United Rugby Championship: Bulls stun Leinster to reach final
- Published
Johnny Sexton came off the bench but Ireland's captain could not inspire Leinster to victory
United Rugby Championship semi-final: Leinster v Bulls |
|---|
Leinster (14) 26 |
Tries: Sheehan, Henshaw, O'Loughlin, Healy Cons: Byrne (2), Sexton |
Bulls (17) 27 |
Tries: Grobbelaar, Coetzee, penalty Cons: Smith (2) Pen: Smith, Steyn |
The Bulls held off a Leinster fightback to reach the United Rugby Championship final with a 27-26 victory at the RDS.
The South Africans led by three points at half-time thanks to tries from Johan Grobbelaar and Marcell Coetzee, while Dan Sheehan and Robbie Henshaw struck for the hosts.
A penalty try extended the Bulls' lead but Rory O'Loughlin gave Leinster hope.
Morne Steyn's penalty put the game beyond doubt before Cian Healy's last-gasp try brought the game to one point.
The Bulls will face either fellow South Africans the Stormers or Ulster in the final. Ulster are looking for their first trophy since 2006 and kick-off is at 14:00 BST on Saturday.
The defeat means Leinster end a season trophy-less for the first time since 2017 as the Bulls stunned the hosts for their maiden victory on Irish soil.
Sheehan turned Ross Byrne's kick into an opportunistic ninth-minute try but a Bulls purple patch delivered tries from Grobbelaar and captain Coetzee and a 17-14 half-time lead.
Ireland centre Henshaw replied before the break, but a 52nd-minute penalty try, which landed Leinster captain James Ryan in the sin-bin, had the Bulls 10 points clear.
Not even the introduction of Johnny Sexton could inspire an error-strewn Leinster, however a sharp attack gave them a lifeline with 11 minutes remaining as O'Loughlin was released for the left corner.
However, replacement Steyn's 76th-minute penalty had the Bulls out of reach before Healy burrowed over past the 80-minute mark.
Leinster: O'Brien; Larmour, Ringrose, Henshaw, O'Loughlin; Byrne; Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, McCarthy, Ryan (capt), Doris, Van der Flier, Conan.
Replacements: Cronin, Healy, Ala'alatoa, Molony, Baird, McGrath, Sexton, Frawley.
Bulls: Moodie; Kriel; Hendricks, Vorster, Tambwe, Smith, Burger; Steenekamp, Grobbelaar, Smith, Steenkamp, Nortje, Coetzee (capt), Botha, Louw.
Replacements: Du Plessis, Matanzima, Hunt, Swanepoel, Steenkamp, Papier, Steyn, Arendse.