Leinster back 25-year-old tighthead Thomas Clarkson to deliver another strong showing with Tadhg Furlong still sidelined.
The lineout and maul will be hard-fought, while the Bulls will look to test Leinster in a physical manner that teams like Glasgow can't. The fact that there may be rain in Dublin today could add to the attritional nature of this contest. Referee Andrea Piardi will need to be on his game.
With the physicality in mind, it must be a great pleasure for Cullen and Jacques Nienaber to welcome back openside flanker Josh van der Flier and outside centre Garry Ringrose from injury.
Robbie Henshaw is still injured so couldn't have returned, but Jordie Barrett would surely have started at number 12 anyway. Leinster will look to the Kiwi star to bid farewell to his short-term stint in Ireland with a big performance, while they'll expect Springboks lock RG Snyman to provide major impact off the bench.
The Bulls are missing a key man in number eight Cameron Hanekom, who has been relentless this season, but they're hardly short of dynamism. Marco van Staden comes in to bring even more breakdown danger for Leinster, while the likes of Marcell Coetzee and Cobus Wiese will look to give them momentum in the carry.
Leinster have their own weapons in that sense, with the likes of Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, and wing Tommy O'Brien bringing major physicality last time out against Glasgow.
Both sides love to kick the ball, topping the URC charts in that regard, so the tactical touches from the likes of Leinster out-half Sam Prendergast and the Bulls' influential fullback Willie le Roux should be key in deciding how this game flows. And the aerial contests will be exactly that – a fight for the ball every single time.
Prendergast will also be looking to nail a goal kick as early as possible after a wayward afternoon against Glasgow last time out.
Sam Prendergast is key to Leinster's kicking game. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
The Bulls will hope to bring Leinster into a tense endgame, their intention being to test how Cullen's men handle the kind of severe pressure that makes knock-out rugby so fiendishly difficult. Leinster will look for a trademark fast start.
Cullen believes that his team ending their wait for silverware could lead to many more trophies in the years ahead, but all that matters today is becoming URC champions.
If Leinster play to the level they're truly capable of, with Jamison Gibson-Park pulling the strings, James Lowe making magic happen, and the piano shifters up front bringing the heat, they should have enough to win this intriguing finale.
That would be a glorious thing for players and supporters alike to celebrate.
LEINSTER: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (captain).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jamie Osborne.
BULLS: Willie le Roux; Canan 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 (captain), Marcell Coetzee.
Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Devon Williams
Referee: Andrea Piardi [Italy].
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish rugby star's new child was born in a car moments before big match
Bundee Aki has revealed that his newest member of the family was born in a car two weeks ago - just moments before the rugby star lined out for the British and Irish Lions. The Ireland centre played for the Lions in Saturday's third Test against Australia, but he is now rushing to New Zealand to meet his new daughter, Aine, for the first time. Aki, who is now the father of five children with his wife Kayla, said: "If you only knew the story of what happened, it's a funny story in itself. "I was in the hotel. I knew we were overdue. "The missus calls me and she's like, 'Water hasn't broke but I'm going to the hospital, I'm feeling contractions.' "She goes to the hospital, we're getting ready for the team meeting pre-match, and then she calls me and says she's on the way to the hospital, so I said, 'Fine, be safe.' "Five minutes later, she sends a photo, her water broke. I was like, 'Cool, OK, are you almost there?' "This is like 30 or 40 minutes away from the hospital, so I said, 'You'll be alright, Mum is there.' "Ten minutes later, she video calls me and I was like, 'Shit, what's going on?'. "I saw a baby on the video call, so she had it in the car on the way to the hospital." After getting the shock news, Aki had to compose himself for the Lions' opening Test against Australia in Brisbane. The 35-year-old came on in the second half of the match as the Lions won 27-19 to cap off a wild day for the Connacht centre and his family. "I knew it was good Juju. So I knew we were going to have a good day. "All my kids start with A. So my wife loved the name Aine. That's five As in the family. Armani, Adrianna, Andronicus, Ailbhe, Aine." New Zealand born Aki moved to Galway in 2014 and has since earned 65 caps for Ireland, as well as being involved on the last two Lions tours. But, while some of his Lions teammates were prolonging their stay in Australia to wind down, he flew straight to New Zealand to see his wife and newborn child. He added: "They're both strong and healthy, so happy days. "Credit to my wife. She's a powerful woman, a strong woman."
