Tommy McLoughlin – New Ross RFC
Leinster are back in the BKT United Rugby Championship final after battling their way past a stubborn DHL Stormers side 20–11 at the Aviva Stadium. In front of 15,346 supporters, Leo Cullen’s side did enough to book a return to Croke Park, where they will meet the Bulls in a repeat of last year’s final on Friday week. It was not always pretty, and at times it was far more tense than Leinster would have liked, but knockout rugby is about finding a way through and Leinster did just that.
Leinster Start Fast But Stormers Refuse To Fold
Leinster made the sharper start and looked in control during the opening quarter. Rieko Ioane got the first try after eight minutes, finishing off a well-worked attack after Leinster moved the ball into space. Sam Prendergast converted and then added penalties on 18 and 24 minutes to push the home side into a 13–0 lead. At that stage, Leinster looked settled, with their scrum giving them a strong platform and the Stormers struggling to get any real grip on the contest. But the South Africans are not a side that go away quietly, and once they got a foothold, the mood of the game changed.
Stormers Fight Back Before The Break
Adre Smith crossed for the Stormers on 28 minutes from close range, with Jurie Matthee missing the conversion. Matthee did add a penalty on 35 minutes, and suddenly Leinster’s lead was cut to 13–8. Leinster had chances to stretch the gap before half-time but could not take them. The Stormers defence held firm, and what had looked like a comfortable opening spell for the home side had turned into a proper semi-final battle by the interval. Leinster still led, but only by five points.
Stormers Pressure Makes It A Nervy Contest
The second half brought more pressure from the Stormers, and Leinster were made to work hard for everything. Leolin Zas was shown a yellow card on 45 minutes, but Leinster could not make the most of that period. Instead, it was the Stormers who edged closer when Matthee landed another penalty on 53 minutes to make it 13–11. That scoreline made the final quarter a very uncomfortable watch from a Leinster point of
view. Hugo Keenan had already produced an important covering tackle on Imad Khan, while the Stormers continued to frustrate Leinster at key moments.
Gibson-Park Seals It As Leinster Finish Strong
The decisive spell came late on. Ruan Ackermann was shown yellow on 69 minutes, later upgraded to a 20-minute red, and Leinster finally took advantage. Jamison Gibson-Park pounced for a crucial try on 70 minutes, and Harry Byrne converted to give Leinster breathing space at 20–11. Salmaan Moerat was also yellow-carded, leaving the Stormers chasing the game with 13 players. From there, Leinster saw it out and secured their place in the final. It was hard-earned, edgy and far from straightforward, but those are often the wins that matter most at this stage of the season.
The Verdict
This was not Leinster at their most fluent, but it was a strong reminder that knockout rugby is not always about style. They built an early lead, lost momentum, then had to show enough composure late on to close it out. The Stormers made life very awkward and were within two points early in the second half, so Leinster deserve credit for not panicking when the game tightened. Jamison Gibson-Park was central to the finish and deserved his player of the match award. His late try gave Leinster the cushion they badly needed and changed the feel of the closing stages. Rieko Ioane also gave Leinster a major attacking spark, especially with the opening try. The concern will be that Leinster let a 13–0 lead become a 13–11 contest, but the positive is obvious: they are back in another URC final. Croke Park now awaits, and another meeting with the Bulls gives Leinster the chance to finish the season with silverware.
Match Squads
Leinster:
15. Hugo Keenan, 14. Jimmy O’Brien, 13. Rieko Ioane, 12. Jamie Osborne, 11. James Lowe, 10. Sam Prendergast, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park, 1. Andrew Porter, 2. Ronan Kelleher, 3. Thomas Clarkson, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. James Ryan, 6. Max Deegan, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Caelan Doris (C).
Replacements: 16. Gus McCarthy, 17. Alex Usanov, 18. Rabah Slimani, 19. Diarmuid Mangan, 20. Jack Conan, 21. Luke McGrath, 22. Harry Byrne, 23. Garry Ringrose.
DHL Stormers:
15. Damian Willemse, 14. Wandisile Simelane, 13. Ruhan Nel (C), 12. Dan du Plessis, 11. Leolin Zas, 10. Jurie Matthee, 9. Imad Khan, 1. Ntuthuko Mchunu, 2. Andre-Hugo Venter, 3. Neethling Fouche, 4. Adre Smith, 5. Connor Evans, 6. Paul de Villiers, 7. Ben-Jason Dixon, 8. Evan Roos.
Replacements: 16. JJ Kotze, 17. Vernon Matongo, 18. Zachary Porthen, 19. Salmaan Moerat, 20. Ruan Ackermann, 21. Marcel Theunissen, 22. Stefan Ungerer, 23. Warrick Gelant.
Match Details
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco)
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Attendance: 15,346
Half-Time Score: Leinster 13–8 DHL Stormers
Full-Time Score: Leinster 20–11 DHL Stormers
Match Discipline & Scorers
Cards: Zas Yellow card (47’), Ackermann Yellow card upgraded to 20-minute Red (69’), Moerat Yellow card (71’).
Scorers:
Leinster:
• Tries: Ioane (8’), Gibson-Park (70’)
• Cons: Prendergast (9’), Byrne (71’)
• Pens: Prendergast (18’, 24’)
DHL Stormers:
• Tries: Smith (28’)
• Cons: None
• Pens: Matthee (35’, 53’)
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)
Next Up
Leinster v Bulls, BKT United Rugby Championship Final, Friday 19 June, 7.30pm, Croke Park, Dublin.