Leinster overcome Ulster in high-scoring PRO14 thriller
Christmas came early to the RDS with a sackful of tries as Leinster crossed eight times in a 54-42 Guinness PRO14 derby win over Ulster.
Incoming Ireland head coach Andy Farrell watched on as the Conference A leaders bagged their bonus point inside 28 minutes, but Ulster recovered from centre Matt Faddes’ costly sin-binning to score six tries of their own.
Max Deegan, a member of Farrell’s mid-season squad, Scott Penny (two), Robbie Henshaw and Fergus McFadden all touched down to tee up a 33-14 half-time lead. Faddes ran in an opportunist try, adding to Angus Kernohan’s eighth-minute effort.
There were some notable names missing from both teamsheets – Ulster’s in particular – but this festive interprovincial derby provided 14 tries and six senior debuts. Twenty-year-old fly-half Harry Byrne shone for the Scott Fardy-captained Leinster, landing seven conversions and impressing in attack in a man-of-the-match display.
Rob Kearney, Cian Kelleher and Deegan took the victors’ try haul to eight, yet second-placed Ulster grabbed a hard-earned bonus point thanks to a Craig Gilroy intercept and number eight Greg Jones, who weighed in with a final-quarter brace before replacement Jonny Stewart’s last-minute score.
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The RugbyPass Alternative Commentary team on whether Conor Murray is still Ireland’s No1 scrum-half
The hosts got off to a flying start, Kelleher burning up the metres on the right wing before ever-alert number eight Deegan managed to twist out of a double tackle to ground the ball. Following Byrne’s conversion, Ulster piled forward thanks to a series of penalties. Faddes played the perfect link man in midfield, as the ball was shifted wide by Rob Lyttle for Kernohan to crash over in the left corner.
A classy conversion from Bill Johnston made it seven points apiece, although Leinster were quick to respond. Again Kelleher caused damage out wide, set free by senior debutant Tommy O’Brien’s pass. Penny burrowed over a few phases later for Byrne to convert.
The talented openside doubled his tally in the 22nd minute, driving over from close range with Josh Murphy on the latch. The seven-pointer came after Faddes had been carded for a high tackle on O’Brien. Fourteen-man Ulster fell 28-7 behind when Byrne’s well-weighted kick out to the right was gobbled up and touched down by onrushing centre Henshaw. Byrne landed the tough conversion for good measure.
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Faddes then used a Leinster spill to scamper clear from halfway before McFadden replied, with Byrne beating two defenders in the build-up. Byrne then skipped two players with a long pass to put Kearney over, four minutes after the restart. McFadden’s cross-field kick from a penalty picked out Henshaw, who dished it off for Kelleher to speed clear and make it 47-14.
Gilroy intercepted a Penny pass for a rallying 60-metre try, but Deegan used a close-in scrum to reach in under the posts. Although the result was sewn up with Leinster now 12 points clear at the top of the table, Ulster battled on in determined fashion.
They finished with a flourish, back-rower Jones growing in influence with a well-taken double, his second score coming from a lineout maul. Precise place-kicker Johnston converted both and topped off Stewart’s smart finish from a final scrum while Leinster lock Josh Murphy was in the sin-bin.
– Press Association
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Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments