Leinster to face Bulls in United Rugby Championship final
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - European Champions Cup - Quarter Final - Leicester Tigers v Leinster - Welford Road Stadium, Leicester, Britain - May 7, 2022 Leinster's Ross Molony celebrates after the match with Joe McCarthy Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes/File photo
Irish side Leinster will face the Bulls from South Africa in the United Rugby Championship final at Croke Park in Dublin on June 14 after both recorded home semi-final victories on Saturday.
Leinster defeated defending champions Glasgow Warriors 37-19 at the Aviva Stadium, while the Pretoria-based Bulls beat compatriots the Sharks from Durban 25-13 in front of 47,000 spectators at Loftus Versfeld.
Hooker Dan Sheehan and fullback Jamie Osborne scored two tries each for record eight-times winners Leinster as they feature in the final of the competition for the first time since 2021.
Leinster led when Sheehan crossed for the first score and they raced into a 25-5 halftime lead against their outmuscled opponents. Replacement flyhalf Ciaran Frawley and prop Tom Clarkson also crossed for tries.
The only negative for coach Leo Cullen will have been the form off the tee of number 10 Sam Prendergast, who missed several simple kicks at goal.
"It’s making sure we have a great week now and get excited about putting on another performance, showing what it means to play for Leinster," Cullen told reporters.
"Can they (his players) play their best every week? Listen, they’re not robots. There is an opposition that is fully motivated as well. It’s about dusting ourselves off now, it was a very physical game and I’m sure the (final) will be too."
The Bulls will play their third final in four seasons, but lost on both previous occasions to Stormers in 2022 and Glasgow.
They scored three tries against the Sharks through wings Sebastian de Klerk and Canan Moodie, and centre Dan Kriel.
"I am proud with the way we defended, we were under the pump and sometimes you need those moments to get into the game," Bulls coach Jake White said.
"It is a third final in four years and hopefully we can learn from the mistakes we made in the other. We play really well away from home."
