Leinster’s trophy drought continues after URC semi-final defeat to Bulls

The implications for Leinster after another barren season will rumble on long into the summer but the impact for Ireland will also need to be addressed as they return to this venue to take on the Springboks with a huge number of these Leinster players set to feature.

But a Leinster side which started with 15 full internationals and brought another half dozen off the bench were no match for a Bulls side who were without their Springbok wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie. Jake White’s men dealt with that with the minimum of fuss and were also sharper throughout as Leinster struggled in the Highveld.

The Bulls enjoyed 62% possession in the opening half and would have felt they should have been more than 10-7 in front at the end of a gruelling opening half.

Unsurprisingly, the Pretoria side bombarded the Leinster back three with high ball in the opening quarter but they were dealt with efficiently and with Garry Ringrose, making light of his long injury lay-off, getting in some crunching tackles, the Leinster line remained intact in face of the early onslaught.

Leinster, with only loosehead Andrew Porter and lock Joe McCarthy having played for Leinster in the South Africa before, grew into the game with the experience of Jamison Gibson-Park crucial.

But there were let-offs for Leinster. Johan Goosen was off target with a long-range drop goal after 12 minutes and then seven minutes later winger Devon Williams scored in the left corner after a good break off a midfield scrum by No.8 Cameron Hanekom, but the try was scratched after flanker Marco van Staden needlessly took out Ross Byrne with an off-the-ball tackle.

Byrne was well off target with a penalty from 49 metres in front of the posts, but Leinster hit the front after 24 minutes after Bulls winger Sergeal Petersen was binned for a deliberate knock-on as Jimmy O’Brien tried to put James Lowe over in the left corner.

Leinster went to the corner and a couple of recycles later, Lowe scored in the unguarded left corner after Byrne managed to get the ball to him with an unorthodox pass. Byrne then landed a superb conversion from the left touchline to make it 7-0.

But it was the Bulls, despite being temporarily down a man, who dominated after that and they got back on level terms ten minutes from the break. Full-back Willie le Roux executed a good 50:22 and from that lineout they mounted several surges infield before Goosen timed his run to perfection to score by the posts before tapping over the simple conversion.

They pushed on from the there and after Porter was pinged in a scrum just outside his own 22, the Bulls surprisingly opted for the posts from the very difficult conversion from the left touchline but Goosen made no mistake to lead 10-7 at the interval.

Leinster suffered a massive blow just 90 seconds after the restart when Harold Vorster and Williams combined down the left for Petersen to score in the corner, with Goosen converting to make it 17-7.

The Leinster response was good and they got back in contention after 51 minutes. Left with no option but to tap a penalty inside the home 22 they executed the move well, initially through hooker Dan Sheehan before Caelan Doris finished and Byrne cut the gap to three with the conversion.

Both sides started emptying their benches and Leinster got back on level terms at the end of the third quarter when a chip and chase from Lowe set up a counter-attack which ended with Byrne levelling with another penalty.

But they were unable to push off from there and it was the Bulls who upped their game in the final quarter. Petersen outfielded Ciarán Frawley on a high ball down the right before cantering home for the decisive score. He could have angle the conversion rather than an elaborate swan-dive and Goosen’s missed kick left Leinster hanging in there five points adrift with 13 minutes left.

However, Leinster were unable to fashion a winner. They went through 23 phases at one stage but the Bulls defended with discipline before spotting Doris isolated and a double tackle ended that move seven minutes from time and in the process ended another barren season for Leinster as the Bulls advanced to their second final in three years.

Scorers – Bulls: Tries: S Petersen (2), J Goosen. Cons: Goosen (2). Pens: Goosen (2). Leinster: Tries: J Lowe, C Doris. Cons: R Byrne (2). Pens: Byrne (2)

Bulls: W Le Roux (C Smit 55); S Petersen, D Kriel, H Vorster, D Williams; J Goosen, E Papier; G Steenekamp (S Matanzima 60), J Grobbelaar (A van der Merwe 41), W Louw; R Vermaak (R Ludwig 65), R Nortje (capt); M van Staden (N Carr 60), E Louw (F Klopper 60), C Hanekom.

Leinster: J O’Brien (C Frawley 51); J Larmour, G Ringrose (J Osborne 68), R Henshaw, J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park (L McGrath 55); A Porter (C Healy 73), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 51), T Furlong (M Ala’alatoa 51); J McCarthy, J Ryan (capt) (R Molony 68); R Baird, J van der Flier (J Conan 60), C Doris.

Referee: S Grove-White (Scotland).