Leinster dominate Bulls in URC final for ninth title

United Rugby Championship final:

Leinster: 32 (19)

Tries: Conan, Barrett, Van der Flier, Gunne Cons: Prendergast 2, R Byrne Pens: Prendergast 2

Bulls: 7 (0)

Leinster won the United Rugby Championship for the first time since 2021 as they produced a dominant display to beat the Bulls at Croke Park.

Leo Cullen’s side raced ahead through early tries from Jack Conan, the departing Jordie Barrett and Josh van der Flier, while rendering the South African visitors scoreless at half-time with a terrific defensive effort.

Replacement Akker van der Merwe’s try briefly sparked hopes of a comeback from the unusually lacklustre Bulls, but Fintan Gunne crossed late to help the hosts to a resounding win.

Leinster were on the front foot from the off and immediately won a pair of penalties for the scrum collapsing and the Bulls not rolling away.

In typically clinical fashion, they took this early chance as captain Conan peeled off the back of the maul and powered over. Sam Prendergast added the extras and Leinster were 7-0 up in as many minutes.

The Bulls were perhaps fortunate not to go a man down after Harold Vorster made contact with Joe McCarthy’s face on the ground after an off-the-ball scuffle.

However, Leinster did not let that get in their heads as, just a couple of minutes later, they returned Johan Goosen’s free-kick with interest.

Luke McGrath – in for the injured, and late drop-out, Jamison Gibson-Park – chipped off the base of the ruck on halfway and Barrett hacked on before winning the foot race for a superb improvised try on his last appearance in blue.

Jake White’s men were shell-shocked and couldn’t get a foothold at all. The usually composed Willie le Roux’s bewildering chip in his own 22 did not cost his side at the time, but summed up their inefficiencies.

Leinster’s third try arrived soon after though and it was another British and Irish Lion, van der Flier making the most of a powerful maul after McGrath had been taken out off the ball following a powerful Dan Sheehan burst.

Now three scores down, the South Africans had to respond and they did. However, despite two lengthy spells of pressure in the last 10 minutes of the first half, they were rebuffed by a defiant wall of blue.

Leinster built on that morale-boosting defence as Prendergast knocked over a simple three-pointer four minutes after the break to open up a 22-0 lead.

However, the Bulls responded with some fight and were spared the indignation of being shut out as replacement hooker van der Merwe crashed over from close range off a maul and Goosen added the extras.

Despite this setback, Leinster never lost composure and neither did Prendergast as, after missing a relatively simple penalty, he knocked over another just moments later, nudging Leinster further ahead at 25-7.

As the sun finally began to shine on an-otherwise wet and muggy day in Dublin, replacement scrum-half Gunne – only drafted into the squad on Saturday morning – hit a perfect wraparound run to find a gap in the tiring Bulls defence and score a lovely try.

It was converted by Ross Byrne who got a big round of applause on his final appearance for his province.

As the clock ticked down, Bulls captain Ruan Nortje spilled the ball with space ahead of him and promptly came up lame with cramp to sum up his side’s disappointing day.

Leinster: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, Ringrose, Barrett, Lowe; Prendergast, McGrath; Porter, Sheehan, Clarkson, McCarthy, Ryan, Baird, Van der Flier, Conan (captain)

Replacements: Kelleher, Boyle, Slimani, Snyman, Deegan, Gunne, R Byrne, Osborne.

Bulls: Le Roux; Moodie, Kriel, Vorster, De Klerk; Goosen, Papier; Wessels, Grobbelaar, Louw, Wiese, Van Heerden, Van Staden, Nortje (captain), Coetzee.