Clinical Leinster power past Ulster into Pro12 final

Leinster 30 Ulster 18

Whatever it took – the sheer scale of their beating in Belfast, being dismissed as predictable, Johnny Sexton’s harsh words and the criticism from outside or some or all of the above and more – the big game trophy hunters re-discovered their mojo. Cometh their seventh semi-final, cometh Leinster, who produced their best performane of the season to reach their seventh final.

And whatever Leinster had been doing in the last week or two, they came out all guns firing and looked like the Leinster of yore, or even a Joe Schmidt/Irish team. While there was some variety, as evidenced against Treviso, there was plenty of one-off runners or Ben Te’o and Garry Rngrose taking it up hard and straight, and twin trailers clearing out from either side clinically for Eoin Reddan to set and maintain a quick-fire tempo.

It was the workhorse as much as anyone who drew the lines in the sand, not least Jack McGrath and Jamie Heaslip – both duracel powered and also relentlessly accurate in their work, be it on the ball, at the breakdown or in defence. Heaslip was chosen as Man of the Match, but it could also have been the outstanding Jordi Murphy, playing like a man possessed as opportunity knocked.

It might too have just as easily been Sexton himself, orchestrator supreme with a masterclass in kicking off the ‘t’ and out of hand, as well as his smooth passing. In a belter of a game, Ulster played some good stuff and fought their way back twice, albeit the second time when their goose, and had fine performers of their own in Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson.

With the memory of their mauling in Belfast still fresh, and Joe Barakat’s description of their attacking game as “predictable”, Leinster started like an express train (as opposed to a Luas). Luke Fitzgerald set the tone with a stunning opening to claim a Reddan box kick above Andrew Trimble (effectively then winning two more aerial duels before a couple of scampering breaks) and Sexton found the corner after strong carrying and recycling.

So much emanates from the aerial duel now, a miscued Ruan Pienaar boxkick was claimed off a high bounce by Devin Toner. Again going through the phases Leinster had an advantage when the excellent Reddan passed lng and flat to Isa Nacewa. Evidently fired up for this one, he stepped both Craig Gilroy (too easily) and Jared Payne to take Luke Marhsall’s tackle and score is ninth league try of the season. “I-sa. I-sa.”

Sexton added the conversion and after McGrath cleverly trapped Crhis Henry, made it 10-0 before adding another for offside after a wildly loose pass by McCloskey. At 13-0, this had become a test of Ulster’s mental strength but though shaken, they were also stirred.

Initially, they mostly ran into a brick wall, and again a wave of big moments were all Leinster’s. But Ulster’s scrum helped them into the game and when Kearney came in from the side Jackson opened Ulster’s account. Inspired by Henderson’s leg-pumping carry into Sexton, when Richardt Strauss was harshly pinged for what looked like a legitimate poach under the posts, Jackson made it 13-6.

As the half closed Stuart McCloskey – like his team growing into the match after a shaky start – carried hard into Sexton’s upright tackle. After a few phases, and a snipe by Pienaar, Best stepped in at the base and Jackson’s quick transfer enabled Gilroy to take Dave Kearney’s tackle with an adroit finish by the flag. A breathless first-half ended 13-11. Game most definitely on.

When Henderson pilfered ball in contact and galloped 40 metres, Ulster began varying the point of attack, but a big double hit by McGrath and Murphy on Peter Browne typified a wave of tackles which drove Ulster back and culminated in Heaslip winning a turnover penalty.

That felt huge, and bigger still when the increasingly influential Garry Ringrose switched the point of attack with his trademark dancing feet. Sexton moved it on to Ben Te’o, who took both Trimble and Pienaar out of the equation with his hard line and one-handed, offload over his left shoulder for Heaslip to take Jackson’s tackle and score.

Sexton added the conversion and after another sweet touchfinder over his left shoulder, the raft of front-row changes led to a huge scrum by Leinster – reflecting much better on Tadhg Furlong than Kyle McCall – and another Sexton penalty for a 23-11 lead.

Yet another perfect touchfinder by Sexton saw Ulster muck up a line-out and the Furlong and co turned the screw some more. Eschewing a three-pointer, their pack battered away until Sean Cronin finished from close-range by beating Pienaar and Browne. Sexton converted for a 30-11 lead.

On the verge of another embarrassing May meltdown, Ulster roused themselves for Pienaar to engineer a nice try off a five metre scrum when picking out Gilroy.

To Ulster’s credit, they kept probing, but Leinster’s defence kept working for each other – Luke McGrath and Jack McGrath bundling Stuart Olding into touch, to an increasingly celebratory backdrop of ‘c’mon on ye boys in blue.’ It was undoubtedly another blue night in the RDS.

Scoring sequence: 5 mins Nacewa try, Sexton con 7-0; 11 mins Sexton pen 10-0; 16 mins Sexton pen 13-0; 27 mins Jackson pen 13-3; 32 mins Jackson pen 13-6; 38 mins Gilroy try 13-11; (half-time 13-11); 48 mins Heaslip try, Sexotn con 20-11; 57 mins Sexton pen 23-11; 64 mins Cronin try, Sexton con 30-11; 69 mins Gilkroy try, Jackson con 30-18.

LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa (capt); Dave Kearney, Garry Ringrose, Ben Te'o, Luke Fitzgerald; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Jack McGrath, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Mick Kearney, Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements: Zane Kirchner for Nacewa (49 mins), Sean Cronin for Strauss, Tadhg Furlong for Ross (both 53 mins), Ross Molony for Kearney (66 mins), Peter Dooley for McGrath, Luke McGrath for Reddan, Ian Madigan for Te'o (all 69 mins), Jack Conan for Ruddock (74 mins).

ULSTER: Jared Payne; Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Callum Black, Rory Best (capt), Ricky Lutton, Peter Browne, Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy. Replacements: Kyle McCall for Black (47 mins), Stuart Olding for McCloskey (52 mins), Andrew Warwick for Lutton, Roger Wilson for Reidy (both 61 mins), Robbie Diack for Browne (66 mins), Darren Cave for L Marshall (69 mins), Rob Herring for Best (74 mins), Paul Marshall for Pienaar (76 mins).

Referee: Ian Davies (Wales).