URC semi-final: Leinster 37 Glasgow 19
Leinster will face the Bulls in next week’s United Rugby Championship final at Croke Park after dishing out a 37-19 beating to last year’s winners Glasgow Warriors.
The province, which has endured three straight URC semi-final defeats, regained their mojo to set up a Dublin decider against the South African side who saw off the Sharks 25-13 in Pretoria in the day’s second semi-final.
At the Aviva, Dan Sheehan started and finished the first half’s try-scoring to give Leinster a 25-5 lead as Jamie Osborne and Tom Clarkson also crossed for the hosts.
Osborne and Ciaran Frawley made it six tries to one before closing scores from Jamie Dobie and Sione Tuipulotu added to George Horne’s fourth-minute effort.
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Leinster hit the ground running with Jamison Gibson-Park pulling the trigger for Sheehan to raid over in the second minute.
Glasgow swiftly cut the gap to 7-5 when Kyle Rowe’s inviting kick infield was dotted down by Horne.
Crossing from James Lowe denied Leinster a second try before Sam Prendergast slotted over a 21st-minute penalty.
A Gibson-Park forward pass ruled out an Osborne score but the young centre duly scored out wide from a slick Lowe offload.
Leinster turned a scrum penalty into five more points when Clarkson rumbled over and Sheehan’s maul try came on the stroke of half-time.
Despite Tom Jordan switching to fly-half for the Warriors, Leinster, aided by Ryan Baird’s player-of-the-match performance, remained in full control.
Following a penalty miss from Prendergast, who had a disappointing day with the boot, Gibson-Park clinically played in Osborne in the 53rd minute to make it 32-5.
Replacement Frawley followed him over the line just four minutes later, with Lowe’s initial aerial take igniting a sweeping move.
Sprung from the Scots’ bench, Dobie raced over in the 71st minute and Tuipulotu displayed his dancing feet with a superb solo try from the edge of Leinster’s 22.
Leinster will play the Bulls in the final next Saturday (June 14th) at Croke Park, with a 5pm kick-off.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 2 mins: Sheehan try, Prendergast con 7-0; 4: Horne try 7-5; Prendergast pen 10-5; 27: Osborne try 15-5; 32: Clarkson try 20-5; Half-time 20-5; 40: Sheehan try 25-5; 53: Osborne try, Prendergast con 32-5; 57: Frawley try 37-5; 71: Dobie try, Jordan con 37-12; 78: Tuipulotu try, Jordan con 37-19.
LEINSTER: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, J Osborne, J Barrett, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Clarkson; J McCarthy, J Ryan; R Baird, S Penny, J Conan (capt).
Replacements: R Kelleher for Sheehan, C Frawly for Barrett, RG Snyman for Ryan (all 55 mins), R Slimani for Clarkson, J Boyle for Porter (both 59), R Byrne for Prendergast (60), M Deegan for Conan (63), L McGrath for Gibson-Park (69).
GLASGOW WARRIORS: J McKay; K Steyn (capt), S Tuipulotu, T Jordan, K Rowe; A Hastings, G Horne; J Bhatti, G Hiddleston, F Richardson; A Samuel, S Cummings; E Ferrie, R Darge, H Venter.
Replacements: S McDowall for Hastings (h-t), J Matthews for Hiddleston, R Sutherland for Bhatti, S Talakai for Richardson, M Williamson for Samuel (all 44 mins), J Dobie for Horne (51), Duncan for Venter (59), J Mann for Ferrie (72).
Referee: A Piardi (Italy).
