Ulster v Leinster

:00:19. > :00:22.Last year, the Ospreys became the most successful side in the history

:00:22. > :00:26.of the Pro12 when they took this trophy at this very ground. They are

:00:26. > :00:30.not here to defend their title this year having failed to make the

:00:30. > :00:35.knockout stages. Wales may be the six Nations champions and the

:00:35. > :00:43.dominant force in the Lions squad but no matter what happens here

:00:43. > :00:50.today, this trophy will end up in Irish hands. Tommy Bowe takes Ulster

:00:50. > :01:00.to the final. Ulster have beaten the Scarlets at Ravenhill. It is all set

:01:00. > :01:10.

:01:10. > :01:19.is straight through. Tommy Bowe slips through. And he keeps on

:01:19. > :01:29.scoring tries. And Tommy Bowe adds yet another try. Unstoppable.They

:01:29. > :01:35.

:01:35. > :01:45.have beaten Stade Francais. They are need them. It is Ian Madigan for

:01:45. > :01:51.

:01:51. > :01:58.leave European champions Leinster this summer. Lovely play. What a

:01:59. > :02:07.superb bit of work. Ruan Pienaar for Ulster. It is all set for an all

:02:07. > :02:10.Irish showdown in Dublin. Yes, it is an all Irish affair. These two teams

:02:10. > :02:15.finished in second and first place but only one can be crowned

:02:15. > :02:20.champions. It is Ulster versus Leinster. And it really is a

:02:20. > :02:28.carnival atmosphere in Dublin today. 18,000 fans. Plenty of players with

:02:28. > :02:33.points to prove. Jamie Heaslip looking to enhance his Lions

:02:33. > :02:37.credentials. Five Lions playing in blue today. And an emotional day.

:02:37. > :02:44.Joe Schmidt playing for Leinster for the final time. Isa Nacewa also

:02:44. > :02:51.leaving the club. Tommy Bowe also looking to make a mark this evening.

:02:51. > :02:56.Good evening and welcome to the RDS. It is drenched in sunshine. As we

:02:56. > :03:01.said, it is technically a home tie for Ulster. But it is Leinster's

:03:01. > :03:06.home ground. Who are the favourites? It is difficult. These are the two

:03:06. > :03:09.best teams in the league. I would say at home, at the RDS, you would

:03:09. > :03:15.make Leinster favourites. And they also know what it is like to win a

:03:15. > :03:20.trophy. Ulster have not quite got over the final hurdle yet. They have

:03:20. > :03:29.the edge. I would just tip Leinster as favourites. The final hurdle,

:03:30. > :03:33.Leinster beat Ulster in the Heineken Cup final. There is a suggestion

:03:33. > :03:39.that Ulster had a European cup hangover. Might history repeat

:03:39. > :03:42.itself? You have to stop Leinster in the first 15 minutes. I was your

:03:42. > :03:52.last Friday and a blue Stade Francais away in those first ten

:03:52. > :03:55.

:03:55. > :03:57.minutes. In all honesty, the occasion is just too much. All the

:03:57. > :04:03.players leaving, I think Leinster will have a little bit too much

:04:03. > :04:07.today. This isn't just a Pro12 final, it is an unofficial Lions

:04:07. > :04:17.trial. There are six Lions on display tonight looking to catch

:04:17. > :04:17.

:04:17. > :05:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:05:16. > :05:26.It really is a fantastic atmosphere at the RDS. My 90,000 fans from each

:05:26. > :05:27.

:05:27. > :05:32.team here. -- 9000. Tommy Bowe is looking great. He is a big game

:05:32. > :05:37.player and he will love this atmosphere today. He has scored five

:05:37. > :05:44.tries in seven starts in the league this season. The record Pro12 try

:05:44. > :05:50.scorer. But he is a marked man and Leinster will know him very well.

:05:50. > :05:54.They will need to use him as a decoy as well is ball-carrier. He will

:05:54. > :05:59.have a point to prove tonight. Talking of talisman for Leinster,

:05:59. > :06:07.another one in the back row, Nick Williams. A potential matchwinner

:06:07. > :06:10.tonight. Yes, he really is a huge cog in the machine. He carries the

:06:10. > :06:19.rugby ball sometimes like a tennis ball and offload at every

:06:19. > :06:25.opportunity. He has got himself fit and has been a great player this

:06:25. > :06:31.season. Plenty of Lions players in blue this evening. Sean O'Brien is

:06:31. > :06:41.injured. But you have been keeping an eye on a genuine Lions contender,

:06:41. > :06:41.

:06:41. > :06:48.Rob Kearney. Yes, only six Pro12 starts. Or some under the high ball

:06:48. > :06:52.and he is a left footed option. Great on the counterattack. Of late,

:06:52. > :06:59.he has been coming on the inside ball, off Jonathan Sexton and Brian

:06:59. > :07:07.O'Driscoll and he scores tries. another big player for Leinster,

:07:07. > :07:10.Cian Healy. The outside -- in outstanding form of late. It will be

:07:11. > :07:14.some battle between him and Gethin Jenkins. He was on the bench last

:07:14. > :07:21.weekend against Stade Francais. He came on in the last 20 minutes and

:07:22. > :07:31.he was like a man possessed. Nine times out of ten, it takes a couple

:07:32. > :07:47.

:07:47. > :07:53.of players to pull him down. But he today? It is not at all yet. It is

:07:53. > :07:56.very much trying to be as pragmatic as I can be. Trying to being

:07:56. > :08:06.systematic. And make sure that the players are best prepared. It is a

:08:06. > :08:07.

:08:07. > :08:11.lot less about me than it is about the 15 guys starting the game.

:08:11. > :08:17.at the RDS, is it any advantage to you? I think it will be very

:08:17. > :08:26.segregated. Any perceived home advantage is going to be raucously

:08:26. > :08:36.drowned out. I think it will add to what will be a pretty special

:08:36. > :08:45.

:08:45. > :08:50.Ulster, particularly in the wake of the tragedy for Nevin Spence.

:08:50. > :08:53.it was a tough way to start the year. He was a young man with a

:08:53. > :08:58.future in front of him. It was tough at the start of the year but it

:08:58. > :09:04.brought the guys in together and they comforted each other. We wanted

:09:04. > :09:08.to do justice to his memory. And to his family and do him proud. All

:09:08. > :09:14.year, we have been trying to do that and today, it gives us an

:09:14. > :09:21.opportunity to finally put a mark in the ground about where we are.

:09:21. > :09:26.an emotional night for more reasons than just one. We can now go to the

:09:26. > :09:33.touchline. Yes, the atmosphere here is

:09:34. > :09:40.absolutely fantastic. 9000 tickets to Ulster, 9002 Leinster. Each side

:09:40. > :09:45.of the ground is dominated by the supporters. Conditions are perfect.

:09:45. > :09:55.It is a bit of a stiff wind blowing from right to left.

:09:55. > :09:56.

:09:56. > :09:59.An emotional day for Joe Schmidt. And Brian O'Driscoll. He is up there

:09:59. > :10:04.with the greats of the game as Ireland's greatest players. Is he

:10:04. > :10:09.the greatest ever? Certainly the greatest I have played with. Very

:10:09. > :10:17.hard to compare like with like in different eras but the effect he has

:10:17. > :10:25.had on rugby in Ireland and internationally, we all know what he

:10:25. > :10:30.can do a skill wise, sidestepping, the complete player. For a guy that

:10:30. > :10:36.size in this day and age and still be so pivotal in the top end of the

:10:36. > :10:46.game is amazing. Some breaking news. Dylan Hartley, the England

:10:46. > :10:50.hooker in the Lions squad, has been sent off at Twickenham. Where does

:10:50. > :10:59.that bring Rory Best in? You could be the next in line. I think most of

:10:59. > :11:03.us would have had him in the squad. He has had to take a lot of the

:11:03. > :11:11.flak, I guess, for the Ireland line-out malfunctioning in the six

:11:11. > :11:15.Nations. I think if there is to be a call-up, if Dylan Hartley is to be

:11:15. > :11:19.banned and unable to travel, I think we are very lucky to have the likes

:11:19. > :11:27.of Rory Best to be able to step in and I think he deserves to be on

:11:27. > :11:30.that flight. Yes, as if we don't have enough to play for already.

:11:30. > :11:36.Yes, very interesting news. We talked earlier about how both teams

:11:36. > :11:39.had very attacking back lines. But to win finals, you need a man to

:11:39. > :11:45.manage the game and in Jonathan Sexton and Ruan Pienaar, these teams

:11:45. > :11:49.have two of the best in the northern hemisphere. Yes, Ruan Pienaar always

:11:49. > :11:55.seems to have time on the ball and never seems to make a bad decision.

:11:55. > :11:58.He does the right thing at the right time. Very composed. We'll be

:11:58. > :12:03.looking for him to move to number ten later in the game. He the

:12:03. > :12:08.strings in this side. Jonathan Sexton, a similar talisman for

:12:08. > :12:13.Leinster. Yes, for a long time, Leinster were looking for a

:12:13. > :12:18.controlling number ten, and this is one from within the ranks. He is

:12:18. > :12:22.maturing and has grown in stature. Much like Dan Biggar. But he is the

:12:22. > :12:28.consummate professional. He kicks very well. He brings those guys into

:12:28. > :12:38.play. Jonathan Sexton, shame that Leinster as losing him. Racing Metro

:12:38. > :12:48.have the complete player. The teams are on their way out, about to come

:12:48. > :12:57.

:12:57. > :13:05.out. We can cross to Lama -- to our the ground. A perfect day for a

:13:05. > :13:08.grand finale to the season. It is an absolutely amazing atmosphere. You

:13:08. > :13:16.have the big stadiums and they are great but there is something really

:13:16. > :13:22.special about this smaller old-fashioned stage. It is supposed

:13:22. > :13:28.to be a home game for Leinster. But let me tell you, the noise has been

:13:28. > :13:36.absolutely incredible from the Ulster fans. Yes, there was a

:13:36. > :13:40.thought that maybe moving it down the road and getting 30,000 in in a

:13:40. > :13:47.50,000 stadium, but this is just right. Yes, I think they would have

:13:47. > :13:52.filled it. But I am really looking forward to this game. With what

:13:52. > :13:57.Ulster have gone through this year, with Nevin Spence and everything,

:13:57. > :14:01.they failed in their big bid for the Heineken Cup. Also Leinster have

:14:01. > :14:06.dipped a little bit but came back to win the Amlin Challenge Cup. This is

:14:06. > :14:16.a massive, massive end of season game. The two best sides in the pro

:14:16. > :14:17.

:14:17. > :14:20.12 are here today. -- Pro12. I am really looking forward to this game.

:14:21. > :14:27.The two inform teams, without a shadow of a doubt. Ulster made just

:14:27. > :14:33.one change from the play-offs. John Afoa comes in on the tighthead. Nick

:14:33. > :14:42.Williams, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack, so effective in the back row.

:14:42. > :14:48.And behind, they have Ruan Pienaar, and what a back three, Tommy Bowe

:14:48. > :14:52.and Andrew Trimble. They have tries in them all season. Leinster have an

:14:52. > :15:00.international in every position in that pack. Leo Cullen, the quiet

:15:00. > :15:06.man, always leads by example. It is a star-studded line-up. And Jonathan

:15:06. > :15:10.Sexton and Brian O'Driscoll recovered from his back injury. And

:15:10. > :15:20.that is a fantastic back three with the likes of Rob Kearney and Isa

:15:20. > :15:32.

