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A MONSTER SCRUM after the final hooter ended Leinster’s unbeaten run in this year’s United Rugby Championship, allowing David Kriel to line up an 84th-minute penalty to give the Vodacom Bulls a dramatic 21-20 victory at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night.
The scrum, when Leinster simply had to get the ball in and out, and put it over the sideline, was a massive moment that changed the game, just minutes after forgotten man Ross Byrne looked to have given his side a famous first victory in the Pretoria altitude with a 43-metre penalty.
In a game that was nowhere near the contest it was billed to be, it was Leinster’s impressive defence that dismantled the Bulls attack, while impressive performances from the likes of Will Connors, Jordie Barrett and hometown boy RG Snyman made the Bulls look ordinary in their own fortress.
Considering Leinster were missing so many players after the Six Nations, coach Leo Cullen will be disappointed but not dismayed as they almost conquered the Highveld curse that cost them last year in the semi-final.
Connacht almost staged the fightback of the season as they had the Ospreys on the ropes in the 86th minute going for the win having at one stage trailed by 24 points.
The men in green had no right to be in the conversation after conceding five tries and falling behind 38-14 with only four minutes of the second half gone, yet by the end they were the dominant force having matched their hosts try for try in a 12-try extravaganza.
The upshot of it all was the Ospreys moved up from 13th to seventh in the race for a play-off place and Connacht, despite picking up two points, dropped to 12th. It was a remarkable evening’s entertainment.
It went right down to the wire in the end with Connacht twice getting the chance to kick deep into the home 22 from penalties for a final shot at glory.
Finally, in the 86th minute, a loose ball at a Connacht breakdown allowed Adam Beard, of all people, to pick up the loose ball and kick it off the field to claim victory for the Ospreys.
Ulster stung the Dragons with a late salvo to come from behind and claim a 34-30 victory at Rodney Parade.
In doing so, it was the first time Ulster had claimed back-to-back wins since October. The win will boost the side’s hopes of reaching the play-offs in what is a wide-open race for a knockout berth.
Ulster began the day just three points off the play-off places so a win will do their chances no harm at all. The way in which they fought back in the second half will also provide head coach Richie Murphy plenty to enthuse over.
Scott Wilson was the late hero for Ulster, his converted try giving them a one-point advantage which was consolidated by a further penalty by John Cooney.
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As a Leinster fan, it really makes my blood boil that we keep sending down a C team to play the South African teams away. We could have easily won that match if we just brought a few Ireland players from the Six Nations squad. Bringing on an amateur prop that plays in the AIL against a Springbok international with 20 caps was frankly an insult to the Bulls and having 7 academy players in the 23 didn’t help either. Where’s the pride in keeping the unbeaten streak alive? Not in Leinster it seems. We’re the only team that does this nonsense, every other URC team sends down their full squad. The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I wish Leo Cullen would recognise this and would show some respect to the opposition.
@William Jennings: man you are so boring. Jeez
@offside again: Do you have nothing better to do than incessantly troll people? I’ve just given my honest opinion after watching the match. It’s not my problem if you’re offended by that.
@William Jennings: That was far from a C team. There were quite a few front liners in there. But it’s the same old story for Irish teams. The scrum is a critical Achilles heel. How they couldn’t just get the ball out the back and boot it away was kind of jaw dropping and the worst thing id you could see it coming. An unbeaten regular season doesn’t matter one bit in the URC only performing in the knockout stages and the omens are again looking bad for Leinster in that regard. Some players that have had a fair few chances a re not really up to it and should be moved on.
@William Jennings: Very harsh when considering the standings of the players in question, Bulls very very lucky to win.
@John Moore: It was though. We only had 2 starters in the 23. The rest of the team were made up of third-string players, 7 academy players and an AIL prop. You’re right that the scrum was shocking but what do you expect when an amateur and Thomas Clarkson (one of the weakest scrummagers that I’ve ever seen) against two Springbok props? The reason I bring up the unbeaten streak is because all about having the proper winning mindset. It’s this feckless “I don’t care about these matches because it’s just the regular season” attitude from Leinster that really pisses me off. You’re only as good as your last performance. Last year Leinster got beaten down in Pretoria in the URC semi-final precisely because the starting players were not adjusted to the altitude because they were never there!
@Thesaltyurchin: I don’t fault the players, they did the best they could. My problem lies with the Leinster coaching ticket, who have continually disrespected the South African teams by refusing to send down any of the first-string players. It’s not like Ireland won the Grand Slam or even the Six Nations. Look at France, the vast majority of their players are straight back into the action for their clubs in the Top 14 bar those who picked up knocks against Scotland in the final match. We should be at least sending down people like Cian Healy, Gus McCarthy, Ryan Baird, Jamie Osbourne, Jack Conan and maybe even Joe McCarthy considering their minutes were much less than the other Leinster players in the Ireland squad.
@William Jennings:the irish 6 nations team need a break anyway I think leinster have only one trophy in mind and it ain’t the urc
@Donal Hickey: be another trophy less season so.
@William Jennings: I personally blame the urc fixture layout they should have put this tour earlier on in the season.
Yawn. Good effort by the girls today.
Put it up more to the French than the lads did.
Don’t appreciate womens football but the rugbywomen really get stuck in, and it’s very entertaining.
@offside again: yeah, let’s see how they get on against the English, they are the benchmark here, like the French are currently for the men.
You can blame the scrum but it was frawley dropping the ball with no one near him that lead to their try and yellow card
The choke is incoming again for the Ladyboys. Top.the league lose in the knockout stages. Hillarous to see every year without fail.
@FoxyBoiiYT: The Munster man is back. Supporting Ireland while slagging the hole off the Leinster team. Hypocrite.
@FoxyBoiiYT: Munster are beta males
@FoxyBoiiYT: Could trade insults about Munsters trophy cabinet over the last 15 years but we’ll leave the childish, immature and ignorant comments to you Foxy. You are no man and you have no backbone. A poor role model for your children.
@Mick Joe: You mean the team who last won a trophy? Great fan you are, you don’t even know which Irish province last won anything. To much heino with the gois last night?
@James T.Kirk: He / she / does not speak for me or many other real Munster followers.
@FoxyBoiiYT: the last trophy ye won was against a third string Leinster team! Leo Cullen was told by the IRFU to put out a 5h1te team and to let munster win, for the sake of munster rugby, with their dwindling fan base and them not being able to suaf!!
Once again, lack of physicality proves Leinster’s undoing. How many scrum penalties did they cough up? Repeating the big issue that is currently confounding the national side
Scott Wilson, I’ve seen darts players with more athleticism
@Argus Romsworth: one of the is a ex scrum half well spotted. Now back to your comic books like a good wee laf
@drogon iptv: triggered over questioning a professional sportsman athleticism. Odd
Two minutes to go and Leinster decide to kick the ball away! Ridiculous decision that cost us the game.Could have easily gone through a few phases with the boys from the pack to tick the clock down.
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