There was heartbreak for Ulster in the Guinness PRO14 final against Leinster at Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.
Ulster were hoping to end a 14 year spell without a trophy while Leinster were chasing a third title in a row and looking to complete the perfect season by winning all 17 games.
Dan McFarland’s side made the perfect start with centre James Hume getting the game’s opening try with less than five minutes on the clock.
Stuart McCloskey and Marcell Coetzee made rampaging runs to give Ulster good front foot ball, Michael Lowry went into to scrum half and fed Billy Burns, the out-half spun it to Alan O’Connor, the lock showed soft hands to release Hume, the centre received the ball and went on an arcing run evading two tackles and had the speed and the power to cross.
Burns was off target with the conversion.
Ulster’s lead lasted eight minutes. From a lineout, Leinster moved the ball infield with Ross Byrne punching a hole in the defence. The men in blue worked the ball through a number of phases before winger James Lowe darted over and Byrne added the conversion.
Byrne extended Ulster’s lead on 26 minutes Leinster had forced a series of penalties and the third one was in the shadow of the posts gifting the out-half an easy three points.
Ulster wasted a good opportunity to get back into the game. They kicked a penalty to the corner and enjoyed a sustained period of pressure in the Leinster 22 before Andrew Porter won a turnover penalty against Hume.
Ulster spurned another chance just before the break. Following a penalty the forwards set up the driving maul, the Leinster defence held firm before a Hume knock on ended the attack and Leo Cullen’s side went into the interval with a 10-5 lead.
Byrne was on target with his second penalty four minutes after the restart as Ulster flanker Sean Reidy was punished for an off the ball tackle on Garry Ringrose.
Leinster got their second try three minutes later. Ulster were building momentum in midfield but Billy Burns pass was intercepted by Robbie Henshaw and the Irish centre raced over unopposed from just inside the opposition half with Byrne converting.
Flanker Caelan Doris barged over for Leinster’s third try on 71 minutes following a sustained period of pressure in the Ulster 22 to wrap the game up, replacement out-half Johnny Sexton adding the conversion.
Leinster:
(15-9): J Larmour, H Keenan, G Ringrose, R Henshaw J Lowe, R Byrne, J Gibson-Park,
(1-8): C Healy, R Kelleher, A Porter, D Toner, J Ryan, C Doris, J van der Flier, J Conan
Replacements: J Tracy for Kelleher 59 mins, E Byrne for Healy 52 mins, M Bent for Porter 62 mins, S Fardy for Ryan 62 mins, W Connors for van der Flyer 73 mins, L McGrath for Gibson-Park 59 mins, J Sexton for Byrne 59 mins, R O’Loughin for Ringrose 67 mins
Ulster:
(15-9): M Lowry, R Lyttle, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, B Burns, A Mathewson,
(1-8): E O’Sullivan, R Herring, T O’Toole, A O’Connor, I Henderson, M Rea, S Reidy, M Coetzee.
Replacements: J Andrew for Herring, J McGrath for O’Sullivan 47 mins, M Moore for O’Toole 55 mins, S Carter for Henderson 47 mins, J Murphy for Rea 55 mins, J Cooney for Mathewson 47 mins, I Madigan for Burns 54 mins, N Timoney for Coetzee 47 mins
Referee: A Brace (IRFU)
Burns was off target with the conversion.
Ulster’s lead lasted eight minutes. From a lineout, Leinster moved the ball infield with Ross Byrne punching a hole in the defence. The men in blue worked the ball through a number of phases before winger James Lowe darted over and Byrne added the conversion.
Byrne extended Ulster’s lead on 26 minutes Leinster had forced a series of penalties and the third one was in the shadow of the posts gifting the out-half an easy three points.
Ulster wasted a good opportunity to get back into the game. They kicked a penalty to the corner and enjoyed a sustained period of pressure in the Leinster 22 before Andrew Porter won a turnover penalty against Hume.
Ulster spurned another chance just before the break. Following a penalty the forwards set up the driving maul, the Leinster defence held firm before a Hume knock on ended the attack and Leo Cullen’s side went into the interval with a 10-5 lead.
Byrne was on target with his second penalty four minutes after the restart as Ulster flanker Sean Reidy was punished for an off the ball tackle on Garry Ringrose.
Leinster got their second try three minutes later. Ulster were building momentum in midfield but Billy Burns pass was intercepted by Robbie Henshaw and the Irish centre raced over unopposed from just inside the opposition half with Byrne converting.
Flanker Caelan Doris barged over for Leinster’s third try on 71 minutes following a sustained period of pressure in the Ulster 22 to wrap the game up, replacement out-half Johnny Sexton adding the conversion.
Leinster:
(15-9): J Larmour, H Keenan, G Ringrose, R Henshaw J Lowe, R Byrne, J Gibson-Park,
(1-8): C Healy, R Kelleher, A Porter, D Toner, J Ryan, C Doris, J van der Flier, J Conan
Replacements: J Tracy for Kelleher 59 mins, E Byrne for Healy 52 mins, M Bent for Porter 62 mins, S Fardy for Ryan 62 mins, W Connors for van der Flyer 73 mins, L McGrath for Gibson-Park 59 mins, J Sexton for Byrne 59 mins, R O’Loughin for Ringrose 67 mins
Ulster:
(15-9): M Lowry, R Lyttle, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, B Burns, A Mathewson,
(1-8): E O’Sullivan, R Herring, T O’Toole, A O’Connor, I Henderson, M Rea, S Reidy, M Coetzee.
Replacements: J Andrew for Herring, J McGrath for O’Sullivan 47 mins, M Moore for O’Toole 55 mins, S Carter for Henderson 47 mins, J Murphy for Rea 55 mins, J Cooney for Mathewson 47 mins, I Madigan for Burns 54 mins, N Timoney for Coetzee 47 mins
Referee: A Brace (IRFU)