:15:32. > :15:38.Nacewa, playing his last game Irishman in charge, John Lacey, the

:15:38. > :15:43.referee this afternoon. We have had the drums, we have had the

:15:43. > :15:53.fireworks, we have had a flag-waving. It is only the rugby to

:15:53. > :15:58.

:15:58. > :16:01.go, and what a mouthwatering will get things under way. He needs

:16:02. > :16:11.to show authority now and ooze confidence, which will go through

:16:12. > :16:46.

:16:46. > :16:50.his side. Diack gets the first Ulster try and slow it down, but

:16:50. > :16:58.even in the first minute, the teams are showing an intent to playwright

:16:58. > :17:05.B. Yes, and it is a lovely day, but it is very blustery. I am not really

:17:05. > :17:09.sure which side has the advantage of the elements in the first half.

:17:09. > :17:14.Looking at the flags, they seem to be blowing everywhere, so it could

:17:14. > :17:20.be a crucial part of the seedings. That was a great day. We saw that in

:17:20. > :17:25.last year's play-off final, and it took Dan Biggar's touchline

:17:25. > :17:35.conversion at the end to steal the win for the Ospreys. That just shows

:17:35. > :17:36.

:17:36. > :17:43.how crucial discipline will be today, because that was their own

:17:43. > :17:53.halfway line, they are now defending. The wind is definitely

:17:53. > :18:02.

:18:02. > :18:12.Henry will feel a bit aggrieved that is robbing powers were the cause.

:18:12. > :18:19.

:18:19. > :18:29.But it has gone against Tom Court, It shows intent. They want tries.

:18:29. > :18:39.

:18:40. > :18:49.They want to put a bit of distance try-line... Try!Very well worked

:18:50. > :18:56.

:18:56. > :19:02.indeed by Leinster, so clever. for the corner a couple of times,

:19:02. > :19:07.and they are awarded with a try right at the very beginning. Well,

:19:07. > :19:13.it is a good catch first of all, they try to put them all down, but

:19:13. > :19:18.the drive is very, very powerful and purposeful. There we are, a great

:19:18. > :19:24.catch by Cullen. They go in, they stay on their feet, they rolled to

:19:24. > :19:28.the front, the ball is in the back of the maul, total control. Shane

:19:28. > :19:34.Jennings gets the early score, but it was a great effort by the whole

:19:34. > :19:39.pack. I think they will be worried about that as well, because it was

:19:39. > :19:49.so, so easy, far too easy. The Ulster management will not be happy

:19:49. > :20:16.

:20:16. > :20:22.superb conversion. Right into the Ulster end, where it is the blue

:20:22. > :20:30.flags at the far end that offline, 7-0 is Leinster's lead. Paul

:20:30. > :20:33.Wallace, what did you make of that start? That was evident, their

:20:33. > :20:40.confidence. They are so methodical, so professional, they are a

:20:40. > :20:45.confident side who have won three, a more structured outfit with

:20:45. > :20:52.experience of playing big games. Also are looking a bit unsettled.

:20:52. > :21:02.Back to you, Gareth! With all the penalties early doors going

:21:02. > :21:02.

:21:02. > :21:11.Leinster's way. Yes, their egos, have a word. -- there egos. Number

:21:11. > :21:15.four was offside, he was saying, you were offside. Johann Muller will

:21:15. > :21:25.have a bit to think about in the early stages of this one. Cosby

:21:25. > :21:31.

:21:31. > :21:36.momentum is very much with here in the commentary point, and

:21:36. > :21:41.that was a perfect drive over from Leinster. Yes, it was, they have got

:21:41. > :21:47.the wind, quite a strong wind with them, so no need to panic for

:21:47. > :21:54.Ulster, but that is what Leinster do so well, score quickly, and you find

:21:54. > :22:02.yourself far behind. The approach is that they do not want to be chasing

:22:02. > :22:08.it. Sexton, or Madigan this time is the receiver. Same result again.

:22:08. > :22:12.Every single breakdown has resulted in an Ulster penalty. Well, he has

:22:12. > :22:22.to give him a warning now. The last three rucks or mauls have been a

:22:22. > :22:25.

:22:25. > :22:29.penalty. Official warning...There release before going for the ball,

:22:29. > :22:39.John Lacey saying there was no release. I would like to see a

:22:39. > :22:45.

:22:45. > :22:53.replay of that. With the naked eye, call. It must be so difficult, as a

:22:53. > :22:59.number seven. Another referee, you would get away with that. It is

:22:59. > :23:02.against your instinct, isn't it? Ulster boys have been warned three

:23:02. > :23:10.times, stay away from it, do not give the referee a decision to make

:23:10. > :23:20.this a Lyon. But there is a balance, you do not want to give them, a side

:23:20. > :23:40.

:23:40. > :23:50.Sexton, and Leinster's perfect start, double figures within eight

:23:50. > :23:50.

:23:50. > :24:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:24:41. > :24:47.together, and it was the man from Leinster who got the important touch

:24:47. > :24:57.at the expense of conceding a five metre scrum. Well, they needed at

:24:57. > :25:04.

:25:04. > :25:14.Jackson. Good cover, very good cover by Boss. A big first scrum, this

:25:14. > :25:14.

:25:14. > :26:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:26:06. > :26:10.will be key. As good as Cian Healy Pienaar there, very good play. He

:26:10. > :26:16.delayed the ball going in there, and he just spoke to the referee and

:26:16. > :26:26.said, I cannot put the ball in, he is coming far too low. He could have

:26:26. > :26:51.

:26:51. > :26:55.easily been penalised, that is very do they go again? I am no captain! I

:26:55. > :27:00.would take the points, I would take the points. You need to get on the

:27:00. > :27:06.board against Leinster. If you let them get too far ahead... The scrum

:27:07. > :27:10.is a lottery, they will not have many opportunities to dominate.

:27:10. > :27:20.think that decision has been made because it is a very tough kick

:27:20. > :27:33.

:27:33. > :27:40.against a strong wind, it is a wrong. Cian Healy is in all sorts of

:27:40. > :27:50.problems. I would take that one back! I think the next decision will

:27:50. > :27:52.

:27:52. > :27:59.be a lot easier, to be honest! was some scrum. Interesting, the

:27:59. > :28:04.difference, four stone. Most sites these days are pretty similar. Big

:28:04. > :28:14.men behind the Ulster second row. do not see how they could penalised

:28:14. > :28:35.

:28:35. > :28:41.Play on, says the referee. That is a I do not think anyone in red will

:28:41. > :28:46.feel that that is justice in any shape or form. -- let - off. Without

:28:46. > :28:53.a shadow of a doubt, that is a penalty try. You cannot say play

:28:53. > :29:03.it, the scrum has gone down. He has not got to play its there. Ely has

:29:03. > :29:06.

:29:06. > :29:16.all sorts of problems. Definite This lineout is taking place on

:29:16. > :29:26.

:29:26. > :29:36.Leinster's 22. I wonder where Rory beforehand, he was carrying the can

:29:36. > :29:58.

:29:58. > :30:08.for some of the Ireland's woes in efforts of McFadden, the touch

:30:08. > :30:17.

:30:17. > :30:23.the far side. What does he make of things? Rob Kearney injured very

:30:23. > :30:30.late in the warmup. None of us were informed of it. Leinster are

:30:30. > :30:37.remaining very tightlipped about it. Maybe it is sensitive because he in

:30:37. > :30:41.the Lions squad. Paul Wallace, is it surprising that they are keeping

:30:41. > :30:45.tightlipped? I think bringing in Andrew Conway, he has been in great

:30:45. > :30:51.form at the moment but Rob Kearney is a loss. He is such an experienced

:30:51. > :30:55.player. From a Leinster perspective at the moment, they are very

:30:55. > :31:03.controlled but lucky to get away without a penalty try in the scrum

:31:03. > :31:08.earlier on. John Afoa is really putting Cian Healy under the cosh.

:31:08. > :31:18.Yes, a former Lions prop calling it exactly the same as Jonathan.

:31:18. > :31:43.

:31:43. > :31:53.is far more educated than I am in Ruan Pienaar under all kinds of

:31:53. > :32:00.pressure, initially from Isaac Boss. And then the rest of the back row.

:32:00. > :32:10.At least he is consistent, that's the thing. Very difficult ball for

:32:10. > :32:14.

:32:15. > :32:24.Ruan Pienaar to take there. The one back on John Afoa. He won the

:32:25. > :32:31.head, which makes such a difference in the modern game. Yes, they are

:32:31. > :32:33.trying to take that away in the laws for next season. It is very

:32:33. > :32:37.difficult to see if it would be successful because we thought this

:32:37. > :32:47.would be more successful and it has not been. I'm sure that the coaches

:32:47. > :32:47.

:32:48. > :32:51.will manipulate it again in their favour. And just an indication of

:32:51. > :32:58.the atmosphere. Rory Best cannot hear the calls. He has lost a couple

:32:58. > :33:05.of throw ins. That one found band to Wii. Here comes Tommy Bowe,

:33:05. > :33:15.brilliant. Jackson, a big hit from Isa Nacewa and it needed to be. That

:33:15. > :33:20.is a great pass. He hasn't got the ball down. He was over the try line

:33:20. > :33:24.but has he got it down now? Will that be awarded? That could have

:33:24. > :33:34.been a gilt-edged opportunity thrown away. I thought the whistle had gone

:33:34. > :33:44.before he put the ball down. costly could that be? He needed to

:33:44. > :33:45.

:33:45. > :33:55.slide in. It is great play. Tommy Bowe, here he comes. Cuts inside,

:33:55. > :33:55.

:33:55. > :34:01.great support play and then they go down to ground, go low! Why did he

:34:02. > :34:11.go high? You have to go low. There is no need to step inside at all.

:34:12. > :34:14.

:34:14. > :34:19.That could come back to haunt them. It was a great ball. Darren Cave did

:34:19. > :34:27.exceptionally well. He held the defence. You just cannot squander

:34:27. > :34:33.those chances. Well, the Ulster management bench directly in front

:34:34. > :34:43.of us in the commentary point worth apoplectic that Robbie Diack did not

:34:44. > :34:48.

:34:48. > :34:58.Ulster but there is still that big C Rowe on their half of the

:34:58. > :35:03.

:35:04. > :35:10.scoreboard. They should have been in time. Good protection, Chris Henry.

:35:11. > :35:17.A couple of metres short. Diving in, surely. But they get away with it.

:35:17. > :35:21.The ball comes back. Rory Best. Good continuity from Nick Williams.

:35:21. > :35:26.defensive line is very strong, Leinster. They reorganised so

:35:26. > :35:30.quickly. And they have won the penalty and a chance to clear. And

:35:30. > :35:39.again, Ulster come out of it empty-handed. Isaac pass, very good

:35:39. > :35:49.in the tackle area. -- Isaac Boss. That is a big one to win and in the

:35:49. > :36:00.

:36:00. > :36:04.defence must be growing all the time. I thought he would have gone

:36:04. > :36:14.the other way because the wind is definitely favouring Leinster. But

:36:14. > :36:27.

:36:27. > :36:33.actually going towards the opposite injuries this season. That is a

:36:34. > :36:43.great take. Devin Toner. Needing all of his six foot 11 to get hold of

:36:44. > :36:44.

