:00:31. > :00:37.It has been 12 long years since Ulster beat Leinster in Dublin.
:00:37. > :00:45.Since then, Leinster and have been up on a roll -- Leinster have been
:00:45. > :00:55.on a roll. This formidable side have won their last 11 games in a
:00:55. > :00:55.
:00:55. > :01:01.row. A Boxing Day clash against the European champions. Will it be a
:01:01. > :01:07.foolish gamble great golden opportunity? It is a sell-out for
:01:07. > :01:11.Leinster against Ulster. Some faces, you will recognise, but lots you
:01:11. > :01:18.probably won't as five players make their debut today against the
:01:18. > :01:28.Leinster team, with 10 Irish internationals. Welcome to this
:01:28. > :01:31.
:01:31. > :01:37.Christmas edition of Costa ruck be live. -- Ulster ruck be live.
:01:37. > :01:45.Ulster play again in four days' time. Body maker of the decision to
:01:45. > :01:51.take such an experienced team to Dublin? These guys have to get some
:01:51. > :01:54.game in their careers, they have to be trapped in the depend. Leinster
:01:54. > :02:01.went taking the pity. They will play their own style and it is up
:02:01. > :02:04.to the young players. Most people are expecting Leinster to get a
:02:04. > :02:09.bonus point this evening. That will allow them to open up a six-point
:02:09. > :02:16.gap at the top the table. The Scarlets have beaten the Ospreys
:02:16. > :02:22.this afternoon. Munster played today. What you think about the
:02:22. > :02:30.decision to take such be weakened side? I think initially they will
:02:30. > :02:36.be exposed. You rarely find out -- you only find out by playing at the
:02:36. > :02:40.highest level. Ulster have targeted the Munster game and decided this
:02:40. > :02:48.is one that there possibly never going to win. They have decided to
:02:48. > :02:56.rest. A lot of guys are in here for the first time and they are going
:02:56. > :03:04.to find it interesting. I think that is an understatement. Yes, but
:03:04. > :03:09.today you can find out if you opt to it or not. -- if you are up to
:03:09. > :03:19.it. I'm quite excited. I'm looking forward seeing Peter Nelson in
:03:19. > :03:20.
:03:20. > :03:29.particular. Let's hear from David Humphreys. Is this the night when
:03:29. > :03:34.you find out what the young boys are made of? Yes, we're going to
:03:34. > :03:39.find out if the fear of them can make it top level. -- we're going
:03:39. > :03:45.to find out if a few of them. We know we have a lot of good players
:03:45. > :03:50.coming through. Leinster are a few years ahead, but hopefully they
:03:50. > :04:00.will catch up mocked -- much quicker than many people think.
:04:00. > :04:34.
:04:34. > :04:42.Asked to have not been -- time to Birch. Nigel Brady, Tim Barker. A
:04:42. > :04:52.first start for James McKinney. 11 victories in a row, this Leinster
:04:52. > :05:11.
:05:11. > :05:21.side. An all-international front shirt tonight. It is cold but it is
:05:21. > :05:39.
:05:39. > :05:47.has done a good job. It is the first time I can remember Simon
:05:47. > :05:57.Danielli, no international clear. Here goes Ian Madigan. That is a
:05:57. > :06:07.very good kick. Robbie Diack, one of the more experienced players of
:06:07. > :06:09.
:06:09. > :06:19.the Ulster pack. You can see the strength of that. It has gone just
:06:19. > :06:23.outside the 22. Seeing the team that was selected for Ulster, they
:06:23. > :06:33.will be keen to get the win and the bonus point. A huge opportunity for
:06:33. > :06:42.
:06:42. > :06:52.some of the young players of Ulster. Sean Cronin. They have got to
:06:52. > :06:54.
:06:54. > :07:02.retreat behind the rear for it. McLaughlan takes it forward. Ian
:07:02. > :07:12.Madigan. McFadden. Tackle by Chris Farrell, just 18 years of age, his
:07:12. > :07:22.Ulster debut. Damian Browne does the initial thrusting. Here comes
:07:22. > :07:28.
:07:28. > :07:35.the formidable Cian Healy. Shane Jennings, the skipper. Good defence
:07:35. > :07:45.work by Ulster, but loads of blue jerseys there. A drop by Ian
:07:45. > :07:48.
:07:48. > :07:58.Madigan. Chris Farrell comes hurtling into the lens to half. --
:07:58. > :08:06.
