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Conan (5'), Barrett (13'), Flier (22'), Gunne (72')
Tries
Merwe (50')
Prendergast (6', 13'), Byrne (73')
Conversions
Goosen (50')
Prendergast (44', 67')
Penalties
Ryan Baird summed up the feeling among Leinster’s squad after the Dublin side ended a four-year wait for a major trophy on Saturday.
Leinster defeated The Bulls 32-7 at Croke Park in Dublin to win the United Rugby Championship (URC). It is the first time they have won the tournament in its current guise, when four South African teams joined for the 2021-22 season.
Twelve months ago, Leinster lost to The Bulls in the semifinals, and after they fell to Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup semifinals this year, there were worries that their trophy wait would go on till next season.
“It has been a long time coming to win a trophy with this team in a full stadium, the last time was during COVID,” man of the match Baird told Premier Sports.
“Last year was tough, going away and losing to these boys and they are a great outfit. Having it on our patch here is special and when the whistle went, I took a moment and looked around and appreciated it.
RETURNING TO TOP FORM
“I felt the pressure, a lot of us did. We kept coming back, moment by moment, inch by inch. Every time I saw someone make a tackle, it gave me energy to go and make one myself.”
After losing to Northampton, Leinster slowly rebuilt their confidence.
In the URC semifinal against Glasgow Warriors, they showed signs of the form that kept them in first place in the table for most of the season.
Come the final they flew out of the traps. Jack Conan scored after five minutes, and further scores from Jordie Barrett and Josh Van der Flier meant Leinster led 19-0 at halftime.
The Bulls responded in the second half with an Akker van der Merwe score, but Fintan Gunne’s ended any hopes of a late comeback with Leinster’s fourth try.
RELEASING THE PRESSURE
Victory lifts the pressure on Leinster head coach Leo Cullen, who was coming under fire each time a trophy eluded them.
He faced problems pre-match. British and Irish Lions Hugo Keenan and Tadhg Furlong failed to recover from niggles, and fellow tourist Jamison Gibson-Park dropped out in the morning.
“We’ve been standing there like the Bulls watching the other team during the trophy lift, so its our reward for a lot of hard work. They’ve had to work for it,” he told Premier Sports.
“This season we’ve played 28 competitive games and managed to win 25 of them. It is always a challenge of how you manage the two competitions at the tail end, especially when it comes to playoffs.
“Even this week we had a couple of disruptions and that’s when you rely on the spirit of the squad.”
BEST LEINSTER EVER
For Bulls coach Jake White, it was another final loss after defeat at home to Glasgow in 2024.
He was effusive in his praise of Leinster though, with the Dubliners setting the standard that the rest of the URC need to chase.
“That was another level up. That was test rugby,” he said. “The players saw a different intensity and tempo.
“That is a quality Irish provincial team. You’ve got 12 Irish going on the Lions tour, 13 if you include the injured Caelen Doris.
“That’s a phenomenal provincial team so that must be one of the greatest Leinster squads. They’re the benchmark of what we’re all trying to achieve.”