:36:44. > :36:50.that one. Brilliant, space for Andrew Conway. Safety first, quite

:36:50. > :36:58.sensibly, from Jared Payne. That is very good play. It is very difficult

:36:58. > :37:04.to pick up the Lakeland. Isa Nacewa comes on a late run. They make it

:37:04. > :37:14.look so easy. So innovative. It is never the same thing. Always

:37:14. > :37:33.

:37:33. > :37:36.knock on. They will have to settle for a clean catch. Sometimes you

:37:36. > :37:40.have to ride your luck a little bit and sometimes you feel the bounds of

:37:40. > :37:47.the ball goes against you. I certainly think that is the case now

:37:47. > :37:57.with Ulster. They are just not having the run of the ball. That is

:37:57. > :38:04.

:38:04. > :38:14.Leinster at the moment. A very good kick by Paddy Jackson. He looks

:38:14. > :38:25.

:38:25. > :38:35.far in the line-out. Leinster winning easy ball. It is too easy

:38:35. > :38:49.

:38:49. > :38:58.it opens up for Jonathan Sexton. Well played, Andrew Trimble. He

:38:58. > :39:03.really got over the ball very well indeed. I just think you see a lot

:39:03. > :39:10.of back swinging turnovers now. And that is because they are naturally

:39:10. > :39:13.quicker than me/ they are and sharper. And if you look at where

:39:13. > :39:23.Trimble has come from, he has come from behind the ruck. It is

:39:23. > :39:25.

:39:25. > :39:30.board though, Ulster. All the pressure they have had, they need

:39:30. > :39:35.something on the board. Those ten points came in the opening eight

:39:35. > :39:39.minutes. Since then, it has all been in Leinster's half. I have to say

:39:39. > :39:43.that looking at it, Ulster should be in front. The penalty try is one

:39:43. > :39:53.thing and then how they bombed that great play and the overlap with

:39:53. > :40:07.

:40:07. > :40:17.Robbie Diack. Johann Muller takes The communication defensively has

:40:17. > :40:31.

:40:31. > :40:35.away straight in front of the John Afoa is getting his right

:40:36. > :40:45.hamstring taped up and he has just come back from injury. He is a big

:40:46. > :41:00.

:41:00. > :41:05.Ulster. What a contribution he's made. Yes, good player. It doesn't

:41:05. > :41:15.matter how big you are, look at John Afoa, if you're hamstring goes, you

:41:15. > :41:24.

:41:24. > :41:31.either side and at long last, Ulster have their first points in the

:41:31. > :41:36.play-off final. Jonathan Sexton is struggling as well. He has had a

:41:36. > :41:46.fair bit of treatment in the last five minutes. I think he fell

:41:46. > :42:05.

:42:05. > :42:09.with some points on the board. Andrew Conway doing his level best

:42:09. > :42:19.to get on the end of it but it was too firmly struck by Jonathan

:42:19. > :42:25.Sexton. Yes, and a little Nicol, a lack of concentration. This will

:42:25. > :42:31.test his hamstring. He doesn't look 100% for me. I think Fitzpatrick

:42:31. > :42:39.will be starting to warm up soon. Yes. He didn't actually sprint to

:42:39. > :42:49.that scrum, did he? Yes, maybe he has been carrying it for the last

:42:49. > :42:59.

:42:59. > :43:09.REFEREE: Just wait. Put your head where it is

:43:09. > :43:29.

:43:29. > :43:38.A change of direction. Bringing in Stuart Olding, one of the Irish

:43:38. > :43:48.under 20 stars. Stopped in his tracks. He only just got hold of the

:43:48. > :43:50.

:43:50. > :44:00.ball. Richard Stroh is absolutely flattened by Rory Best. I'm not sure

:44:00. > :44:07.

:44:07. > :44:12.he knows quite where he is. -- up and at them again. And he is

:44:12. > :44:22.fighting for that one and he has won a penalty for his team. Fair play to

:44:22. > :44:46.

:44:46. > :44:50.him. He can have a breather now and That is nasty. But he got up.

:44:50. > :44:55.then he put his head straight back in there. Very good in the contact

:44:56. > :45:05.area, Leinster. Very smart, very streetwise. They win a lot of

:45:06. > :45:10.

:45:10. > :45:15.penalties there. That was a shot of the coaching team for Leinster. His

:45:15. > :45:22.last game in charge before taking charge of Ireland, 99 games in

:45:22. > :45:25.charge, they have only lost 19 of them. I wonder how close he was to

:45:25. > :45:31.the coaching staff of the Lions. couldn't have been far away, his

:45:31. > :45:35.record speaks for himself. As a player, you sit back and enjoy it.

:45:35. > :45:44.The way they play, the skills, how innovative the, he has done a great

:45:44. > :45:48.job. That will be a worry now for Kearney, because Warren Gatland has

:45:48. > :45:56.said, anything longer than a two-week injury, you are doubtful to

:45:56. > :46:00.take, so a hamstring is nasty. Lions get together again tomorrow in

:46:00. > :46:05.London, a dinner tomorrow night before they head off on the plane on

:46:05. > :46:15.Monday evening, down to Australia. They have had the weekend off after

:46:15. > :46:19.

:46:19. > :46:29.a weekend training in Dublin, just outside Dublin. Who would replace

:46:29. > :46:29.

:46:29. > :46:35.Rob Carney? Lieben has been playing be a yellow card as well. He is

:46:35. > :46:45.lucky not to get carded there. is an official warning, it should be

:46:45. > :46:50.

:46:51. > :47:00.a yellow card. That is normally a clever but... ! Very sneaky and

:47:01. > :47:09.

:47:09. > :47:16.silly. No intent is there, no going off. -- who go. Sean Cronin is

:47:16. > :47:26.coming on, 26 caps for Ireland. A couple of stitches in there, you

:47:26. > :47:26.

:47:26. > :48:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:48:12. > :48:22.never know. Call for the smelling isn't it? The restart and a cake. --

:48:22. > :48:31.

:48:31. > :48:41.7-point gap between the teams. A good early start by Leinster, so

:48:41. > :49:07.

:49:07. > :49:12.affective. Shane Jennings was the defence was there, both claiming he

:49:12. > :49:22.was taken before he had the ball. A close run thing. You cannot take

:49:22. > :49:26.

:49:26. > :49:36.your eyes off this, something is that is unlikely! He read it well,

:49:36. > :49:41.

:49:41. > :49:47.Trimble. Toner's heart was in his Leinster. Here is the turnover, I

:49:47. > :49:50.think. So impressive with Leinster, even though they were turned over,

:49:50. > :49:56.they were still organised in defence, fair play to them, two

:49:56. > :50:03.passes, the line is still there, really difficult to break down.

:50:03. > :50:07.again, it is a prop creating the overlap. Trimble came in, committed

:50:07. > :50:17.himself. Conway was free, but equally so Trimble managed to keep

:50:17. > :50:47.

:50:47. > :50:54.for Shane Jennings taking him before Court... Good play by Boss, similar

:50:54. > :50:59.to Pienaar earlier. With half-time approaching and the use of the wind

:50:59. > :51:04.getting less and less, Leinster are desperate to get points on the

:51:04. > :51:09.board. They have not had any ball or field position, to be honest. They

:51:09. > :51:19.are just going to make a few points, aren't they? Try and make a few

:51:19. > :51:30.

:51:30. > :51:39.territory. But they have only come away with three points. And now

:51:39. > :51:47.another chance for Johnny Sexton. He might be a couple of metres in from

:51:47. > :51:57.halfway. His last kick was a bit of a disappointment. You have just got

:51:57. > :52:15.

:52:15. > :52:25.and it has got there! Just enough spare, a distance kick by Johnny

:52:25. > :52:36.

:52:36. > :52:46.Sexton opens up a ten point gap they will be beginning to think

:52:46. > :53:07.

:53:07. > :53:17.cancel out that Sexton penalty. is absolutely ferocious at the

:53:17. > :53:27.breakdown, ferocious. There are some great breakdown exponents, Shane

:53:27. > :53:33.

:53:33. > :53:41.Leinster will be very disappointed to find themselves in the position

:53:41. > :53:51.that they do. Good tackle by O Driscoll on Jared Payne, but Diack

:53:51. > :54:18.

:54:18. > :54:22.try, though, game is still very much touch judges say it is straight as

:54:22. > :54:27.well, and indeed it is just a converted try between them and less

:54:27. > :54:32.than five minutes to go in the first half. Ruan Pienaar successful with

:54:32. > :54:35.his second penalty. They know it is a very strong wind as well. I will

:54:35. > :54:40.be interested to see if John Afoa comes out in the second half, and if

:54:40. > :54:50.he does, he will be a great help if he can just carry on. But he is

:54:50. > :54:50.

:54:50. > :55:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:55:43. > :55:47.blindside. A big passage of play here for Ulster. They have got to

:55:47. > :55:52.try and stop Leinster scoring before half-time. It is a great response

:55:52. > :56:02.after the penalty by Leinster. Patient build-up from Leinster, they

:56:02. > :56:23.

:56:23. > :56:27.Leinster's way. They want more, they want this second try just before the

:56:27. > :56:37.interval. And it will be interesting to see what the decision is from

:56:37. > :56:37.

:56:37. > :56:41.this one. That is a great response, but you have to say that they have

:56:41. > :56:51.done some very clever running, Leinster, some dummy running, taking

:56:51. > :56:55.

:56:55. > :57:05.they were going for the corner, going four tries, now it is the more

:57:05. > :57:15.

:57:16. > :57:19.himself there, because he was an important defender for Ulster. There

:57:19. > :57:25.is a lot of of the ball stuff happening there. The referee, I have

:57:25. > :57:30.to say that, as a neutral, a lot of decisions seem to have favoured

:57:30. > :57:40.Leinster, but hey, you have just got to play the referee, you have to

:57:40. > :58:02.

:58:02. > :58:06.Jonathan Sexton. Even though he is within the 22. As it was for the

:58:06. > :58:10.long-range effort, so it is for the one closer to home, and the result

:58:10. > :58:20.is the same - Leinster gave themselves a little bit more

:58:20. > :58:48.

:58:48. > :58:52.breathing space with the interval the park? Yes they are, Isaac Boss

:58:52. > :58:57.knows they are nearly changing rooms, they can just walk off, and

:58:57. > :59:02.it has been an enthralling first half. Not too much to choose between

:59:02. > :59:07.the teams, Leinster started strongly, pretty strongly. Ulster in

:59:07. > :59:11.the middle... Anyone's game, anyone's game still. The only try of

:59:11. > :59:15.the match, though, coming right at the very start to Shane Jennings

:59:15. > :59:20.after that perfect lineout drive, and a battle of the diggers, and

:59:20. > :59:24.even no Ulster had their chances, they did not take them. -- kickers.

:59:25. > :59:29.They have to rely on two from the boot of Ruan Pienaar, compared to

:59:29. > :59:35.three from Jonathan Sexton. It is very finely balanced indeed, as we

:59:35. > :59:45.would expect between two such close teams. Ulster new Marek six,

:59:45. > :59:47.

:59:47. > :59:52.score is because Williams is being negated all that time? Leinster are

:59:52. > :59:56.very clinical in their scoring, Nick Williams getting across the

:59:56. > :00:01.gain-line, marshalling them so well, the Leinster defence. The one try

:00:01. > :00:04.they should have scored by Diack was when he was a decoy offloading, so

:00:04. > :00:14.maybe they should be using him more intelligently than that to get them

:00:14. > :00:23.

