The machine Joe Schmidt has built had a ruthlessness that Ulster simply couldn’t match

‘COME ON you boys in blue’ was the chant echoing on flight TVS505 as we sat on the apron in Luton. Passengers were hunched around any available iPhone or iPad watching Didier Drogba fire the ball past Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to win the Champions League. As the plane erupted into chanting so too did its engines and off down the runway we headed.

With a five tries to one score favouring the other boys in blue, two from men on their bench, it’s hard to argue their entitlement to the spoils. That said, this was an incredible performance not just by Leinster but also by Ulster.

Players such as Ulster’s Darren Cave or tighthead John Afoa, who at times was the best back on the pitch, epitomised the quality, passion and poise of a wonderful final. Ian Humphreys produced a massive cameo on his arrival, pumping belief into his flagging team-mates on his last outing in white. But Humphreys lasted only 24 minutes as the Leinster bench flooded seamlessly into the machine Joe Schmidt has built.

The second-last try on 75 minutes had Seán Cronin (16) skipping past two Ulster defenders before popping to his loosehead Heinke van der Merwe (17), who scampered in for Leinster’s fourth, while tighthead Nathan White (18) cantered alongside him. Leinster’s achievement is that all three were perfectly comfortable in their role and environment. Not long before that Rob Kearney’s younger brother Dave had arrived onto the pitch, smashing into Ulster’s captain, Johann Muller.

Ulster’s journey didn’t deserve this end but in many ways Leinster’s did as it placed them right at the pinnacle of Europe and in the 80 minutes they showed how Irish rugby can win and do so with pure class.

The scrum would become a massive factor and Ulster needed to fatigue Cian Healy and disrupt Leinster’s backrow. It was, however, Ulster’s number eight Pedrie Wannenburg who was made to work far too hard. Healy scored a cracker on 32 minutes after Brian O’Driscoll did what all field sport is about; create space and exploit space. At times he was able to complete both himself but this time Seán O’Brien knew exactly what line to run exploiting the space that O’Driscoll created.

That Healy crashed over was fitting as it was he who disrupted the very scrum causing the Wannenburg turnover; Healy starts and finishes. O’Brien was man of the match but either Afoa or Healy could have won it for their extraordinary influence in both the tight and open. Ditto Rob Kearney or Gordon D’Arcy, who was exceptional in making yards where a 14½ stone man should never venture.

It all started so well for Ulster. Cave exposed Leinster in the opening minutes when skipping inside Leo Cullen, who was distracted by Paddy Wallace’s very Leinster-type hidden line. Having advanced through the blue line, Cave gained another 10 metres as his colleagues flooded up in support.

First man up was loosehead Tom Court, who in gathering Cave’s pass was melted in a tackle by Cullen, who knew he had to make up for the breach seconds earlier. In doing so, allied with poor ball placement from Ulster, Cullen snaffled the ball and the turnover eased the pressure.

What is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary: the word “extra”. The quality of Cave’s break was “extra” ordinary but the subsequent ball placement by Court was ordinary, allowing Cullen to gain revenge.

Flip that scenario into the blue culture and we experience a ruthless pursuit of the “extra”.

O’Brien had no business scoring on Leinster’s lonely visit but did same and then there was O’Driscoll’s “extra” ordinary offload to O’Brien for Healy’s try.

What about Fergus McFadden’s lung-bursting chase from Jonny Sexton’s kick-off after Ruan Piennaar’s 21-9 penalty? He had no business putting men twice his size under pressure but he did and Sexton hammered the penalty to kill off Ulster at 24-9.

This point isn’t about bashing an Ulster player for poor technique but, similar to Clermont Auvergne’s Wesley Fofana’s poor placement at the death against Leinster in the semi-finals, the margins at this level are that small. Paddy Jackson starting ahead of Humphreys is one such. Humphreys’ defence and general game control afforded the immature Jackson a start.

Humphreys’ colleagues reacted to his arrival with Ulster’s most focused attacking, ultimately resulting in a cracker for Dan Tuohy. Worryingly, Ulster required 84 per cent of the ball to score a try but Ulster’s new-found angles forced O’Brien into a high tackle on Andrew Trimble.

Jackson appears to have the game but the pace and flow of Saturday can take years to understand for the general at 10. His kick out on the full was a good decision but poorly executed, so too his drop goal attempt and both were hammer blows to his confidence and his team.

Much talk has centred on the brilliant Ruan Pienaar but Eoin Reddan was super efficient and understated in his performance in keeping his pack going forward, almost enticing them into ridiculous running lines as he encouraged them to attack countless channels in the Ulster defence. When Leinster were in doubt they continually probed the blindside, with Reddan the driving force in tandem with Sexton.

It’s hard to pick my play of the day but two plays started by Ulster on the 20th minute followed by Leinster were pure class. Big Dan Tuohy smashed over O’Brien for Afoa, Rory Best, Wannenburg, Chris Henry, all interchanging with the ball, resulting in Stefan Terblanche almost making it in at the corner.

The very nervous short lineout for Leinster was barely won over the top by Jamie Heaslip, who carried into traffic. Reddan hit the box and once again the “extra” effort by McFadden to challenge Craig Gilroy in the air afforded an extraordinary follow and hands from Mike Ross to offload to Richardt Strauss and D’Arcy to continue down the tram tracks.

Hunger and luck got Reddan back on the ball and while blindsided he flung a miracle pass to the “extra” McFadden, who popped immediately to Healy. Then Brad Thorn’s right shoulder arrived, with Kevin McLaughlin spinning to Reddan to Sexton to O’Driscoll, who slipped Cave and, but for the ball arriving a tad behind, Isa Nacewa might have scored the try of the century until Stephen Ferris scud missiled him into the stand. Is there any sight finer?