Leinster power to Euro Cup glory
19 May 2012
Leinster cliched back-to-back European Cup titles after a 42-14 win over Ulster at Twickenham on Saturday.
The two Pro12 teams faced off in the tournament final to compete for the northern hemisphere’s most prestigous prize. Leinster were favourites as defending champions, but Ulster, who rested their first-choice players in the last round of their domestic campaign, showed great form late in the season and carried that strong momentum into the title decider.
Leinster grabbed a 14-6 half-time lead as they scored two converted tries via flank Sean O’Brien and loosehead prop Cian Healy. Flyhalf Jonny Sexton slotted the extras. Ulster trailed by eight points as scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar kicked two penalties.
However, Ulster were dominated in the second half as the Leinster juggernaut surged to victory by scoring three more tries. There was a penalty try awarded, while reserve front rowers Heinke van der Merwe and Sean Cronin crossed the chalk in the dying moments. Sexton (three penalties and one conversion) and wing Fergus McFadden (one conversion) added 13 points via the boot.
Ulster only managed a consolation try via lock Dan Tuohy. Fullback Stefan Terblance also received a late yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Cronin.
32 Comments
19 May 2012, 23:22 pm
So Brad Thorn has now won a RWC, a Tri Nations, a Super Rugby title, and an NRL Premiership. Played in, but never won a State of Origin.
19 May 2012, 23:22 pm
And of course a European Cup
20 May 2012, 08:11 am
Can’t believe Munster lost, would have thought that with all the hype surrounding Pienaar, he’d have beaten them on his own… Goes to show ne?
20 May 2012, 08:54 am
thesaint#3: Ulster not Munster! And Pienaar has had a great season! Have you not been watching?
20 May 2012, 13:59 pm
Heinke van der Merwe – still the most destructive loosehead prop we have produced in recent years. Still worth a Bok jersey.
20 May 2012, 16:21 pm
I know its not Munster, I can read, just trying to convey how little Pienaar’s heroics mean playing in a 3rd tier competition.
20 May 2012, 18:24 pm
@thesaint(thesaint)-6:
Leinster would comfortably beat any team involved in the involved in the Super 15.
20 May 2012, 18:29 pm
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-7:
BOD showed that he’s still one of the worlds finest centres.
20 May 2012, 18:37 pm
Really? Pity we won’t be able to see, strange then that the European Cup is where Southern Hemisphere players go to retire… We see numerous southern guys rocking the North, and no Northerners ruling the south…we are bringing them down then I guess…
20 May 2012, 19:11 pm
@thesaint(thesaint)-9:
That’s because the money’s in the North and there’s no reason for the top NH players to move south.
20 May 2012, 19:43 pm
Ja David, obviously the NH players have nothing to prove, what with the NH dominating the SH in recent times, oh wait…
20 May 2012, 20:48 pm
oh god thesaint you are the epitome
21 May 2012, 02:09 am
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-7: Yeah and all the money in the NH has won soooo many world cups as well. And the Autumn series have been sooo dominated by NH.
21 May 2012, 06:16 am
People keep harping on about the world cup. If anything it proved that when both hemispheres have equal resting times the there is no gap between north and south. The Boks were lucky to win against Wales, Ireland beat the Aussies and the French would have beaten the all blacks if they had a fair ref.
21 May 2012, 06:48 am
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-14:
hehe………
that should pick up a few comments………..
21 May 2012, 07:23 am
The oks have been “lucky’ to win against Wales and the rest for most of the 19th and 20th century. Wales has been getting better, but lets face it they are not there yet. Occasionally the French can raise their standards, and England too, but not consistently.
21 May 2012, 11:01 am
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-7: “Leinster would comfortably beat any team involved in the involved in the Super 15.”
??? The Irish, who have never, in the history of the game, beaten the AB’s, produce a team full of Irish players and semi retired S15, or unwanted SH international players, and suddenly they are better than any of the S15 teams? Can you explain the logic to us idiots who can’t quite work it out????
21 May 2012, 19:42 pm
@aliboy(aliboy)-17:
Things change mate, rugby in Ireland has been completely transformed since the dawn of the professional era. It is now as popular as soccer and more and more youngsters are playing it. They’ve been dominating club rugby and are just a good coach away to dominating the Six Nations. As for the All Blacks, they’ll beat them one day, and they’ll earn it, Brad Thorn said they up their game when they play Ireland as nobody wants to go down in history as the first All Black team to lose.
As for the Super 15, it’s fun to watch but their is absolutely no intensity there, HC rugby is the closest thing to international level, this has been consistently pointed out by NH and SH players alike, google it.
21 May 2012, 20:16 pm
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-7: Rubbish. I watched that game they played on Saturday and no mate doubt they would just come and beat: Stormers/Bulls/Sharks/Chiefs/Crusaders/Reds or the Highlanders.