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Alex O'Neill dethrones Sarah Healy to run out shock winner of 800m
Alex O'Neill dethroned Sarah Healy to run out a shock winner of the 800m at the Irish National Senior Championships in Santry, Dublin. European indoor 3000m champion Healy went into the race as the hot favourite having qualified fastest from the heats. But in a tactical race, once O'Neill kicked for home off a slow pace, the alarm bells began to ring for Healy. Boxed in by the eventual winner and Maeve O'Neill, Healy dug in and rallied up the inside lane in a barnstorming finish. But the line came up just in time for Clare woman Alex O'Neill to win her first national senior title and take Healy's scalp. O'Neill said: "I'm delighted. I haven't raced in a national championship in a while, so it's huge to get a senior title, an unbelievable feeling. "I've been feeling really strong lately and I was hoping it would go to a kick finish although I was a little bit apprehensive to do that after leading. "But I was just trying to keep them off at the bends and make them work that little bit extra." She added: "I was just trying to do as my coach said, to make my stride shorter and relax my face. I am not sure if I managed to do that, but it was great to be able to hold them off." There was also a thrilling finish to the men's 800m final as the two protagonists Mark English and Cian McPhillips engaged in a prolonged battle down the straight. But it was 32-year-old English, in the form of his life, who got the better of the younger man to win his tenth national title in a time of 1:48.76. Asked what has clicked this year, the Donegal man and Irish record holder said: "I changed coach back in November, and I've increased the volume a little bit, so I think they have been the differences. "After the indoor season, I went out to altitude again, so that might have had an effect too. But I guess it's just an accumulation of all the little changes I've made over the last year. "I'm hoping to have another race or two before the world championships. I can't wait for that as I'm in great shape at the minute." There was also a tenth national title for Sarah Lavin as she stormed away from the field to win the 100m hurdles in a time of 12.92. Having finished second to Sharlene Mawdsley in the 200m final on Saturday, Lavin excelled in her favourite discipline to stretch clear of silver medallist Molly Scott and bronze medallist Sarah Quinn. There was also a big winning distance in the men's 100m final as Bori Akinola streaked away to take gold. Into a headwind, the 23-year-old ran an impressive time of 10.29 to finish clear of Sean Aigboboh (10.41) and Lorcan Murphy (10.57). In the men's 5000m, Brian Fay attempted to nullify the speed of Andrew Coscoran by kicking for home early. But Coscoran, 29, had plenty in reserve to pass Fay up the home straight and go clear at the line in time of 13:34.14. Coscoran wasn't done there, though. Ninety minutes later, the Balbriggan man lined out in a stacked field for 1500m final. Cathal Doyle, looking for his fourth consecutive win in the race, made a decisive move to the front with 200m to go, though, and never let up to win in a time of 3:53.60. Coscoran looked to be showing the effects of his 5000m exertions when fifth coming around the final bend, but to his great credit, he powered up the straight to snatch second from Nick Griggs. In the women's 400m, Sophie Becker, in the absence of Sharlene Mawdsley, was the favourite to defend her title, and she did so in great style, hitting the line in 52.87, ahead of Rachael McCann and Cliodhna Manning. Becker's Donore Harriers' training partner Jack Raftery also went back-to-back in the men's 400m, clocking a winning time of 45.71 to finish ahead of five-time champion Chris O'Donnell and Ciaran Carthy.