:08:06. > :08:16.Leinster. Lewis Stevenson... James McKinney, back inside to another of
:08:16. > :08:19.
:08:19. > :08:25.the new faces on this Ulster side. Ali Birch. Some excellent defence
:08:25. > :08:29.by else do. No question they will be up to the challenge physically.
:08:29. > :08:39.Defending very well, forcing a few errors from this against a team who
:08:39. > :08:46.
:08:46. > :08:56.got into a groove early. Ulster applying some pressure.
:08:56. > :09:04.
:09:04. > :09:14.enormous Devin Toner in the second row. That line of the Leinster 22.
:09:14. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:26.They must take it back the 22 into the 22. -- into the 22. Conditions
:09:26. > :09:36.will play the huge part in this match. Tactically, teams will have
:09:36. > :09:40.to adjust. They must look to set-up position within Ulster's territory.
:09:40. > :09:50.If road by Nigel Brady, only a couple of caps away from the
:09:50. > :09:57.
:09:57. > :10:07.century. That is good driving there. Marshall. Taken by Chris barrel.
:10:07. > :10:16.
:10:16. > :10:26.This time last year, he was... Here is a great chance for Ulster!
:10:26. > :10:36.Ulster is on the attack. Callum Black... Another new face on the
:10:36. > :10:48.
:10:48. > :10:58.off to decide. This is great stuff good little spell from this hugely
:10:58. > :10:58.
:10:58. > :11:04.experienced Gloucester side -- Ulster side. He is using his
:11:04. > :11:11.considerable strength to stay on his feet. Encouraging both in
:11:11. > :11:18.defence and attack were Ulster. is hard to believe he is only 24
:11:18. > :11:28.years of age. But Paul is threatening to disappear over the
:11:28. > :11:34.
:11:34. > :11:44.roof of the stand. But is from Ian Madigan's kick. -- that is from.
:11:44. > :11:52.Joseph Schmidt never gives too much away. That wasn't straight. The
:11:52. > :12:02.first scrum, this will be very interesting. And all international
:12:02. > :12:07.
:12:07. > :12:12.front row. Callum Black is signing this year from Worcester to Ulster.
:12:12. > :12:22.He suffered a neck injury but he has been a regular with the ravens.
:12:22. > :12:43.
:12:43. > :12:53.He is going to be tested against Gibbon indicating to Mike Ross what
:12:53. > :13:03.
:13:03. > :13:13.illegally by Mike Ross. Probably right at the end of range with that
:13:13. > :13:13.
:13:13. > :13:23.when but encasing it -- with that wind but enticing enough. They will
:13:23. > :13:27.
:13:27. > :13:34.be absolutely delighted if they have the first... He came on and
:13:34. > :13:44.kicked a couple of points from a conversion. What a boost this will
:13:44. > :13:44.
:13:44. > :13:47.be for this Ulster side. A little bit of drizzle is blowing into the
:13:47. > :13:57.faces and James McKinney will have to deal with that as well. He has
:13:57. > :13:58.
:13:58. > :14:08.to hit it pretty hard. Cian Healy having a little word with the
:14:08. > :14:08.
:14:08. > :14:17.forward just in case it comes off the post. Not too far away, but the
:14:17. > :14:23.scoreboard stays. A pretty encouraging spell for this Ulster
:14:23. > :14:32.side. You can see the strength of the wind there. Not quite curling
:14:32. > :14:42.around enough. He has given that there fairly decent pumpkin the
:14:42. > :14:43.
:14:43. > :14:53.strong wind. -- decent thump in the strong wind. This is McFadden.
:14:53. > :14:56.
:14:56. > :15:06.Gordon D'Arcy, the most experienced on the Ulster team. That is very
:15:06. > :15:10.
:15:10. > :15:20.clever... David Kearney. Here come Leinster again. Kevin McLoughlin. -
:15:20. > :15:21.
:15:21. > :15:26.- Gavin McLaughlan. He may well have got the body round to present
:15:26. > :15:32.it to Marshall. Having been under so much pressure, Leinster threaten
:15:32. > :15:42.to strike right at the heart of the Ulster defence. Marshall looking to
:15:42. > :15:55.
:15:55. > :16:05.see where my -- where he is placed. Support from the Leinster forwards.
:16:05. > :16:14.
