No longer the great underachievers, Leinster have their hands on silverware.
A four-year drought – by their standards at least – has finally come to an end, as they crushed the Bulls 32-7 in front of just under 47,000 people at Croke Park.
Their BKT United Rugby Championship title is their ninth in the 25 years of this competition as a whole, but their first since the arrival of the South Africa big four in 2021.
On a day of rain and difficult conditions in Dublin, they beat the Bulls at their own game, with a powerful scrum and a relentless aggression in contact seeing them make light work of Jake White's side, who have now lost three finals in four years.
Three tries in the opening quarter sent them on their way as they raced to a 19-0 lead with tries for Jack Conan, Jordie Barrett and Josh van der Flier all scoring, and Sam Prendergast converting two of those.
Their brutish defensive line which shut down Glasgow last week did similar today, even as the Bulls charged at them in the 10 minutes before half time, and although the South Africans did get back within 15 points following an Akker van der Merwe try, it was as close as they could peg Leinster back, with Fintan Gunne – a late inclusion following injury for Jamison Gibson-Park – racing in to complete the win.
Ryan Baird excelled again in a second consecutive player of the match performance, showing he’s at his best in the six shirt, and he was part of savage Leinster pack which played with a chip on their shoulders.
They looked determined to prove a point after their continued Champions Cup disappointment, and while that defeat to Northampton Saints won’t be forgotten with this URC title, it must be used as the foundation for the province to build on.
The smell of sulphur from the pre-match pyrotechnics was still hanging in the air when Leinster got in for their opening score.
Two early penalties, the first of which came at a scrum, afforded the home side a lineout five metres out from the Bulls line, and while the defence dealt with the maul attempt and Dan Sheehan’s breakaway, they were slow on the retreat as Conan picked and spotted a gap on the fringe to dive over and score. Prendergast’s conversion made it 7-0, with six minutes on the clock.
The Bulls could well have been reduced to 14 players three minutes later when Harold Vorster and Joe McCarthy came together off the ball. As the pair fell to the ground, the Bulls centre was seen shoving his fingers around the eyes of McCarthy, and could count himself lucky only to give away a penalty.
Leinster were by far the sharper early on, and it didn’t take long to extend their lead, thanks to some Barrett magic. Nothing really looked on when Luke McGrath set up to box-kick inside his own half, but the scrum-half dinked a delicate kick into space just behind the ruck, as the onrushing Barrett beat Willie le Roux to the ball, hacking it ahead and running in for the second try (below), again converted by Prendergast to make it 14-0.
Everything was going Leinster’s way, even at the scrum where they secured a second penalty advantage, although they didn’t need it after a wonderful 50:22 from Prendergast.
That attack came to nothing, but by the 21st minute they were in for a third try. Van der Flier breaking from a collapsing maul to dive in and score for 19-0, although this time Prendergast’s conversion was pushed to the right and wide.
Their attack in the first quarter was impressive, but their defence in the second was even better.
It took the Bulls until the 34th minute to launch a first real siege at the Leinster line, after Marco van Staden’s piercing run, and while Leinster initially creaked to concede a penalty, they withstood 15 phases of direct Bulls carrying, before Le Roux’s aimless crossfield kick landed into the arms of Prendergast, and the safety of a mark.
A jackal penalty from the impressive Van Staden did give the Bulls one more shot before the half-time whistle. They launched a lineout on the five-metre line, but by the time Le Roux threw a forward pass to end the half, the visitors had been knocked 15 metres back from where they started.
The much-feared Bulls scrum had come out second best in the opening half, and Leinster’s dominance continued with the first scrum after the break, a powerful drive earning a penalty which Prendergast slotted for a 22-0 advantage.
The Bulls replied with a scrum penalty of their own, which they used to manufacture their opening try on 48 minutes, as they finally put their maul to work before Van der Merwe touched down, converted by Johan Goosen to cut the Leinster lead to 15 points.
The middle third of the game saw a cracking scrum battle, as the sides exchanged penalties and the balance of power shifted back and forth while the benches were emptied, one of which put Leinster into a prime attacking position on 57 minutes, only for a Van der Flier knock-on to end the opportunity.
They could have gone further ahead on the hour mark, but Prendergast’s kicking inconsistencies continued with a straightforward attempt that went right and wide, although he made up for that with his final act of the game on 67 minutes, adding a three-pointer to make it 25-7.
By now the game was finished as a contest, and there was still time for Leinster to flex their muscles with one final try, Ross Byrne and Gunne combining with a lovely switch to send the latter racing through the 22, which Byrne converted in his final kick as a Leinster player.
Leinster scorers: Tries: Jack Conan, Jordie Barrett, Josh van der Flier, Fintan Gunne
Cons: Sam Prendergast (2), Ross Byrne (1)
Pens: Sam Prendergast (2)
Bulls scorers: Tries: Akker van der Merwe
Cons: Johan Goosen
Leinster: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (capt).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (for Sheehan, 56), Jack Boyle (for Porter, 72), Rabah Slimani (for Clarkson, 56), RG Snyman (for Ryan, 42), Max Deegan (for Conan, 72), Fintan Gunne (for McGrath, 67), Ross Byrne (for Prendergast, 67), Jamie Osborne (for Ringrose, 72).
Bulls: Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Jan-hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw; Cobus Wiese, JF van Heerden; Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje (capt), Marcell Coetzee.
Replacements: Akker van der Merwe (for Grobbelaar, 44), Alulutho Tshakweni (for Wessels, 51), Mornay Smith (for Louw, 64), Jannes Kirsten (for Wiese, 35 HIA), Nizaam Carr (for Coetzee, 64), Zak Burger (for Papier, 71), Keagan Johannes, Devon Williams (for De Klerk, 66).
Referee: Andrea Pairdi (FIR)