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
‘I had a plan' – Mark English wins tenth 800m national title and hints at his future with a lap of honour
The Donegal athlete's foot-perfect performance proved an undoubted highlight of the National Track and Field Championships, English continuing the best season of his career so far, having won European Indoor bronze in March before setting the five fastest times of his career outdoors. It's 14 years since English won his first senior title, aged 18, and he has ruled this domain with dictatorial authority since. But in Cian McPhillips, he had a worthy pretender to his throne, the Longford athlete going second on the Irish all-time list with his recent 1:44.19 at the Morton Games. After a controlled first lap of 55 seconds, English sat second with McPhillips stalking his every move in third. English edged to the lead on the last bend and McPhillips spotted him a metre as they hit the straight – something you just can't do for a rival of English's class. English hit the jets at that point and pulled clear with every stride, hitting the line in 1:48.76 to McPhillips' 1:49.26. 'I was a little bit nervous coming into that,' said English. 'There was a bunch of guys who all train together and I had to race them all, so I knew it was going to be difficult. But I had a plan and I executed that, and it worked out.' English said he has not yet decided if this will be his last season, but it was notable that he did a lap of honour after the race – a rarity at nationals. If that was his way of saying goodbye to this fabled stadium, it was quite the farewell. Andrew Coscoran went after an ambitious double in the 5000m and 1500m, with less than 90 minutes between finals. The Dubliner was coolness personified in the longer race, biding his time and kicking past his former training partner Brian Fay to win in 13:34.14. But whether it was the fatigue from that or a lapse in concentration, Coscoran was shuffled back at a key stage of the 1500m final, languishing in seventh with 250 metres to run. Up front, Cathal Doyle turned the screw and the Clonliffe Harrier wasn't for catching, taking his fourth straight title in 3:53.60. Coscoran came from the clouds to take silver in 3:53.84 with rising star Nick Griggs taking a brilliant bronze in 3:53.90. There was an emotional win in the women's 100m for Ciara Neville, the Emerald AC athlete winning her first senior outdoor title since 2019. Neville suffered a severe injury in her hamstring tendon in 2021, which cost her a shot at the Tokyo Olympics and she endured many dark days in the years since as she tried to recapture her best form. But the 25-year-old looked back near her best as she clocked 11.44 in still conditions to take gold ahead of Lauren Roy (11.49). 'It's been such a battle with injury,' said Neville. 'This year I knew I was coming back into myself and I'm just delighted. This was my year to put down a statement that I'm back. I couldn't be happier. I have to give my team in Limerick such credit for sticking by me, getting me back. They've been with me the whole way.' Neville is coached by Noelle Morrissey and it was a great day for their stable, as Sarah Lavin powered to her 10th national title in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.92 (-0.6m/s). 'It was clean, it was solid,' said Lavin. 'I'm happy with that.' There was a big upset in the women's 800m as Alex O'Neill of Limerick Track Club outfoxed her rivals, kicking off the front after a pedestrian first 600m and holding off the late surge of Sarah Healy to win in 2:04.53. 'I was hoping it'd go to a kick finish,' said O'Neill. 'I'm a bit shocked.' Nicola Tuthill produced a superb effort of 71.75m to win the hammer throw, the recent World University Games silver medallist adding 4cm to the Irish U-23 record she'd thrown in Finland earlier this summer. Reece Ademola underlined his vast potential with a magnificent 8.00m leap to win the men's long jump, the only shame being the tailwind of 2.6m/s meant it won't count as a personal best. The Leevale athlete underwent knee surgery last August and only returned to jumping in late June. There was a golden double for the Dublin Sprint Club training group in the 400m finals, with Sophie Becker dominating the women's race to win in 52.87 and Jack Raftery a class apart in the men's, clocking 45.71. Bori Akinola was a hugely impressive winner of the men's 100m in 10.29 (-0.5m/s), his first senior outdoor title, while Irish record holder Israel Olatunde had to withdraw from the final with a niggle, having won his semi-final in 10.45.