:16:14. > :16:21.McFadyen... Dislodged by Chris Farrell. Leinster start looking
:16:21. > :16:26.good on the front but. Some excellent kicking from Paul
:16:26. > :16:31.Marshall. We see that breakout from register, that is what they are
:16:31. > :16:41.capable of. They will be very pleased with the way their playing
:16:41. > :16:46.
:16:46. > :16:56.tonight. Adam Rickwood and is getting some attention. Here come
:16:56. > :17:04.
:17:05. > :17:14.Leinster again. Skipper Shane Jennings. Mike Ross... Again,
:17:15. > :17:18.
:17:18. > :17:28.Ulster's first time defence is pretty decent. Ian Madigan... Sean
:17:28. > :17:32.
:17:32. > :17:40.Cronin topping-up an inside centre. CHEERING. That is very unfortunate
:17:40. > :17:45.for Peter Nelson. Has played in a couple of Ulster's warm-up games.
:17:45. > :17:52.He just took his life that. conditions are also making it
:17:53. > :18:02.difficult at the back. Looking to get some spark into attack when
:18:03. > :18:29.
:18:29. > :18:38.Leinster -- Ulster want a first- rate. Will the experience of lens
:18:38. > :18:48.to come to bear in the latter stages of this match? -- the
:18:48. > :18:51.
:18:51. > :18:57.experience of Leinster. A good squeeze, and this is well within
:18:57. > :19:07.the kicking range of Ian Madigan. He has got a strong breeze behind
:19:07. > :19:36.
:19:36. > :19:46.him. A bit of consultation and a their intent. They want to get
:19:46. > :19:47.
:19:47. > :19:51.something from this field position. Mike Ross at the back. Devin Toner
:19:51. > :19:55.in the middle. Sean Cronin trying to catapult himself off the side.
:19:55. > :20:05.Leinster still going forward. Ulster need more men behind the
:20:05. > :20:06.
:20:06. > :20:12.ball. Good secondary defence by Ulster. Tim Barker going end, the
:20:12. > :20:20.point of attack is switched. Nearly lost his footing, kept it alive.
:20:20. > :20:26.Nigel Brady is in the middle of all that. Again, Ulster does hang on.
:20:26. > :20:36.He comes Sean Cronin... They have got the quick ball. Here it is Ian
:20:36. > :20:38.
:20:38. > :20:48.Madigan. Good sidestep. Shane Jennings, the skipper. The Munster
:20:48. > :20:49.
:20:49. > :20:53.referee it is in festive spirit. The referee's Hammett a good look -
:20:53. > :20:59.- the referee is having a good look. It is going to be a five-metre
:20:59. > :21:05.scrum. You've got to be impressed with the urgency Ulster showing in
:21:05. > :21:10.defence. Not being overawed by the occasion. It looks like Michael
:21:10. > :21:16.Allen initially and then Nigel Brady come in to help. Immense
:21:16. > :21:21.upper-body strength. He managed to hold the player up and the scrum
:21:21. > :21:24.looks like resolving. Ulster might find themselves under a lot of
:21:24. > :21:32.pressure from the scrum but Leinster will have to work doubly
:21:32. > :21:42.hard. A good piece of defence from Michael Allen, only 20 years of age.
:21:42. > :22:16.
:22:16. > :22:25.Ulster's metal up front. Still no score. He may well make it, he has
:22:25. > :22:35.made it, I'm sure! The referee is not convinced. He has to go up to
:22:35. > :22:43.
:22:43. > :22:47.of the scrum. It looks like Nelson has got underneath that. Unless he
:22:47. > :22:51.has forced that on the second attempt. The initial reply suggests
:22:51. > :22:57.the ball was held up. It could be another case of heroic defence from
:22:57. > :23:01.Ulster. First it was Michael Allen and now it is Peter Nelson. Nelson
:23:01. > :23:11.had to retreat and he came back. His ankle was great, he may have
:23:11. > :23:14.
:23:14. > :23:22.got his legs underneath it. -- his angle. Has Auva'a got that down?
:23:22. > :23:30.Ali Bacher and James McKinney, in there. -- Ali Birch. The ball was
:23:30. > :23:40.held up, said the TMO. But it is going to be a Leinster five-metre
:23:40. > :23:42.
:23:42. > :23:52.scrum, yet again. Extraordinary positive Ulster Defence, has denied
:23:52. > :24:02.
:24:02. > :24:09.Leinster twice. Can they deny them the middle of the Ulster front row.