:00:23. > :00:27.all space out wide and using travel with the Lions this week.

:00:28. > :00:33.James Hook playing for the Barbarians tomorrow. I think Lee

:00:33. > :00:36.Byrne has been in superb form. One of the lesser talked about players.

:00:36. > :00:46.I want Rob Kearney to be fit, he is really hitting form at the moment

:00:46. > :00:56.

:00:56. > :01:02.but I think Lee Byrne, as he showed expect that the RDS in Dublin. Huge

:01:02. > :01:07.rivalry between these sides. first half didn't disappoint. It was

:01:07. > :01:13.a perfect start for Leinster. Shane Jennings crashing over from a driven

:01:13. > :01:17.line-out. Jonathan Sexton added a penalty. Robbie Diack was not able

:01:17. > :01:26.to ground the ball for Ulster after crossing the line. And then there

:01:27. > :01:30.was an exchange of penalties. Finely poised, I think you can say. Yes,

:01:30. > :01:34.more finely poised than you would think. As I said at the top of the

:01:34. > :01:38.show, you cannot let Leinster in early on and they scored far too

:01:39. > :01:42.early. To their credit, Ulster have bounced back. They have not taken

:01:42. > :01:47.their chances. Clear-cut chances. Maybe the referee is not giving

:01:47. > :01:52.Ulster a fair crack of whip. It would be interesting to see whether

:01:52. > :01:59.he controls the tackle area in the second half. What's your view point

:01:59. > :02:03.from the commentary box? It is difficult. Both teams build on

:02:03. > :02:07.defending in the contact area, the tackle area. It is such a grey area

:02:07. > :02:11.whether they have released. Sometimes you get away with it. But

:02:11. > :02:18.they do seem to be getting the rub of the green. Ulster have given away

:02:18. > :02:23.some silly penalties in silly areas. It is something they need to look

:02:23. > :02:27.at. Chris Henry lucky not to be yellow carded. You talked about

:02:27. > :02:32.Leinster having to be contained and they did make that perfect start.

:02:32. > :02:38.Yes, I have been really in -- impressed in this first half by

:02:39. > :02:42.Devin Toner. He is making big hits and carrying the ball. They are very

:02:42. > :02:50.dominant. These Irish teams score. And that is way too easy for Shane

:02:50. > :02:54.Jennings. But they remain on their feet and they get bodies in front of

:02:54. > :03:02.the ball carrier and it is far too easy. You cannot give them a ten

:03:02. > :03:08.point Headstart. It all came from a penalty in their own half. He putted

:03:09. > :03:13.five metres from the line. That makes it easy for Leinster.

:03:13. > :03:19.Ulster did wake up then. There was a case for a penalty try. Three strong

:03:19. > :03:24.scrums. But Leinster got out of jail. I think so. This is the second

:03:24. > :03:26.scrum, sorry the third scrum. The ball is in the second row 's feet.

:03:26. > :03:33.They are totally dominant. I hope John Afoa comes out in the second

:03:33. > :03:36.half. Yet again, the referee does not give them the rub of the green.

:03:36. > :03:44.It would have warranted a penalty try and they should have had seven

:03:44. > :03:54.points. Penalty try? Without a shadow of a doubt, if not it is

:03:54. > :03:55.

:03:55. > :04:02.another penalty. And the Robbie Diack incident. A bit of naivete?

:04:02. > :04:06.he should be diving in, three yards from the line. That has really cost

:04:06. > :04:12.Ulster. That is way too late. Some good build-up play by Tommy Bowe. A

:04:12. > :04:20.great pass by Darren Cave. He should be sliding in from five yards out to

:04:20. > :04:28.score. Finely poised, that breakdown battle is crucial. Can you see a few

:04:28. > :04:37.cards being shown? I think he should have been giving a yellow card for

:04:37. > :04:40.Chris Henry, silly play. But they are all slowing the game down. The

:04:40. > :04:50.game is intense, but a bit more free-flowing and you will see some

:04:50. > :04:55.

:04:55. > :05:00.the Lions manager. Things not going as well as you would have hoped.

:05:00. > :05:03.Dylan Hartley has been sent off for Northampton. What is the procedure?

:05:03. > :05:08.I have literally just heard. I am pretty much in the dark. We will

:05:08. > :05:11.obviously have to see what the due process is. But I cannot say

:05:11. > :05:19.anything now. I will have a word with Warren Gatland dandelions board

:05:19. > :05:25.later tonight. Also the injury to Rob Kearney. Not ideal. I was

:05:25. > :05:28.surprised to see him not playing. I have heard that it was just a

:05:28. > :05:33.precautionary move on his part but again, we will have to see after the

:05:33. > :05:40.game what he has got to say. fantastic atmosphere today. As good

:05:40. > :05:45.as I have ever experienced in the Pro12. It is a fantastic little

:05:45. > :05:50.stadium. A passionate, colourful scene. It really is high tempo up

:05:50. > :05:54.there and a great atmosphere. you see the game going in the second

:05:54. > :05:58.half? Ulster have played pretty well into this win. It will be

:05:59. > :06:03.interesting to see if they kick more. They have had a lot of the

:06:03. > :06:05.ball into the wind and it is a strong wind. I will be very

:06:05. > :06:11.surprised if they don't kick a couple of goals in the second half.

:06:11. > :06:16.It is all to play for. Ulster certainly have the wind advantage to

:06:16. > :06:21.come. Back to the Lions, you were a great tourist yourself, how are you

:06:21. > :06:26.looking forward to the management job? We are all really buzzing. We

:06:26. > :06:31.have had a couple of good weeks in training in the Vale of Glamorgan.

:06:31. > :06:34.The boys are buzzing and we cannot wait to get on that plane. I will be

:06:34. > :06:41.there. I won't tell you how much I paid for my tickets so make sure it

:06:41. > :06:46.is a good one. We don't need any excuse to get our test 15 is out

:06:46. > :06:53.again. We have asked you to pick yours again. Let's have a look at

:06:53. > :06:59.yours first. I have changed mine so many times in the last eight weeks.

:06:59. > :07:06.It is Welsh bias, I will admit that. But if they are 50-50 calls, Warren

:07:06. > :07:10.Gatland will go with the players he knows. The back row is difficult.

:07:10. > :07:14.What I will say is we all picked our sides now but there are six games

:07:14. > :07:22.before the first test. It will change over the next couple of

:07:22. > :07:25.weeks. We can't talk about this being a potential trial, that there

:07:25. > :07:35.are six provincial games, seven including the Barbarians. Let's have

:07:35. > :07:38.

:07:38. > :07:42.a look at your team. Yes, I am a big Justin Tipuric fan. I think Toby

:07:42. > :07:46.Faletau was the form number eight in the Six Nations. I have gone for

:07:46. > :07:51.Cian Healy, maybe a little bit more in terms of a powerful ball-carrier

:07:51. > :07:58.with Gethin Jenkins to come on. And I have gone for too loudly. I think

:07:58. > :08:04.he's a real handful. Alongside the experience of Brian O'Driscoll, I

:08:04. > :08:09.think it may pay dividends. If Rob Kearney is ruled out, who would you

:08:09. > :08:15.go for as his replacement? It is very yearly to say. I think he will

:08:15. > :08:18.be fit. If it is a 50-50 call, I think you will go. Lee Byrne has

:08:18. > :08:26.been outstanding this season. The coaching staff and all about him. I

:08:26. > :08:30.think he would be next on the list. We can talk Wales now as well, they

:08:30. > :08:36.are touring Japan next month. Robin McBryde has picked a fairly

:08:36. > :08:46.inexperienced side, including the likes of Rhys Patchell. Pretorius in

:08:46. > :08:49.

:08:49. > :08:53.the forwards. A very inexperienced side. Bradley Davies as captain.

:08:53. > :08:56.That is a fantastic honour for Bradley Davies. He is a

:08:56. > :09:00.larger-than-life character. With it being such a young squad, it will be

:09:00. > :09:07.easier for him to step up and captain the side. He is probably the

:09:07. > :09:16.most experienced there. Good luck to him. He deserves it. Are you

:09:16. > :09:19.concerned that the slight lack of experience? Japan will be building

:09:19. > :09:24.for the World Cup and they will be looking for a scalp. But it is good

:09:24. > :09:29.to see some development in there. Rhys Patchell, Ashley Beck getting

:09:29. > :09:32.more exposure. But I am looking forward to seeing James King. He has

:09:32. > :09:40.had a fine season for the Ospreys. It is nice to see some of these

:09:40. > :09:48.players getting a chance. You can follow the tour on BBC Wales and S4

:09:48. > :09:55.see. But you will have two set the alarm. There are the details on

:09:55. > :09:59.screen. The Lions tour as well, we will be following everything on BBC

:09:59. > :10:04.Wales. Plenty of coverage. Regular updates throughout and over the next

:10:04. > :10:09.seven weeks. Back to today's game and a minute

:10:09. > :10:12.until the second half kicks off. Where do you see this one going?

:10:12. > :10:18.my experience in these finals and games with the big Irish teams, you

:10:18. > :10:21.have two stay in the game. It is still an away game for Ulster but

:10:21. > :10:25.the support is fantastic. It is a shame they gave away those three

:10:25. > :10:29.points at the end. But if they can stay within a score, as the Ospreys

:10:29. > :10:34.have shown in finals, stay within one score, in the last ten minutes,

:10:34. > :10:42.then they have the firepower to score and do it. Will Leinster beat

:10:42. > :10:47.witching a little bit? They have been in this situation before.

:10:47. > :10:51.but they have plenty of experience. They know how to finish these things

:10:51. > :10:54.off in Europe. Ulster cannot rely on the wind. It will be an advantage

:10:54. > :11:01.for them but I think Leinster if anything may be more dangerous into

:11:01. > :11:05.the wind because they will not kick it as much. It is finely poised.

:11:05. > :11:15.Yes, it is finely poised, genuinely exciting here. Time to get back to

:11:15. > :11:41.

:11:41. > :11:48.half is about to kick off. We can return to our commentary team,

:11:48. > :11:52.Jonathan Davies and Gareth Charles. Yes, it is as you are for the two

:11:52. > :11:55.teams. 40 minutes of this season left to decide who will be

:11:55. > :12:03.champions. Leinster in a fourth consecutive play-off final. They

:12:03. > :12:06.have lost all three. Now, they are halfway towards winning one. That

:12:06. > :12:16.was a great restart by Jonathan Sexton. Brilliant restart. It hung

:12:16. > :12:21.

:12:21. > :12:31.up in the wind. Ten points, you know, Leinster, that's a big call.

:12:31. > :12:35.

:12:35. > :12:45.But if they score first, Ulster, kick downfield. Nick Williams having

:12:45. > :12:59.

:12:59. > :13:09.to carry. They do not want to be And she goes. Tom Court gets off on

:13:09. > :13:14.

:13:15. > :13:21.a Trumbull. Basher rumble. Tommy in hand. But again, great defensive

:13:21. > :13:31.work at the breakdown by Leinster. think they are actually winning the

:13:31. > :13:33.

:13:33. > :13:43.breakdown battle. They wanted to take it quickly. But I think Ian

:13:43. > :13:49.

