Guinness PRO12: Leinster win tense play-off against Ulster to reach final
Last Updated: 21/05/16 12:28pm
Leinster booked their place in the Guinness PRO12 final with a 30-18 victory over neighbours Ulster at the RDS Arena on Friday night.
The game was closer than the scoreline suggested, though Leinster looked like running away with it after racing to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to an Isa Nacewa try and eight points from the pinpoint boot of Johnny Sexton.
But Ulster fought their way back into the match, with Paddy Jackson slotting two penalties before Craig Gilroy crossed for a try at the end of the half to make it 13-11 to the Leinstermen at the break.
However, the third quarter belonged solely to Leo Cullen's side, as man of the match Jamie Heaslip and Sean Cronin added tries while Sexton retained his 100 per cent kicking record to stretch to a 30-11 lead with 16 minutes remaining.
A set move saw Craig Gilroy hit back for the visitors with a little over 10 minutes remaining, but Ulster were unable to make any further headway as Leinster booked a place in the PRO12 final for the sixth time in seven seasons.
A classy finish from Nacewa rewarded Leinster for an explosive opening four minutes. Eoin Reddan's slick pass out to the right wing saw the Leinster full-back cut in past Gilroy and stretch over the line, despite some last-ditch tackling.
The conversion was slotted by Sexton, who added a penalty to put Leinster into double figures inside 10 minutes. As Leinster continued to probe off quick ruck ball and directed by their half-backs, Ulster strayed offside and Sexton added his second penalty of the night.
Les Kiss' side finally found some rhythm entering the second quarter, and Reddan was forced to come to Leinster's rescue after a dangerous Gilroy kick bobbled over their try-line, but a Jordi Murphy ruck infringement thereafter allowed Jackson to get Ulster on the board in the 26th minute.
A carry from Iain Henderson had Ulster close to the opposition line once again, and when Richardt Strauss got over the ball illegally at the ruck, Jackson cut the gap by a further three points from the kicking tee.
Just a minute before the interval, Gilroy squeezed over in the left corner off Jackson's flat pass, with confirmation from TMO Jon Mason after lengthy deliberation. The Ulster fly-half missed the conversion but his side looked to have weathered the worst of it as they went into the break two points down.
However, it was not to be, as Leinster grew in the game in the second half. Leinster got their scoring underway again when Garry Ringrose came back against the grain to set up an overlap and Ben Te'o offloaded to Heaslip in the tackle for a try in the left corner.
Sexton's conversion put nine points between the sides, and with the Leinster bench beginning to make an impact, the Ireland fly-half sent a scrum penalty through the uprights for 23-11.
Further set-piece pressure provided the platform for Heaslip to then send Cronin over to the right of the posts, and Sexton converted once more. Ulster returned the favour off scrum ball in the hosts' 22, with Gilroy finishing his second five-pointer in smart fashion.
Leinster's reinforced defence denied Ulster a third try late on, with lively replacement Stuart Olding going closest, as they condemned their provincial rivals to a sixth loss in seven league semi-final appearances.