:24:09. > :24:14.Concentration on the face of Black against Ross. Leinster get the
:24:14. > :24:22.strike, and it collapses, the pick up. I thought the referee was going
:24:22. > :24:27.to go for the penalty, he changed his mind. Ulster hang on again.
:24:27. > :24:37.Just to the right of the Ulster posts, Mike Ross, looking for his
:24:37. > :24:38.
:24:38. > :24:44.first Leinster try, he still can't there. Madigan, a lovely step from
:24:44. > :24:54.Fitzgerald. Fergus MacFadyen, there were men out right. Redden, surely
:24:54. > :25:06.
:25:06. > :25:13.this time. Ulster, throwing from the Ulster Defence. There are
:25:13. > :25:23.so many men out wide. That was almost inevitable, but a great
:25:23. > :25:27.
:25:27. > :25:34.spell by the Ulster Defence, but it. It was late -- weight of
:25:34. > :25:44.numbers. Quick hands, cast on coming in to try to cut of the
:25:44. > :25:51.
:25:51. > :25:58.wide. He knew he had plenty of team-mates and it was picked up by
:25:58. > :26:02.Carr. Many people predicted Ulster would be standing under their posts
:26:02. > :26:05.a lot earlier. Now that they are behind, can they come back and
:26:05. > :26:12.maintain the ferocity of that defence, which has managed to hold
:26:12. > :26:22.Leinster out until this point in the game? Into the second quarter
:26:22. > :26:30.
:26:30. > :26:36.of the game, and opening try for very good kick indeed. The wind was
:26:36. > :26:46.behind them, but it was treacherous, and MacFadyen put the icing on the
:26:46. > :26:48.
:26:48. > :26:58.try kick. 7-02 Leinster. -- 7-0, to Leinster. It was a beautiful kick,
:26:58. > :27:10.
:27:10. > :27:18.he just let the wind bring it Hank tantalisingly for Ulster
:27:18. > :27:27.players to chase. It is spilled backwards, it is Devin Toner. Chris
:27:27. > :27:37.Farrell, with the initial tackle. Madigan, well tackled by Peter
:27:37. > :27:40.
:27:40. > :27:48.Nelson. No point in trying to take him high, he is so strong. D'Arcy
:27:48. > :27:55.slipped the first tackle there. Leinster, into Ulster's half by a
:27:55. > :28:01.few metres, a little readjustment, Cronin is slow -- so belligerent.
:28:01. > :28:06.Ulster have got themselves offside. The referee is playing advantage.
:28:06. > :28:12.The penalty advantage is still there. Redden, beautifully done, a
:28:12. > :28:22.sweeping dummy, he needs a bit of help. It was knocked forward, the
:28:22. > :28:28.advantage was over for Ulster. Good refereeing. Yes, through the gap.
:28:28. > :28:32.Ulster, scrambling well defensively again. Getting plenty of men back,
:28:32. > :28:35.certainly can't doubt the enthusiasm of Ulster. Leinster, a
:28:35. > :28:45.bit of inaccuracy through the game has meant they have turned over
:28:45. > :28:54.
:28:54. > :29:01.possession, some loose passes, and it might be Tim Barker going
:29:01. > :29:11.off. He does not look in great shape. If he goes off, that means
:29:11. > :29:16.possibly a first cap for James Simpson. Although Neil McCombe
:29:16. > :29:20.might slide into the second row. I don't think I have ever seen Tim
:29:20. > :29:30.Barker leave the field injured before. He has been -- he is made
:29:30. > :29:34.
:29:34. > :29:44.replacement, I feel it might be James Simpson. He can play in the
:29:44. > :30:01.
:30:01. > :30:05.back row as well. It might be Neil that badly injured. Brian
:30:05. > :30:15.O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen, Leinster's Heineken Cup-winning
:30:15. > :30:33.
:30:33. > :30:37.placement is certainly an issue. A couple of players have lost their
:30:37. > :30:47.footing in attack, and difficult conditions to move the scrum, to
:30:47. > :30:55.
:30:55. > :31:01.giving Ulster plus 11, when at the teams were announced it was about
:31:01. > :31:07.past 25. That was a legal piece of Leinster's scrummaging and the
:31:07. > :31:13.penalty has gone against Leinster. Cian Healy, the man on the other
:31:13. > :31:23.side of the scrummage. The scrum did come down on Callum Black's
:31:23. > :31:30.