:13:49. > :13:53.Madigan has taken a knock in that his left foot. He doesn't get hurt

:13:53. > :14:03.in the tackle, I think it is when he gets up, he takes a knock to the

:14:03. > :14:27.

:14:27. > :14:37.season. Picked up a couple of Ireland in the Six Nations against

:14:37. > :14:37.

:14:37. > :15:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:15:30. > :15:39.silverware but not a domestic trophy They will play, but they know they

:15:39. > :15:49.have got the insurance of a penalty, and that is very capable.

:15:49. > :15:51.

:15:52. > :16:01.it was a long advantage being played. He never called advantage

:16:02. > :16:18.

:16:18. > :16:22.over. Oh! Big decision.Is it a word feet in the tackle area. They have

:16:22. > :16:28.struggled in the tackle area, haven't they? They have been totally

:16:28. > :16:34.dominated by the Leinster boys. The men in front of us, not very happy.

:16:34. > :16:37.We thought for aim second it might have been a minor Dylan Hartley

:16:37. > :16:42.moment, saying something to the referee after the long hold of the

:16:42. > :16:45.advantage, but it wasn't - it was for the initial offence. There has

:16:45. > :16:55.been repeated offending at the breakdown, the yellow card is

:16:55. > :17:31.

:17:31. > :17:36.Ulster. -- tougher. Down to 14 men left Johnny Sexton's boot. For the

:17:36. > :17:46.first time, the gap goes beyond ten. The one thing about Leinster, they

:17:46. > :18:10.

:18:10. > :18:20.was a spectacular take! He was cycling in midair to get under that

:18:20. > :18:41.

:18:41. > :18:50.off the mark. Oh, great step by Jackson, he is clean through, which

:18:50. > :19:00.way is he going to go?! Dragged back by the throat more less reclamation

:19:00. > :19:03.

:19:03. > :19:07.a red card. If anything, it is a yellow. I would like to have a look

:19:07. > :19:17.at it again, he caught him by the collar. Hang on, the linesman as

:19:17. > :19:34.

:19:34. > :19:38.brilliant break by Jackson. Yes, great break, they should have been

:19:38. > :19:48.support either side of him. If he had had support, they would have

:19:48. > :20:05.

:20:05. > :20:15.way the game is going now, that is a yellow card. Three simple points for

:20:15. > :20:48.

:20:48. > :20:52.Ruan Pienaar, and again, every time again for Leinster, who lost Rob

:20:52. > :21:02.Carney just before kick-off, now temporarily they have lost his

:21:02. > :21:32.

:21:32. > :21:39.wins and a draw, 81 points. Not far behind were Leinster, 17 wins, 78

:21:39. > :21:43.points. Fair play, Glasgow, they gave everybody a run for their

:21:43. > :21:53.money, just tipped in the semifinal, the play-off, 17-15 by

:21:53. > :21:54.

:21:54. > :22:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:22:42. > :22:46.nose of Trimble, that was such a physical final. I will tell

:22:46. > :22:56.you what, though, the Leinster second row carries the ball well,

:22:56. > :23:17.

:23:17. > :23:23.doesn't it? So does Brian hands of Stuart Olding. The kick and

:23:23. > :23:28.chase is on, but good covering by Madigan. Have a guess who is

:23:28. > :23:33.coming. Tommy Bowe speeding up, and he has got his man! That was

:23:33. > :23:40.brilliant from Tommy Bowe but equally good from Madigan. He is a

:23:40. > :23:50.good player, I will tell you what! Tommy Bowe, Ulster love him, and why

:23:50. > :23:50.

:23:50. > :24:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:24:47. > :24:53.up? Anyway, the result is a penalty. of the Ulster supporters as Ruan

:24:53. > :24:58.Pienaar gets a full, bringing them to within a converted try again.

:24:58. > :25:03.will tell you what, it is game on now, with this windy you would be

:25:03. > :25:13.very happy but with a half hour to go, ten points behind. -- seven

:25:13. > :25:38.

:25:38. > :25:46.isn't it? The percentage game. Here is the man who makes the right call

:25:46. > :25:51.at the right time, Ruan Pienaar. This is the Leinster experience

:25:51. > :26:01.coming out, eating away into that time, there is no rush, no panic.

:26:01. > :26:17.

:26:17. > :26:27.Sexton just slowing it down, going for that role, to be honest. He has

:26:27. > :26:53.

:26:53. > :26:56.one. He really gets over the gain the slip from Conway works out

:26:56. > :27:02.perfectly, now Ulster are getting the rub of the green, which they

:27:02. > :27:06.didn't in the first half. Cheeky little ball from Rory Best inside.

:27:06. > :27:12.You know when you get momentum swings, the bounce of the ball goes

:27:12. > :27:22.with you and everything, it has got that feeling, hasn't it? I think

:27:22. > :27:26.

:27:26. > :27:31.Rory Best goes inside here, here we someone who has done it himself!

:27:31. > :27:41.think you have to do it. I scored a try like that once. He nearly killed

:27:41. > :28:04.

:28:04. > :28:08.Ulster supporters as well. Every time they get down in this

:28:08. > :28:12.territory, the flags are up, everybody is up on their feet, they

:28:12. > :28:22.are waving, they are making a noise, and that is really sparing them on.

:28:22. > :28:24.

:28:24. > :28:28.-- sparing. This is a big kick. would go to the corner, you have

:28:28. > :28:33.still got to score a try, you have got the extra man, it is not an easy

:28:33. > :28:37.click, and I would go for the corner, go for the drive. They are

:28:37. > :28:47.on top, they have got the momentum. It would be a gamble but one worth

:28:47. > :29:14.

:29:14. > :29:19.taking. Robbie Diack is back on the That is five, and this is the

:29:19. > :29:26.closest it has been now since the opening stages. Phil, back down to

:29:26. > :29:29.you. We made the point at the top of the programme about Leinster's

:29:29. > :29:33.confidence but they have lost the last three of these Pro12 finals,

:29:33. > :29:37.and what will that be in their heads? There has got to be some

:29:37. > :29:41.nagging doubt, we have seen what they did at Heineken to level, but

:29:41. > :29:47.they have not been able to put these games away, and the more Ulster

:29:47. > :29:51.stake in there, the way Pienaar is going, the tide is turning Ulster's

:29:51. > :29:56.way. How crucial is the next score? It is huge, Leinster have been

:29:56. > :30:02.clinical early on, but he was unfairly sin-binned, the momentum

:30:02. > :30:12.has swung the other way. I tell you what, the marvellous Ulster fans are

:30:12. > :30:18.

:30:19. > :30:28.complement. But it has hurt Leinster. Three penalties in that

:30:29. > :30:39.

:30:39. > :30:49.ten minute period. That has brought Brian O'Driscoll finds Jamie Heaslip

:30:49. > :30:53.on the inside ball. Shane Jennings finds Isa Nacewa on the inside ball.

:30:53. > :31:03.And Shane Jennings gets good yardage. Kevin McLaughlin, head

:31:03. > :31:14.

:31:15. > :31:20.down, determined running, this is he has popped up pretty much

:31:20. > :31:26.everywhere this afternoon. Mike Ross dragged down by Ruan Pienaar. Isaac

:31:26. > :31:33.Boss has a look to see who is available. Kevin McLaughlin leads

:31:33. > :31:43.the way again. They have got to keep their discipline, Ulster. Great

:31:43. > :31:46.

:31:46. > :31:52.little dummy. That was Rory Best again, just got him. Knock on.

:31:52. > :32:01.Bodies are really being put on the line. Those small margins are so

:32:01. > :32:11.important. Rory Best, as usual, 100%. They keep sending Ian Madigan

:32:11. > :32:12.

:32:12. > :32:17.up. They have missed Sean O'Brien today. Ruan Pienaar was there

:32:17. > :32:22.covering. And again, it didn't happen in the first half, knock on.

:32:22. > :32:26.But it happened there. They have to hold their scrum now, good ball and

:32:26. > :32:29.clear their lines. For once, I think Jonathan Sexton was wishing he

:32:29. > :32:39.wasn't wearing one of these non-rip jerseys. Otherwise, he could have

:32:39. > :33:01.

:33:01. > :33:11.blue to show their support. Leo the Lion trying to gee up the home

:33:11. > :33:23.

:33:23. > :33:33.REFEREE: Head and shoulders this site, both

:33:33. > :33:35.

:33:35. > :33:38.battlefield. Never mind what you have been doing in the loose, all

:33:39. > :33:48.the tackles, when it comes to scrum time, you have got to get your scrum

:33:49. > :33:49.

:33:49. > :34:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:34:37. > :34:47.I quite look the -- like the look of Jonathan Sexton. Clever running from

:34:47. > :35:07.

:35:07. > :35:17.was no need for that. I know it is tempting but he had lost the ball.

:35:17. > :35:18.

:35:18. > :35:21.That is an easy penalty. This is a tough kick. The wind is against. But

:35:21. > :35:31.you are right. They have defended very well. No penetration

:35:31. > :35:48.

:35:48. > :35:58.whatsoever. Not really going referee made that call. Peter

:35:58. > :36:08.Fitzgibbon was on his way back to the 22. Let's have a look. It will

:36:08. > :36:18.

:36:18. > :36:28.be interesting to see the ball in glowing Leinster's way. Good take by

:36:28. > :36:34.Leo Cullen but he is driven back well by the Ulster pack. Jamie he

:36:34. > :36:44.slipped, Isaac Boss, calling the orders. Cian Healy is in charge at

:36:44. > :36:56.

:36:56. > :37:02.come. Penalty.Shane Jennings. Brian O'Driscoll, cannot quite slip

:37:02. > :37:10.through. Desperate defence from Ulster, right on their own try

:37:10. > :37:15.line. It's still a penalty advantage. Leo Cullen, the skipper.

:37:15. > :37:25.This could be the longest advantage ever. Jamie Heaslip. Looks like he

:37:25. > :37:29.

:37:30. > :37:39.may well have got the drive. And congratulations of his team-mates

:37:40. > :37:59.

:37:59. > :38:05.but is all down to the television Devin Toner. That has got to be a

:38:05. > :38:08.try. There is no way he cannot give that. What a response from Leinster.

:38:08. > :38:12.But it all goes back to that silly penalty by Chris Henry on the

:38:12. > :38:22.halfway line. A great kick by Jonathan Sexton, in fairness. But

:38:22. > :38:46.

:38:46. > :38:52.Schmidt, the Leinster coach. consequences of a silly little hand

:38:52. > :38:55.in there on the halfway line. You're on your try line by a great kick

:38:56. > :39:02.from Jonathan Sexton and chasing the game once again. There's plenty of

:39:02. > :39:12.time left. I'm sure Ulster will still be arguing the toss whether

:39:12. > :39:43.

:39:43. > :39:49.pulled just to the left. But nine points ahead, Leinster. Just over 15

:39:49. > :39:59.minutes remaining. It is a real ask now for Ulster to get back into this

:39:59. > :40:00.

:40:00. > :40:10.one. So clinical, going through the phases and eventually it tells. But

:40:10. > :40:27.

:40:27. > :40:37.He wasn't running onto that one. pass was in front of him. A lack of

:40:37. > :40:47.

:40:47. > :40:53.communication. That is a dying for Robbie Diack. And Mike Allen is

:40:53. > :41:03.on as well for Ulster. They are just trying to rejig things, see if

:41:03. > :41:22.

