Chasing silverware, Ulster started like a side with the bit between their teeth, as the white shirts kicked off and hounded Leinster, in dark blue, back inside their own half.
Within minutes, referee Matthew Murphy had his arm up for the game’s first try, the Ulster captain James Wright scoring it, to set an apt example of leading from the front. Eddie Keys’ kicking continued where he left off last week in Enniskillen, as the number 10 effortlessly made it a full seven.
Ulster then demonstrated the ability of converting pressure into points, as a Keys penalty heaved them into double digits before, crucially, a drive from Leinster inside centre, Kyle Dixon, was held up on the line.
That proved something of a turning point, as a miscommunication between two Leinster defenders followed, with Ulster prop David Braden alert to pick the pocket, intercept and show off some seriously impressive speed, as he raced into the left corner, Keys unable to curl his tricky conversion back in between the posts.
Psychologically, a switch had been flipped and Keys, confidence sky-high, audaciously achieved a stunning drop goal from near halfway, the sun beaming down on him and his jubilant Ulster teammates.
That took Ulster up to 21, with the scrum another strong area for Head Coach, Damien Campbell, to be pleased about. A penalty there on halfway was taken on by Keys, who’s kick fell just short.
Not that it mattered, as the flowing rugby began to cascade through Ulster’s backline, wingers Sam Balfour and Scott Ballentine combining, for the latter to register try number three, which Keys converted.
Then it was the graceful Dean Dillon and his brother, full-back Jack’s, turn to demonstrate their brotherly bond, as Dean released Jack on the right of the 22, for an opportunity he didn’t decline. Keys’ latest success off the tee made it 35-0, in Ulster’s favour.
Everything Ulster touched was turning to gold and Leinster came unstuck again before the break, Dean setting up Jack for a second time, as the Ulster 15 cantered across, with Keys adding on the extras, for a whopping 42-0 half-time scoreline.
HT: Ulster Juniors 42-0 Leinster Juniors
Leinster, cheered on boisterously by their supporters, began the second half licking their wounds and finally ending their try-line fever, as a quickly tapped penalty from prop Dewald Bernard did the trick, with Dunne converting.
The men in blue were buoyed and kept coming. After winning a scrum penalty, replacement Graham Reynolds’ lineout teed up neat hands from Dunne and Evan Dixon, allowing Dixon to score and Dunne to drill over the additional two.
Ulster, having gone slightly sleepy in the sun and with such a big lead, woke up abruptly and a spell of pressure culminated in a frustrated shove on scrumhalf, Charlie Williamson, from Leinster’s Aiden McDonald, on from the bench.
The penalty was marched forwards 10m and Ulster scored off the lineout, a lovely, deft pass back in-field from Keys, which sent Ballentine bursting clear to bag a brace, under the sticks, for a try, which Keys converted for a seven-pointer.
Then it was Keys’ opposite number’s time to shine, a smart pass from Craig Millar giving Kyle Dixon a route to Leinster’s third try, as the visitors made it 49-21.
Keen to finish with a flourish, though, Ulster countered clinically in the closing stages, for replacement Ethan Patterson to run in, after unselfish play by Balfour.
That wasn’t even the last try Ulster fans were treated to: that came when Leinster’s Millar and McDonald got in a muddle, allowing Ulster’s replacement hooker, Niall Keenan, an intercept and a sprint under the sticks, which he relished.
Keys, immaculate off the tee, landed the conversions and a forward pass from McDonald, ending Leinster’s last attack, proved the closing act of play.
HT: Ulster Juniors 63-21 Leinster Juniors
Player of the Match: Dean Dillon (Ulster Juniors).
Three-peat Celebrations
Ulster celebrated at full-time, upon completing the three-peat, with all that was left, for Wright to lead his squad through to their medal collections and the raising of the trophy, that signals that junior rugby in Ulster is most certainly alive, well and thriving.
Teams -
Ulster Juniors
15 Jack Dillon, 14 Sam Balfour, 13 James Ferguson, 12 Dean Dillon, 11 Scott Ballentine, 10 Eddie Keys, 9 Charlie Williamson, 1 David Braden, 2 Tom-Arthur Donnan, 3 Ryan Emerson, 4 James Wright ©, 5 Richard Dickson, 6 Henry Keys, 7 Ryan Hughes, 8 Michael Rooney
Replacements: 16 Niall Keenan, 17 Andrew Shaw, 18 Simon Creane, 19 Andy Smyth, 20 Jack Rutledge, 21 Daire Hill, 22 James Wright, 23 Ethan Patterson
Leinster Juniors
15 Connor Dunne, 14 Dan Crotty, 13 Evan Dixon, 12 Kyle Dixon, 11 Oisin McKenna, 10 Craig Miller, 9 Ruari Fenlon, 1 Dewald Bernard, 2 Liam Nicholson, 3 Tadgh Ronan, 4 Mark Bennett, 5 Jake Caldbeck, 6 Donal McMahon ©, 7 Liam Forster, 8 Greg Culhane
Replacements: 16 Graham Reynolds, 17 Scott Caldbeck, 18 John McDonald, 19 Max Richards, 20 Colm Heffernan, 21 Garry Dunne, 22 Aiden McDonald, 23 Darragh Whyte
Scorers
Ulster Juniors: Tries: Wright, Braden, Ballentine (2), J Dillon (2), Patterson, Keenan. Cons: Keys (7). Pens: Keys (2). Drop Goals: Keys
Leinster Juniors: Tries: Barnard, E Dixon, K Dixon. Cons: Dunne (3).