:31:30. > :31:35.is important that Ulster get time in possession, they have defended
:31:35. > :31:39.very well. Eventually, that level of work takes its toll. They need
:31:39. > :31:44.to get time in possession, go through some phases, some ball in
:31:44. > :31:54.hand rugby, into the wind. Nigel Brady has been brought up to the
:31:54. > :32:01.
:32:01. > :32:07.Ulster at the breakdown, Marshall looking for somebody to run and
:32:07. > :32:17.take it on, Diack obliges, met head on by Shane Jennings who has to run
:32:17. > :32:32.
:32:32. > :32:42.that, but he took it well. Ulster, keeping it relatively tight. Good
:32:42. > :32:45.
:32:45. > :32:49.driving play by Ali Bacher. Mike Ford and has given possession back
:32:49. > :32:54.to Leinster. There are times when he -- You have to settle things
:32:54. > :33:02.down. The tactic of taking the quick tap into the wind was a good
:33:02. > :33:09.one. Took the eye of the ball, the right tactic but not the execution
:33:09. > :33:15.on this occasion. Leinster's scrummage, approaching the half
:33:15. > :33:18.hour in terms of time played, only seven point between them. Ulster
:33:18. > :33:28.have the strong at wind at their backs in the second half and will
:33:28. > :33:33.
:33:33. > :33:40.not want Leinster to score too many the form player at the moment. A
:33:40. > :33:47.slightly slippery surface let him down. Still a great chance. Leo
:33:47. > :33:57.Auva'a. Again, all the pressure coming from Leinster. So many men
:33:57. > :34:02.
:34:02. > :34:07.out wide. Cochrane, sucked in and the wing. There was the punch from
:34:07. > :34:11.Fitzgerald and then the stretch -- the punt. Hugely disappointed about
:34:11. > :34:16.being excluded from the Ireland lock Cup squad but is back to his
:34:17. > :34:26.best form. Playing with -- the Ireland World Cup squad. Playing
:34:26. > :34:30.Ireland World Cup squad. Playing playing with width and having but
:34:30. > :34:39.quality of possession. Ultimately, sheer weight of numbers gets them
:34:39. > :34:49.across the line for the second time. Sean Cronin, his first try for his
:34:49. > :34:58.
:34:59. > :35:08.conversion from the opposite side of the field, and this is probably
:35:09. > :35:12.
:35:12. > :35:18.the better side for a right-footed between the posts! That is a pretty
:35:18. > :35:23.decent example of goal-kicking by Fergus McFadden. Outstanding.
:35:23. > :35:27.Madigan, finding the space in the wider channel. Similar to the first
:35:27. > :35:32.try. Leinster play with an intensity and a tempo that makes it
:35:32. > :35:42.very difficult. We saw against Bath in the Heineken Cup, they
:35:42. > :35:43.
:35:44. > :35:53.dismantled them by playing with here. Now they have got their tails
:35:54. > :35:54.
:35:54. > :35:57.up. And Ulster get a penalty. This is kickable. Yeah, Ali Bacher has
:35:57. > :36:04.been very prominent defensively, that time getting his hands over
:36:04. > :36:14.the ball. -- Ali Birch has been. The resultant penalty is welcome
:36:14. > :36:17.
:36:17. > :36:27.the centre in the shape of Chris Farrell, one in the back row,
:36:27. > :36:35.
:36:35. > :36:45.Connor Joyce. James McKinney, only tournaments under his belt, making
:36:45. > :37:10.
:37:10. > :37:20.has made that one, nicely done. and Jonnie Bell, there. A little
:37:20. > :37:39.
:37:39. > :37:49.bit of a correction,, Joyce plays D'Arcy. Marshall, Brady. Taken by
:37:49. > :37:59.
:37:59. > :38:08.signing at prop forward. Michael Allen, trying to release Chris
:38:08. > :38:18.Cochrane. Well won on the ground by Louis Stephenson. I'll stick drank
:38:18. > :38:33.
:38:34. > :38:38.their best to match the arts the half by a matter of metres. Good
:38:38. > :38:43.work by the Ulster pack. Going in twos and threes, protecting the
:38:43. > :38:47.ball, going through a number of faces. Leinster penalised, an
:38:47. > :38:57.opportunity for Ulster, back in lens the territory. That is where
:38:57. > :39:00.
:39:00. > :39:05.you want to be, get possession James McKinney and his half-back
:39:05. > :39:09.partner says, don't worry. Apart from Paul Marshall, the entire
:39:09. > :39:19.Ulster back division have been playing regularly for the Ulster
:39:19. > :39:25.