:41:22. > :41:28.anything can pull this game from the marshalled. Fergus McFadden followed

:41:28. > :41:38.him every inch of the way. You can see what they were trying to do.

:41:38. > :41:38.

:41:38. > :43:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:43:03. > :43:13.one fairly soon, this game is really ball anywhere on the field. Yes,

:43:13. > :43:17.they are. They're keeping the -- taking the sting out of the game.

:43:17. > :43:27.That's all they need to do now, Leinster, is keep the ball and soak

:43:27. > :43:27.

:43:27. > :43:37.up time. Great angle by Richards is. And the pick-up from Ian Madigan,

:43:37. > :43:51.

:43:51. > :44:01.standing start, he generates great Ruan Pienaar? Rory Best has been

:44:01. > :44:40.

:44:40. > :44:50.talking to Phil Steele. He was once compared to Andy Irvine. Compared to

:44:50. > :44:53.

:44:53. > :44:58.Andy Irvine, he was rubbish. Is this within range? We have seen him kick

:44:58. > :45:08.some important long-distance ones. Again, over 150 points in the league

:45:08. > :45:21.

:45:21. > :45:31.this season. And this is a big kick to spare, that is a quite

:45:31. > :45:55.

:45:55. > :45:59.converted try. They know what it is to lose games late on, as they did

:45:59. > :46:09.against the Ospreys last year. I wonder if that will be nagging in

:46:09. > :46:18.

:46:18. > :46:28.the back of their minds somewhere. they do from this line-out, because

:46:28. > :47:05.

:47:05. > :47:15.one option is to click, but he put doesn't need to offload! He tried

:47:15. > :47:16.

:47:16. > :48:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

:48:24. > :48:34.them both on. He has come off second-best twice now, but he took

:48:34. > :49:05.

:49:05. > :49:11.hands time again for the Ulster in front of him. But you have got to

:49:11. > :49:16.take those. Big ten minutes coming up now, Ulster have got to play

:49:16. > :49:22.their game in the right areas now. I am not sure they have got maybe the

:49:22. > :49:29.pace or creativity, you know, to go from distance. They have not shown

:49:29. > :49:34.any of it yet, but any thing near Nick Williams, they have got to

:49:34. > :49:40.start thinking of field position. There is a break in play, let's go

:49:40. > :49:44.down to pitch side, Phil. A 6-point game, eight minutes left, call this

:49:44. > :49:50.one now! It is a very tight one, I am going to go with Leinster, I

:49:50. > :49:54.think they are going to break their duck. You can feel it coming down to

:49:54. > :49:59.one score again, Devin Toner has had an amazing game, they are losing

:50:00. > :50:03.valuable line-out scores, but they are going to have a big impact. I

:50:04. > :50:08.think there is a confidence within the Leinster camp, but the longer

:50:08. > :50:13.the game goes on, they are playing in their own territory, they have to

:50:13. > :50:18.finish the game at the Ulster 22. Gareth, back to you. Callum Black is

:50:18. > :50:22.on on this side of the scrum for Ulster, and as Paul was saying,

:50:22. > :50:28.Quinn Roux in the second row for Devin Toner. It is tough to get up

:50:28. > :50:38.to speed in a game such as this. Oh, great footwork from McFadden, he

:50:38. > :51:15.

:51:15. > :51:22.matter how big or strong you are... is the difference. Big scrum, this

:51:22. > :51:30.is now, they need to build and get into position. Six minutes left,

:51:30. > :51:33.they can't afford, I don't think, to maybe lose the ball, because as

:51:33. > :51:43.Martyn said, Leinster are so comfortable, just keeping on the

:51:43. > :51:55.

:51:55. > :52:02.are they going to do if they get a penalty now, force extra time if it

:52:02. > :52:10.ended 24-24? That is a big if! A try and they will still need the

:52:10. > :52:20.conversion. Stop the clock now, he should stop the clock, I think.

:52:20. > :52:30.

:52:30. > :52:40.Ulster! Leinster are very clever. Leinster are quite happy if the

:52:40. > :52:41.

:52:41. > :52:51.This time Nick Williams for speed play, it is a terrible mess for

:52:51. > :52:59.

:52:59. > :53:09.Ulster. That ball isn't out, is it? better than we thought. Brilliant,

:53:09. > :53:13.

:53:13. > :53:19.just to stay on with a hamstring 20 seconds to go, a 6-point game,

:53:19. > :53:26.what do you do, John? I think they will go for goal. I'm not sure what

:53:26. > :53:33.I would do. No, they are going for it. That is a great call, that is.

:53:33. > :53:38.They do not think they will have enough time, let's go for it.

:53:38. > :53:45.one of the great exponents of gold digging in Ulster and Ireland

:53:45. > :53:50.colours is ahead of us, and he is not sure. I am not sure as well. I

:53:50. > :53:54.do think, Ruan Pienaar, the wind is against him here, so they made sure

:53:54. > :54:00.he got in, that is the first thing, they made sure that the ball crossed

:54:00. > :54:10.the touchline, but he did not make the yard that he wanted to make.

:54:10. > :54:25.

:54:25. > :54:31.the final few minutes. Ulster going for glory. They don't want the

:54:31. > :54:36.chance of a draw and extra time, but again Rory Best can't hear the call,

:54:36. > :54:46.such as the clamour from this pact RDS crowd. Johann Muller, the

:54:46. > :55:25.

:55:25. > :55:33.defensively, I tell you! Two minutes now remaining for Ulster, a try will

:55:33. > :55:40.give them a chance to win it. Leinster hanging on for the alive.

:55:40. > :55:47.They get the decision! It is greeted by howls of derision from the Ulster

:55:48. > :55:57.supporters, and relief from the Leinster people. Well, he has been

:55:58. > :56:09.

:56:09. > :56:13.consistent, hasn't he? The ball goes walk to the touchline, and then the

:56:13. > :56:23.efficiency of the Leinster line-out, they will just close this

:56:23. > :56:32.

:56:32. > :56:36.use every available second. And that will bring full-time, and the

:56:37. > :56:41.RaboDirect Pro12 championship ever nearer. Shane Jennings has been

:56:41. > :56:49.awarded man of the match. It was his try early on that took them on the

:56:49. > :56:59.way. The ball won, and Shane Jennings latches on. Isaac Boss

:56:59. > :57:05.

:57:05. > :57:09.driving this forward is into Ulster Leinster pack. Now they go to

:57:09. > :57:14.ground, and Madigan sprints, he will not want to do anything too

:57:14. > :57:22.foolish, not get too far away from those forwards. The crowd will start

:57:22. > :57:29.counting down pretty soon. This is what they will do, it won't go wide,

:57:29. > :57:35.no need. Five seconds left. Isaac Boss has already have turned towards

:57:35. > :57:41.the touchline, he knows that the game is there, the championship is

:57:41. > :57:46.there. One more, just in case. McLaughlin took it on. 20 seconds

:57:46. > :57:56.left on the clock in the stadium. That is the only clock the players

:57:56. > :58:02.

:58:02. > :58:05.time is up. This will be it for Leinster. They are already

:58:05. > :58:11.celebrating in the stands, they just need somebody to put the ball off

:58:12. > :58:17.the park, and who else but Brian O'Driscoll?! So often the Leinster

:58:17. > :58:23.hero, and that the fourth time of asking, they have finally done it,

:58:23. > :58:30.four final play-offs in a row, three defeats, but now Leinster can add to

:58:30. > :58:35.the Amlin Challenge Cup the, because they have become RaboDirect Pro12

:58:35. > :58:42.champions in 2013! What a battle, though! They are all out on their

:58:42. > :58:47.feet, and the first ten minutes was absolutely crucial, you know, they

:58:47. > :58:50.started off like a house on fire, and all of a sudden Ulster came

:58:50. > :58:55.back. They should have had a penalty try, and then they should have

:58:55. > :58:59.scored a try, so they should have been leading after 20 minutes, and

:58:59. > :59:04.then with the wind at their backs in the second half, they should have

:59:04. > :59:10.been more comfortable. One referee decision and one squandered

:59:10. > :59:15.opportunity really had a massive effect on this match, but you know,

:59:15. > :59:20.two great sides, and an absolutely amazing battle. Joe Schmidt has done

:59:20. > :59:25.it, he is departing, he is going to be coaching Ireland from now on, but

:59:25. > :59:27.he has left Leinster with some serious silverware. They have

:59:27. > :59:32.completed the double this year. They couldn't hang on to their European

:59:32. > :59:39.title, but they picked out the Amlin by beating Stade Francais, and now

:59:39. > :59:44.they have repeated it in a real hard-fought match. Ulster gave it

:59:44. > :59:49.absolutely everything and never, never lay down. As I said, those two

:59:49. > :59:55.instances, you know, where the difference. But I did feel that, you

:59:55. > :59:58.know, Leinster scored a couple of tries, and they just couldn't break

:59:58. > :00:02.the Leinster defence. It was Leinster who had the two tries,

:00:02. > :00:08.Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip, six penalties from Ruan Pienaar were

:00:08. > :00:16.not enough for Ulster. Leinster victorious by 24-18. Phil, down to

:00:17. > :00:23.you in the middle of the celebrations! The atmosphere is

:00:23. > :00:26.wonderful. It was ferocious at pitch side. What was the difference?

:00:26. > :00:31.thought the Leinster defence was superb at the physicality they

:00:31. > :00:39.brought at the breakdown was just outstanding. But try by Heaslip, the

:00:39. > :00:42.workrate from Devin Toner, slightly more intelligent play from Leinster

:00:42. > :00:48.and the creativity from Jonathan Sexton. But it was a 15 man

:00:48. > :00:55.performance. Shane Jennings was the man of the match but it could have

:00:55. > :00:58.gone to any of the 15. How did Rory Best go? He had a great game.

:00:58. > :01:02.Physicality, his work at the breakdown is exceptional and he

:01:02. > :01:05.seems to be omnipresent. He is like having another number seven. And

:01:05. > :01:15.also the scrum went very well for Ulster. I think Rory Best is a big

:01:15. > :01:25.

:01:25. > :01:31.part of that. This is the story of penalties to give Leinster a 16-6

:01:31. > :01:36.halftime lead. Both sides saw yellow in the second half.

:01:36. > :01:45.The tide did start to turn after that with Ruan Pienaar urging Ulster

:01:45. > :01:51.ever closer. Jamie he slips try seemed to have won it for Leinster

:01:51. > :02:01.dash-macro three. Brian O'Driscoll was the man who kicked the ball into

:02:01. > :02:05.

:02:05. > :02:15.game. Deserved winners, Leinster? think so in the end. A phenomenal

:02:15. > :02:21.advert for the Pro12. But it was the defence of Leinster. Brian

:02:21. > :02:31.O'Driscoll Sunder Dub at the end, he got skinned by Darren Cave but then

:02:31. > :02:34.

:02:34. > :02:39.he made two tackles. Disappointment etched on the fans faces behind you.

:02:39. > :02:44.Any right to feel aggrieved? I am sure that they will but I agree that

:02:44. > :02:48.it was a great advert for the Pro12. I have been lucky enough to

:02:48. > :02:52.experience this. Ironically, Leinster go and do it from second

:02:52. > :02:56.position. I am happy for Joe Schmidt. He has done a great job

:02:56. > :03:06.here. It also played their part today and it was a fantastic final.

:03:06. > :03:06.