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-14: If the Aussies had a decent ref that day they would have won it. Bryce Lawerence reffed that game. He appologised to the Aussies after making a real hash of that game, much like he did against the Aussie/Boks game.
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-18: So you think there is NO intensity in S15???????????? Don’t be a complete idiot. Don’t make me laugh man, what a load of complete utter rubbish. Go and watch some of the South African derby games and when the kiwi and Saffa teams play each other. Doubt very much if any of the teams up north would EVER win the S15. Actually they wont.
21 May 2012, 21:55 pm
@Puma(Puma)-19:
Leinster would beat every Six Nations international side with maybe the acception of Wales, they are basically the Ireland team with Brad Thorn and Isa Nacewa thrown in, they also have a far, far superior coach in Joe Schmidt who lets them play a SH style game. They would beat ANY S15 comfortably if played at home, away may be a different story. I’m not saying S15 games are not intense, just not as intense(physically) as HC games.
21 May 2012, 22:33 pm
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-20:
If they are basically the Ireland team then no they wont beat England,Wales or even the French going on the last 6 nations.
Saying they would beat any Super 15 team comfortably at home is a huge call.
Super 15 teams are use to travelling for miles and in different time zones.
Its a bit different compared to the Leinster team that plays teams practically on the same Island.
21 May 2012, 22:42 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-21:
That’s what I’m saying, Ireland drew against France in Paris, lost in the last minute to Wales all while be directed to play stone age 10 rugby game that doesn’t suit them by a completely inept coach. Like I said Ireland are only a good coach away from dominating six nations rugby.
21 May 2012, 22:45 pm
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-20: Yeah right. You probably one of the poor BI Lions supportings souls who still think they won in the 2009 SA series and probably think that if BODs head wasn’t rightfully shoved through his arsehole by Tana then you would have walked the NZ series too…
You poor misguided Leprechaun lurker… Farken have another pisspoor Guinness and STFU!
21 May 2012, 23:04 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-23:
If we’re going with stereotypes you won’t mind me calling you a dumb dutchie racist. I’m just telling it like it is, deal with it.
21 May 2012, 23:15 pm
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-24: Lol… You telling it like a naive little Paddy… Oblivious to the real world of Rugger…. Maybe Leinster against the Lions, Rebels or Force would be a fair game… and thats a BIG farken MAYBE…. Against any other Super team it is downright unfair…. It’ll be Bloody Saturday every weekend…
21 May 2012, 23:18 pm
Jockstrap – we will never know the answer about Irish club sides vs S15 teams. What we do know is that unwanted or ‘retiring’ SH players arrive in the Euro competitions and are often considered ‘stars’. If the local players were so good, why would the clubs spend huge money on SH ‘imports’. That has to say something about the respective qualities of the various competitions.
As for Ireland beating the AB’s, it will of course happen one day, and I have watched some very good Irish teams. History however tells us that under ~15 (a guess) different coaches they have never managed to beat the AB’s, and only very occasionally the Boks. Their international development squads hardly even appear on the global radar. How this translates into “they are only a good coach away from global domination” is a bit of a mystery.
This coming tour to NZ might be a good chance for an already battle hardened Ireland. With the AB’s under a new coaching team, hungover from the RWC, important players just back from injury and still underdone, first pick players out with injury, and regular starters out of form, it should be a walk over for this world conquering Ireland team really. Shouldn’t it?
21 May 2012, 23:22 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-25:
Little? I’m 6’4 mate, but I digress, the Leinster academy kids already beat the rebels in preseason. If our kids can beat one of your squads I’d hate to think what our first team would do, it’s no fun if they’re isn’t any proper competition.
21 May 2012, 23:30 pm
The standard of some of the noted HC teams has dropped. There aren’t enough qualties teams in the competition to test Leinster but I know some of the SR teams certainly would. They wouldnt like quite so fancy against teams like the Bulls, Stormers, Crusaders or Chiefs.
21 May 2012, 23:31 pm
^look
21 May 2012, 23:32 pm
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-27: 6’4 of nothing but Blarney… and I quote “Leinster would comfortably beat any team involved in the involved in the Super 15″…. BefarkenJaysus….
You sure that Rebels squad weren’t their “Kids” either… Because from the farken “realism” shown in your previous comments, I just don’t believe you….
Keep kissing that Blarney Stone, Boyyo….
Crusaders, Bulls, Chiefs, Stormers, Brumbies, Sharks would put +20 points on Leinster on any surface other than Peat…. Okay maybe not the Stormers, they cant score tries, but fck me neither would Leinster score either, not in a million years….
22 May 2012, 00:06 am
@jockstrap(jockstrap)-27: are you a paddy?
22 May 2012, 18:00 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-30:
That’s your opinion mate, I watch all the S15 games, I reckon Leinster would comfortably beat any team at home, and most of the weaker teams away.
@rangerman(rangerman)-31:
Half a paddy, my mum’s South African.
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