:39:25. > :39:30.ravens. It is basically an Academy penalty for not releasing in the
:39:30. > :39:40.tackle. There is time for Leinster to add another point or two before
:39:40. > :39:50.
:39:50. > :39:55.at his back. His kicking all season has been excellent. That was not
:39:55. > :40:00.excellent, that might just go dead, it has. They will have to come all
:40:00. > :40:03.the way back for the scrummage. Ian Madigan has got a bit of a bloody
:40:03. > :40:10.nose, he will get a metaphorical bloody nose from his coach for not
:40:10. > :40:14.finding his touch. He went for length rather than accuracy. Trying
:40:14. > :40:17.to get too much out of that. The tactic on the second phase of that
:40:18. > :40:22.play was going to be the driven line-out. They are not going to get
:40:22. > :40:27.that opportunity, it is back to scrum time, Rs that have probably a
:40:27. > :40:34.better returns out of the scrum and Leicester -- Ulster have probably
:40:34. > :40:39.got better returns out of the scrum than Leinster. A good squeeze by
:40:39. > :40:49.Leinster but a much better Ulster's scrum, could control by Diack,
:40:49. > :41:10.
:41:10. > :41:14.Leinster will get the put in -- others are about performance.
:41:14. > :41:18.Ultimately, you're always judged on results but one feels for the
:41:18. > :41:21.coaching and management team. This game is more about the team
:41:21. > :41:26.performance and individual performance, what they can glean
:41:26. > :41:29.from the development of some of these players, as time goes on.
:41:29. > :41:36.lot of individual boxes tick in a very positive manner, so far
:41:36. > :41:45.tonight. Again, the Leinster front Road guilty of collapsing, the
:41:45. > :41:48.referee is not taking any nonsense. Mike Ross, not binding correctly.
:41:48. > :41:58.Can it make any put Ulster reasonably close to the Leinster
:41:58. > :41:59.
:41:59. > :42:04.line? -- can McKinney put Ulster? Ulster won't care, they have got
:42:04. > :42:07.the penalty, they are the team in the opposition territory. They will
:42:08. > :42:12.look at the score board, many people in the press room thought
:42:12. > :42:18.the scoreline would be a lot more bloated than it is. Nobody was
:42:18. > :42:25.giving Ulster any chance whatsoever. A better kick by James McKinney,
:42:25. > :42:35.Ulster within striking distance of the Leinster line. Leinster, nearly
:42:35. > :42:41.
:42:41. > :42:51.from an offside position. Good clearing out by Ulster. Good
:42:51. > :42:56.
:42:56. > :43:06.support by Ali Bacher and Konno support here, they are making that
:43:06. > :43:16.
:43:16. > :43:21.support heard. Well in by Leo relatively inexperienced Ulster and
:43:21. > :43:25.Brian McLaughlin will be delighted for a very good ball security,
:43:25. > :43:35.getting the numbers to ensure they retain possession, doing the basics
:43:35. > :43:47.
:43:47. > :43:57.very well. That has afforded Ulster Ulster pack. Adam their is getting
:43:57. > :44:33.
:44:33. > :44:43.better with every game -- Adam close range, of by James McKinney.
:44:43. > :44:44.
:44:44. > :44:47.Leinster 14 and Ulster 6. It looks like a couple of season-ticket
:44:47. > :44:57.holders have not taken the option of showing up for this game, they
:44:57. > :45:20.
:45:20. > :45:30.are missing a good contest. finished this half. Crucial that
:45:30. > :45:32.
:45:32. > :45:42.they don't give a way that they have tried just before half-time.
:45:42. > :45:51.
:45:51. > :45:58.David Kearney came in from the middle. Ridden again. -- Reddan.
:45:59. > :46:08.Leinster had really driven into the heart of the 22. All the pressure
:46:09. > :46:10.
:46:10. > :46:20.now coming from Leinster. Nigel Brady does a great tackling job.
:46:20. > :46:27.
:46:27. > :46:37.Taken on by Damian Browne. Mike Ross... Well presented. Damian
:46:37. > :46:43.
:46:43. > :46:52.Browne, making a with the -- the tackle. Lense to get possession,
:46:52. > :46:57.but James McKinley deserves on us for that. Chris Cochrane took the
:46:57. > :47:05.wrong option, should have stayed out. Sensing the opportunity cover
:47:05. > :47:11.straight onto the ball. Paul Marshall makes the break and then
:47:11. > :47:21.just a mass communication, Chris Cochrane thinking it was going a
:47:21. > :47:38.