:03:06. > :03:09.An European and domestic 44 Leinster. Yes, they would have been

:03:10. > :03:15.disappointed in the Heineken cup, especially with the Heineken cup

:03:15. > :03:19.final being in Dublin. But to pick yourself up after that, they play

:03:19. > :03:26.the game in the right way. You do feel for Ulster. They gave

:03:26. > :03:31.everything today. Ulster were the number one seeds. But that is the

:03:31. > :03:36.play-offs. It is knockout rugby. Yes, it's all about getting in the

:03:36. > :03:40.top four. You get in there and then you fight and then the best team

:03:40. > :03:47.will come to the top over the course of the season. I think the depth of

:03:47. > :03:55.the squad is really showed this season, along with Glasgow. Both

:03:55. > :04:05.sides have got near an affair strong -- have got their strongest teams

:04:05. > :04:06.

:04:06. > :04:16.available to play the final. Shane Jennings , a fantastic

:04:16. > :04:19.

:04:19. > :04:23.performance. They are very good at the breakdown. Rory Best is very

:04:23. > :04:27.tough at the breakdown. A tough competition against him today. A lot

:04:27. > :04:32.of credit goes to Ulster. They have had a fantastic season. It was a

:04:32. > :04:38.good game today and we are delighted to come out the right side of it.

:04:38. > :04:45.The atmosphere was fantastic. Brilliant. We are glad we came out

:04:45. > :04:50.the right side. We won the coveted final here together in 2001, a long

:04:50. > :04:55.time ago. What is it mean to come back after those three very hurtful

:04:55. > :04:59.finals and actually pulling off a double, what does that mean to the

:04:59. > :05:03.squad? It is a squad effort. Genuinely, that has driven us. We

:05:03. > :05:09.were in fits and starts over the cause of the season and thankfully,

:05:10. > :05:17.we can go towards the end. It is nice to be on the winning side.

:05:17. > :05:21.done. Both sets of supporters making their feelings known. A very

:05:21. > :05:31.passionate bunch on either side. We can cross back to the commentary

:05:31. > :05:34.

:05:34. > :05:42.Irvine, not in Lions capacity, but as the chairman of Celtic rugby, and

:05:42. > :05:49.it will be disappointment for Johann Muller and his Ulster team but not a

:05:49. > :05:54.single Ulster supporter has left. They want to greet their heroes for

:05:54. > :05:57.what has been an excellent season for them. Falling just short, losing

:05:57. > :06:07.out in the quarter-final stage in Iraq. And then losing out in the

:06:07. > :06:15.

:06:15. > :06:20.play-off final, the grand final penalty try decision and the missed

:06:20. > :06:26.opportunity by Robbie Diack, I thought those were crucial moments

:06:26. > :06:29.in the match. And they could just not breach the Leinster defence

:06:29. > :06:35.after that, unfortunately. They kicked their goals well. But I have

:06:35. > :06:39.to say, Shane Jennings had none of the match but I thought that Devin

:06:39. > :06:43.Toner, that is the best game I have ever seen him play -- man of the

:06:43. > :06:48.match. It would have been difficult. You could have picked anyone from

:06:49. > :06:51.both sides to be man of the match. But if there was a difference, it

:06:51. > :06:56.would be interesting to see the amount of decisions, penalties that

:06:56. > :07:00.went in Leinster's favour at the breakdown. Maybe that was the

:07:00. > :07:10.crucial part of the game and that is why Shane Jennings had man of the

:07:10. > :07:11.

:07:11. > :07:13.match. But amazing support by these two sets of fans. Irish rugby may

:07:13. > :07:18.not be as successful at international level as they would

:07:19. > :07:24.have hoped but they do love their rugby and the regional game and they

:07:24. > :07:28.come out and support it. They make it an occasion, a great atmosphere.

:07:28. > :07:32.I do think they are investing in it. They have a lot of Irish players

:07:32. > :07:38.but if the Welsh regions and the Welsh Rugby union are listening,

:07:38. > :07:42.look at the quality of the overseas players. They bolster the side. Yes,

:07:42. > :07:52.you want to bring the youngsters through, you want to play

:07:52. > :07:53.

:07:53. > :08:02.international games, but the reason Wales are cutting. . . If you are

:08:02. > :08:07.winning at any level, you are successful. At long last, the

:08:07. > :08:17.players of Leinster have winners medals around their necks. And the

:08:17. > :08:19.

:08:19. > :08:24.Leinster support that the RDS in Dublin can cheer the champions. They

:08:24. > :08:29.have gone to Europe and they have won the major trophy, they have won

:08:29. > :08:35.the secondary trophy, but as far as the homespun competition is

:08:35. > :08:41.concerned, the cupboard has been bear for a number of seasons. And

:08:41. > :08:49.every seasons -- every single squad member getting a medal. That is the

:08:49. > :08:54.trophy they have been battling for. Brian O'Driscoll has decided to stay

:08:54. > :09:04.on for one more season. It is the parting of the waves with Isa Nacewa

:09:04. > :09:14.

:09:14. > :09:21.going. And of course, the coach, Joe Schmidt as well. And the nonplaying

:09:21. > :09:27.squad members joining them. Leinster champions in 2002, champions in

:09:27. > :09:32.2008. And then after making the play-off final three times in a row

:09:32. > :09:40.and coming up just short, now they are going to be crowned champions

:09:40. > :09:48.again. Heaslip's try the big difference at the end. And Leo

:09:48. > :09:53.Cullen, he has put in so many years. He keeps going. And it is Heaslip

:09:53. > :09:58.who has the pleasure of lifting the trophy high into the air. Much to

:09:58. > :10:04.the delight of the Leinster crowd. They realise how much they had to

:10:04. > :10:10.battle for it. And they have completed an European and domestic

:10:10. > :10:16.double this season. Joe Schmidt will be leaving on a very successful

:10:16. > :10:26.note. Leinster Amlin Challenge Cup champions and Leinster champions of

:10:26. > :10:30.the Celtic league as well. Yes. There is the man himself, Joe

:10:30. > :10:34.Schmidt. He will be in charge of Ireland. He will be trying to

:10:34. > :10:39.transfer what he has achieved at regional level to national level.

:10:40. > :10:44.And a few of these boys will be thinking of a summer in Australia,

:10:44. > :10:49.they will be doing so on a very happy note. I think it will be a

:10:49. > :10:52.very quiet night in Dublin tonight. I think it will be very quiet.

:10:52. > :10:56.Ulster supporters will play their part as well, even though they are

:10:56. > :11:04.disappointed at the moment. They gave it everything but they came up

:11:04. > :11:12.just short. And Leinster with two tries to nil will be extremely

:11:12. > :11:22.satisfied at getting their names and -- then a mama trophy again. -- then

:11:22. > :11:29.

:11:29. > :11:35.this Leinster side. So successful over recent years. They are still

:11:35. > :11:39.one of the best sides in Europe. Why are they so good and why have they

:11:39. > :11:43.sustained it? How have they sustained it? I think Jonathan hit

:11:43. > :11:47.the nail on the heading commentary. They have quality overseas players.

:11:47. > :11:51.I have been to the Leinster training camp, the facilities, the

:11:51. > :11:55.resources, the backing financially that they have is phenomenal. The

:11:55. > :12:00.amount of coaches we saw on the pitch, developing individual skills,

:12:00. > :12:04.not just match day but throughout the season and they mix that in with

:12:04. > :12:07.a good academy development system. The young players come through.

:12:07. > :12:10.Players like Fergus McFadden, Cian Healy, these players don't get

:12:10. > :12:18.mentioned too much, but they are the guys coming through, ably supported

:12:18. > :12:23.by the likes of Isa Nacewa. And then you have Brian O'Driscoll, the mix

:12:23. > :12:30.is right. However, there is an investment. The Irish players are

:12:30. > :12:36.rested sufficiently. Joe Schmidt coaching Leinster for the last time

:12:36. > :12:46.today. He is with Phil Steele. does this count today, your last

:12:46. > :12:56.

:12:56. > :13:00.game. Yes, a few of the guys going. It's great to have the victory. Isa

:13:00. > :13:08.Nacewa switch to fullback. He is getting a little bit older because

:13:08. > :13:13.he played just 70 minutes today. But it was good to have him there.

:13:13. > :13:16.news on the Rob Kearney hamstring? It is a little bit like Sean

:13:16. > :13:20.O'Brien. I think if there was nothing to follow, they both would

:13:20. > :13:23.have played. But you work so hard to get an opportunity to get to

:13:23. > :13:30.Australia to play for the Lions, so many of these players have helped

:13:30. > :13:33.them get their and I think it is fantastic that they get to do that

:13:33. > :13:41.fully fit and I am looking forward to watching the series, to be

:13:41. > :13:47.honest. You were impressed with the back row. Yes, rotating the squad,

:13:47. > :13:52.it has all come good. The double must be a great pleasure, all the

:13:52. > :14:01.planning seemed to go right on track. In the second half, I thought

:14:01. > :14:10.we got some good pressure. There were a couple of passes, intercepted

:14:10. > :14:16.those offloads, in the second half, we were looking to carry but I don't

:14:16. > :14:23.care now, to be honest. I am just glad to win. The physicality at the

:14:23. > :14:28.breakdown was amazing. And the defence. Leinster wanted it so much.

:14:28. > :14:32.I am massively proud of the defence. We did very little attack this

:14:32. > :14:37.week. We just said, let's not them cross our line at home. I thought

:14:37. > :14:44.the boys did a fantastic job of doing exactly that. There were a

:14:45. > :14:52.couple of hairy moments but they held tough. We will miss you in the

:14:52. > :15:02.Pro12. Weldon on your achievements and good luck with the island job.

:15:02. > :15:04.

:15:04. > :15:10.Thank you. I know you don't really mean that. Thank you. A very happy

:15:10. > :15:14.man, what has his contribution been to Leinster? What he has done is

:15:14. > :15:17.seamless, he can leave boys out, like Cian Healy on the bench,

:15:18. > :15:25.missing Brian, Rob Kearney, the youngsters coming, and it is

:15:25. > :15:29.seamless. That is the sign of a very well coached side. What he has done

:15:29. > :15:33.for this region and as provinces and nominal. We heard about how they

:15:33. > :15:38.concentrate on defence during the week, that was evident, it was

:15:38. > :15:43.watertight, despite wave after wave of attack. It was, and it was last

:15:43. > :15:47.week in the Amlin final as well, and of the top teams in the Pro12,

:15:47. > :15:50.Leinster have conceded the most tries. It's just goes to show they

:15:50. > :15:54.peek at the right time, and when they have got their best boys in and

:15:54. > :15:57.there's something on it, they are thoroughly deserved winners.

