Ulster stun Leinster in Dublin to end 100 per cent URC record
Ulster gave their United Rugby Championship challenge a massive boost with a stirring 20-10 win over previously unbeaten Leinster at RDS.
James Hume’s late intercept try sealed Ulster’s first victory at the Ballsbridge venue since March 2013, adding to a coolly-struck 67th-minute penalty from replacement Nathan Doak.
Fit-again Ulster scrum-half John Cooney played in Greg Jones for a 16th-minute try, setting up a 7-0 interval lead.
Cooney added a penalty but Robbie Henshaw’s superb pick-up for a try, 10 minutes into the second half, lifted a misfiring Leinster.
A Ross Byrne penalty briefly brought the hosts level, but Doak and Hume combined to ensure Ulster ended a run of six interprovincial derby defeats.
The visitors left early points behind them, before Hume’s break outside Jordan Larmour took him up to five metres out. Cooney’s quick delivery from the ruck was well-finished by the inrushing Jones.
Cooney converted from the right, but Ulster needed more points to show for their dominance of possession and territory, midway through the half.
A general sloppiness blighted Leinster’s play while Ulster’s Nick Timoney impressed at the breakdown.
Billy Burns’ sharp break almost created a try for Cooney, before Adam Byrne’s surge into the Ulster 22 was spoiled by the fast-thinking Timoney.
Cooney missed a long-range penalty on the stroke of half-time, but Leinster continued to fall foul of referee Frank Murphy’s whistle.
Although the 11th penalty against the hosts was turned into three points by Cooney, Leinster soon found some much-needed rhythm.
Despite a loose pass from Luke McGrath, Henshaw picked it up off his bootlaces to evade Eric O’Sullivan and score from a few metres out. Ross Byrne converted.
Ulster knocked on at a maul just a few metres out, before Hume, the eventual URC player-of-the-match, did well to cover a dangerous kick from Larmour.
A strong spell of Leinster carrying teed up Byrne to kick them level, but a confident Doak split the posts with aplomb to punish a Max Deegan maul infringement.
Handling errors continued to frustrate Leinster, and instead, with two minutes remaining, it was Hume who gobbled up a Tommy O’Brien pass on halfway and raced clear for Doak to convert.
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I didn't mean to sound down on Dmac. Just looking hard at the bench sub's role of providing impact. I don't think he can do that at 15, and the bench is not really about injury cover anymore (you need to maximise it's use more than that).
He's my first choice of any New Zealander for the 10 jersey with the All Blacks.
Go to commentsAgreed. And I don't have much more to say on it, but I had been having one thought that sprang to mind at the tail of this discussion, and that is that it's not all about Razor.
It's not about any coach being "right". I think a lot of selections can become defense and while it doesn't really apply here I really enjoyed that Andy Farrell just gave into the public demands and changed out his team for the change that had been asked for. Like why not? This is the countries team, keep them engaged. The whole reason i've only just finished watching the game was because I wasn't interested in watching any of the selected players against a team like Italy (still actually enjoyed the first half with the contest Italy made of it).
Faz leap frogs a younger half back into start. He hands the golden child the game over July's golden child. He gives an old winger a go, a new flanker and hooker. None of them really did any good, certainly not enough to suggest they should have been promoted above others, but who cares? You won, and you gave the country what they wanted, that's all that matters after all. It's for the country, not the one in charge who thinks they have to have their own pied piper tune playing.
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