:47:38. > :47:44.natural -- Amis -- miscommunication. Kevin McLoughlin, a comeback for
:47:44. > :47:50.the Ulster side. Relents to go for the scrum here? They certainly have
:47:51. > :47:57.the option to go for the three points. You would expect them to go
:47:57. > :48:07.for the scrum at this point in the game. They have got the experience.
:48:07. > :48:17.
:48:17. > :48:24.I think that is the option they are Ulster didn't concede anything
:48:24. > :48:34.further by the interval, they might be in with a shout. They haven't
:48:34. > :49:10.
:49:10. > :49:19.the resetting of these scrums. -- would be too concerned. Leinster
:49:19. > :49:29.probably haven't utilised the wind enough in this half. Equate scrum
:49:29. > :49:31.
:49:31. > :49:41.by Leinster. -- a great scrum. Leinster will go for the scrum
:49:41. > :49:45.
:49:45. > :49:55.again, I'm sure. Ulster will be looking at playing into the wind
:49:55. > :50:21.
:50:21. > :50:30.and will be delighted with their solid at Leinster. Try No. 3 for
:50:30. > :50:35.Leinster just before half-time. They are just starting to pull away.
:50:35. > :50:45.Poor defence in the back row by Ulster. They nearly got their
:50:45. > :50:49.
:50:49. > :50:55.earlier in the first half. The defence attracted wider, just
:50:55. > :51:05.getting it under the post. pretty certain he is not going to
:51:05. > :51:12.
:51:12. > :51:18.miss this one. Just Roma are hoping from a Ulster perspective that they
:51:18. > :51:28.could hang on to the eight. Deficit, all of a sudden it is a big 13.
:51:28. > :51:43.
:51:43. > :51:46.Deficit. -- 13- point. Physically, they were up to the challenge. The
:51:46. > :51:56.scoreboard doesn't truly reflect the effect that Ulster have put
:51:56. > :52:04.
:52:04. > :52:14.the effect that Ulster have put the effect that Ulster have put
:52:14. > :52:18.
:52:18. > :52:28.indefensibly. -- defensively. It has been a gutsy first half by a
:52:28. > :52:29.
:52:29. > :52:36.Ulster's Young guns. Luke Fitzgerald lit up the town for the
:52:36. > :52:46.men in blue. The Ulster defence stood very firm on a couple of
:52:46. > :52:53.occasions, but it can last for long. A mistake by Paul Marshall,
:52:53. > :53:01.uncharacteristic of him. And another fantastic break by Luke
:53:01. > :53:11.Fitzgerald. It led to Leinster's second try of the game. McKinney
:53:11. > :53:21.knocked over. It has been a good defence performance by Ulster, but
:53:21. > :53:22.
:53:22. > :53:30.Leinster looked impressive. Three tries and a 5th team point margin.
:53:30. > :53:36.And we can hear from the Ulster director of rugby. Despite the late
:53:36. > :53:46.try, you must take some positives from that. It was a very good
:53:46. > :53:50.
:53:50. > :53:58.first-half performance. We defended We created a couple of
:53:58. > :54:04.opportunities, particularly early on. Just some small mistakes.
:54:04. > :54:09.we say to them in the dressing room? I think it is a case of
:54:09. > :54:16.getting back out. A lot of our young players haven't experienced
:54:16. > :54:23.this intensity before. We have got to go out and try and get the ball
:54:23. > :54:32.now. We have got some very good runners, if they can keep that ball
:54:32. > :54:36.and not make so many mistakes, it will be good. You come out
:54:36. > :54:45.sometimes after half-time thinking the wind might tubby, if we just
:54:45. > :54:49.try to take the ball away, we need to keep making tackles. I think we
:54:49. > :54:59.have got come out with a really positive attitude. We have got
:54:59. > :55:02.
:55:02. > :55:09.nothing to lose. Andy, what did you make Bob Foster's performance? --
:55:09. > :55:15.of Ulster's performance? I would like to have seen these young guys
:55:15. > :55:18.playing with a couple more senior players just to calm them down a
:55:19. > :55:23.bit and curve their enthusiasm, have put it in the right channels.