:15:57. > :16:02.Ulster boys did a lap of honour themselves, and most of the fans

:16:02. > :16:08.have stayed behind to cheer their boys on, disappointing for them, but

:16:08. > :16:12.what can they take from the season, Martyn? This was probably the first

:16:12. > :16:16.year they had a realistic terms of winning something, it has not come

:16:16. > :16:20.off, but if they keep Ruan Pienaar, Luke Marshall coming back, the young

:16:20. > :16:25.group of players, they will be there or thereabouts. Like Leinster in the

:16:25. > :16:30.past, they will learn from these final losses. Are they on the verge

:16:30. > :16:36.of winning something special? are very close, Heineken Cup last

:16:36. > :16:41.year, this final, and the balance of Muller, Pienaar, Tommy Bowe, Payne,

:16:41. > :16:46.the balance is there with the young talent, so there are lessons to be

:16:46. > :16:49.learned for Welsh rugby there. that point, both of you have alluded

:16:49. > :16:54.to that, and Jonathan did in commentary, what can the Welsh

:16:54. > :16:59.regions learn from the Irish provinces? , Martyn? It is what

:16:59. > :17:02.Jonathan said. You cannot build your side on international players,

:17:03. > :17:10.because they are hardly ever there. You need to sign quality overseas

:17:10. > :17:15.players. That is the fulcrum of your side. Look at Leinster and Ulster,

:17:15. > :17:20.they have done exactly the same over the years. You would not win Grand

:17:20. > :17:24.Slams otherwise, making those smart signings. We can go back to film, I

:17:24. > :17:28.believe Rory Best is with him. Commiserations, you could have got a

:17:28. > :17:32.man of the match if you had been in the winning side, what was the

:17:32. > :17:36.difference between the sides in your opinion? I think it is probably the

:17:36. > :17:39.breakdown. We talked all week, probably since the Saracens game in

:17:39. > :17:43.Europe that we needed to be the better team on the day at the

:17:43. > :17:48.breakdown, and I think the penalty count was fairly substantial.

:17:48. > :17:52.Leinster probably did not infringe less than us, but they will more

:17:52. > :17:55.streetwise about it, and that is what the top teams do. When you give

:17:55. > :18:00.a kicker like Johnny that many chances, he will not miss, and that

:18:00. > :18:03.proved to be the case today. They have four visits to our 22 in the

:18:03. > :18:08.first half and came away with four scores. Ultimately, that was the

:18:08. > :18:13.difference. Wally has got some news that might be of interest to you.

:18:13. > :18:18.The talk is that Dylan Hartley has got a red carded a four speed in to

:18:18. > :18:21.the referee, it also looks like you might get a possible ban after your

:18:21. > :18:28.performance today, Rory, a lot of us thought you should be on the flight

:18:28. > :18:32.to Australia, are you changing your plans? I think it is hard to process

:18:32. > :18:36.anything outside of Ulster at the minute. We are bitterly

:18:36. > :18:41.disappointed. Everything else at the minute is probably a bit of a

:18:41. > :18:46.sideshow, we want to focus in on ourselves, we have 35 men in our

:18:46. > :18:48.squad, plus the management. We are bitterly disappointed with losing

:18:48. > :18:54.this match. Whatever comes out tomorrow et cetera we will deal

:18:54. > :18:58.with, but it is not that, we are focusing on losing a hard-fought

:18:58. > :19:04.battle today. If you get on the plane, all the best, and well done

:19:04. > :19:06.on your performance today. Commiserations to Rory Best, another

:19:06. > :19:10.fantastic individual performance, and we will watch with interest what

:19:10. > :19:14.happens with Dylan Hartley. We talked about how Ulster turned the

:19:14. > :19:17.tide in the second half following the yellow cards, one man at the

:19:17. > :19:27.heart of it was Ruan Pienaar, just nudging the ball into the right

:19:27. > :19:31.areas. So commanding, . This guy does not like playing Number Ten,

:19:31. > :19:36.and he certainly made a difference with his boot, three penalties,

:19:36. > :19:39.long-range efforts, difficult kicks, but they kept Ulster in touch. We

:19:39. > :19:45.said at halftime this would be important, and this is the man that

:19:45. > :19:48.keeps in touch, but he did not have enough to get over the line. As you

:19:48. > :19:56.mentioned, Martyn, as long as they have got guys like him, they are

:19:56. > :20:00.only inches away from winning trophies. Sorry, I must interrupt,

:20:00. > :20:05.Leo Cullen has just joined Phil. That was some performance today.

:20:05. > :20:08.Yeah, listen, we knew it was going to be a bit of a battle today, we

:20:08. > :20:13.got off to a really good start with a try in the first couple of

:20:13. > :20:16.minutes. We were always a bit ahead but we could not push on. Ulster are

:20:16. > :20:25.a very doggy steam, and they have had an outstanding season, always

:20:25. > :20:29.knew it would be tough. -- Doggett team. Your man there was impressed.

:20:29. > :20:39.You have won three Heineken Cup, but what does this mean, the real bread

:20:39. > :20:44.and butter competition? The last game of the season here last year,

:20:44. > :20:49.we lost against the Ospreys, and I can remember everyone on the grass

:20:49. > :20:53.at the end, and even though we had won the Heineken, it led a bitter

:20:53. > :20:58.taste in our mouths. To have that feeling all summer long and be able

:20:58. > :21:03.to sort of leave off year, some of the guys have moved on, and to leave

:21:03. > :21:09.with happy memories is brilliant. You do not need is a this, but have

:21:09. > :21:13.a good night! We will try our best! He will not need any encouragement.

:21:13. > :21:17.A Leinster stole what celebrating his win. Let's go back to the match,

:21:17. > :21:27.many key moments in that, perhaps the biggest was that Jamie Heaslip

:21:27. > :21:29.

:21:29. > :21:33.discipline. Yes, he was lucky in the first half not to get yellow carded,

:21:33. > :21:39.and then he gave this penalty away. There was some debate over this,

:21:39. > :21:43.Peter Fitzgibbon on the line, the referee gave it. Just after the two

:21:43. > :21:47.yellow carded players came back on the field, O'Driscoll and Heaslip

:21:47. > :21:52.stepped up to the plate. Devin Toner had a great game, latching on and

:21:52. > :21:55.getting over the line. Ultimately, that was the difference. We saw

:21:55. > :22:02.Devin Toner just getting stuck into Jamie, driving him over the line,

:22:02. > :22:05.real passion. So impressed, they all seem... Everybody knows what they

:22:05. > :22:10.are supposed to be doing, where they are supposed to be, going through

:22:10. > :22:15.the phases, and eventually you will run out of defenders. That was the

:22:15. > :22:18.difference, they took their chances when they had them. We had a look at

:22:18. > :22:22.Ruan Pienaar, we talked about him and Jonathan Sexton being two of the

:22:22. > :22:26.best controllers of the game in the northern hemisphere, and it was

:22:26. > :22:31.Sexton's running game and distribution which has nailed him on

:22:31. > :22:35.for the Lions spot. He has become a far more complete player, they

:22:35. > :22:39.identified something in the Ulster defence, he kicked well, his

:22:39. > :22:43.restarts were good, he had a pump on the shoulder early on but he muscled

:22:43. > :22:46.through it. At the end of the day, a quality performance that he would

:22:46. > :22:51.want to have put on for Joe Schmidt and his crowd as he leaves for

:22:51. > :22:55.France. I think we can return to Phil Steele, not just yet, but

:22:55. > :22:59.hopefully we will get a word with Brian O'Driscoll in a minute. Tommy

:22:59. > :23:05.Bowe, a friend of yours from your spray days, a potent attacking

:23:05. > :23:11.force, he never gave up. -- Ospreys. He was hungry, looking for it all of

:23:11. > :23:15.the time, looking sharp, he made inroads in the first half and was

:23:15. > :23:18.always hungry on the shoulder, running the inside, but this chase

:23:19. > :23:24.down of the box kick and the long kicks that Ruan Pienaar was putting

:23:24. > :23:29.in showed how much you wanted Ulster to win today. Did he give you a wave

:23:29. > :23:34.when he wandered past? He blanked him! Unbelievable, once and Osprey!

:23:34. > :23:40.We were watching this game in the context of the lines, they fly to

:23:40. > :23:43.Hong Kong on Monday, who have we seen today that enhanced their

:23:43. > :23:48.credentials? Nobody did themselves any harm. To be honest with you, the

:23:48. > :23:52.coaches know what they are going to get at this time of year, Rory Best,

:23:52. > :23:59.if he does find his way on there, outstanding, Cian Healy, looking for

:23:59. > :24:04.the miracle 50-50 sometimes. And Brian O'Driscoll, what more can you

:24:04. > :24:07.say, an absolute legend? Heaslip as well, they will going full of

:24:07. > :24:11.confidence, probably a bit hungover when they meet the boys tomorrow,

:24:11. > :24:15.but it will be well worth it. have been on three Lions tours, and

:24:15. > :24:19.in this week, the build-up, just about to get on the plane, some of

:24:19. > :24:23.the boys have been in the camp for weeks, you must be so excited.

:24:23. > :24:26.is nothing worse as a player than no game at the end of the week, you

:24:26. > :24:31.just want that carrot at the end, so the boys who have been encamped,

:24:31. > :24:34.predominantly the Welsh boys, 15 missing with the English final, they

:24:34. > :24:40.will want to get on that plane to Hong Kong, get the whole group

:24:40. > :24:44.together, which is what the coaches will be dying for. It is looking

:24:44. > :24:49.like a majority of a Welsh 15 against the bar bars next week, but

:24:49. > :24:57.when they meet up tomorrow, it is the most exciting time as a player.

:24:57. > :25:00.Just from the players' point of view, , I will interrupt myself

:25:01. > :25:04.because Brian O'Driscoll is with Phil Steele. Many congratulations,

:25:04. > :25:07.you have done everything in the game that there is to do, but how much

:25:07. > :25:12.does winning things with the province mean to you? This is

:25:12. > :25:18.everything. About seven years, I thought about going to pastures new,

:25:18. > :25:21.it did not feel as if our set-up was right. We changed everything, and

:25:21. > :25:28.Joe Schmidt has really grown that, and I think it means so much more

:25:28. > :25:31.when you win with your home province, being able to do it. It is

:25:31. > :25:36.not a technically, but it is home for us, great support, great to

:25:36. > :25:41.reward them for all their backing of us. You have got another year left,

:25:41. > :25:45.how are you going to top this? nice to finish, you work for the

:25:45. > :25:49.whole year to finish on notes like this, and I guess the way of topping

:25:49. > :25:53.it is to do it again next year. It is always harder to retain things

:25:53. > :25:57.than win them out right. It seems like yesterday that in 2001 we were

:25:57. > :26:01.winning the inaugural trophy together, you were outstanding that

:26:01. > :26:07.day. How are you feeling? The body looking good, a big month head of

:26:07. > :26:14.view, a big couple of months going to Australia, body in good nick,

:26:14. > :26:19.staying for another year, maybe two? Not two years, it is just one year,

:26:19. > :26:22.no point in getting into that now. I did not play over the last three

:26:23. > :26:28.weeks, but I felt fresh out there, and it is a great feeling to win at

:26:28. > :26:33.home. Have a great tour, thank you for talking to us. Only one more

:26:33. > :26:41.year, you heard it first from us on scrum 5 Live. Brian O'Driscoll has

:26:41. > :26:48.done everything he can. He has made it clear that he wants to go on a

:26:48. > :26:57.fourth two, phenomenal to get four, so he wants to be a winning Lions

:26:57. > :27:04.tourist. 2-1? 3-0. What about you, Lions prediction? A couple of months

:27:04. > :27:07.ago I would have said 3-0, but these Aussies are waiting for us, I think

:27:07. > :27:12.2-1, Lions. Thank you for your company this afternoon and all

:27:12. > :27:15.season. That is the last programme of the season, the Lions are next,

:27:15. > :27:20.but from us today it is massive congratulations to Leinster at the

:27:20. > :27:24.RDS, commiserations to Ulster, who came, fought and played a very big