:55:23. > :55:27.There has been a lot of talk about the Ulster defence and how great it
:55:27. > :55:35.has been, but you're not going to win the game had just three
:55:35. > :55:44.defending. If they had just a couple of experienced players
:55:44. > :55:54.dotted in a monks the team, that would have helped. -- in a monster.
:55:54. > :56:02.
:56:02. > :56:06.It would have been a great thing to see. I just think they missed that
:56:06. > :56:12.little bit. Paul Marshall as the most experienced player behind the
:56:12. > :56:18.pack. That is a good thing, but these young players want to improve
:56:18. > :56:27.themselves alongside, not just out in front. It would have been a nice
:56:27. > :56:33.boost to them to be playing alongside more experienced players.
:56:33. > :56:41.It was always going to be a massive ask for this inexperience to Ulster
:56:41. > :56:51.side. But let's look good the positives. A good start? Yes, we
:56:51. > :56:57.
:56:57. > :57:05.were concerned. Leinster came out looking very good. They were able
:57:05. > :57:14.to the Palace Pier off the back of this. -- they were able to repel us
:57:14. > :57:18.here. Any chances that we have had have been off the back of Leinster.
:57:18. > :57:22.There will be something in the second half... These passages of
:57:22. > :57:32.play, it is all very good, they are doing the right things, but look
:57:32. > :57:32.
:57:32. > :57:37.how much Leinster is committing to these are rucks. These Leinster
:57:37. > :57:47.guys could do this all day long. Them making it hard for themselves.
:57:47. > :57:57.You'll see clips later Ron whereby it is just so quick -- later on. I
:57:57. > :57:58.
:57:58. > :58:08.think there will take its toll. their defence something that help
:58:08. > :58:11.
:58:11. > :58:19.them out? And the ability to create quick balls, they have some pretty
:58:19. > :58:29.good individuals like Mike Ross. They were dwarfing some of our
:58:29. > :58:34.
:58:35. > :58:39.props. It equates to a lot of huff and puff.
:58:39. > :58:44.These are big, international rugby players running at them and these
:58:44. > :58:52.guys are probably half the side, physically. That is all you can ask
:58:52. > :58:59.for from a coaching perspective. It just came down to numbers, it took
:58:59. > :59:02.its toll. That is the experience of Leinster. And Tony, you would
:59:02. > :59:06.expect that Ulster are going to have to do a lot more defending in
:59:06. > :59:09.the second half. It is all about trying to soak up as much
:59:09. > :59:14.experience from this much as possible. We hope that they don't
:59:14. > :59:24.have to. We're quite realistic that as the game goes on, we will do
:59:24. > :59:26.
:59:26. > :59:36.more. I think we will see that we will need to chase well if we do
:59:36. > :59:40.
:59:40. > :59:45.kick. Luke Fitzgerald is extremely strong.
:59:46. > :59:55.You can see what Paul has trying to do her, to speed the game up and
:59:56. > :59:59.
:00:00. > :00:05.try and keep it more fluid from our point of view. Luke Fitzgerald is
:00:05. > :00:12.very quick here. He is a very exciting player. He
:00:12. > :00:22.looks so fast. He makes good, sound decisions on what he is doing with
:00:22. > :00:24.
:00:24. > :00:34.decisions on what he is doing with the ball.
:00:34. > :00:34.
:00:34. > :00:37.If you are a young guys out here tonight, you will learn from that.
:00:37. > :00:47.The scoreboard didn't look that bad The scoreboard didn't look that bad
:00:47. > :00:49.
:00:49. > :00:54.for Ulster. Absolutely. I would have been delighted with that. They
:00:54. > :01:01.have come out with a fairly good result. They need to turn it round
:01:01. > :01:10.and see if they can maintain the ball. If this young group of
:01:10. > :01:20.players was able to maintain the poor, they would do well. -- the
:01:20. > :01:21.
:01:21. > :01:31.ball. That exactly what you're back-row
:01:31. > :01:40.
:01:40. > :01:50.once. -- that is exactly what your wants. His their part of you, Tony,
:01:50. > :02:05.
:02:05. > :02:14.which is disappointed today? -- is There was a decision to be made
:02:14. > :02:23.last week which would give the guys a turnaround of the week. They have
:02:23. > :02:27.set out to win the home game against Munster on Friday. A
:02:27. > :02:37.publisher's that lends to have been able to manage their time up to the
:02:37. > :02:39.
:02:39. > :02:46.season much better. -- Leinster have been able. Does that show the
:02:46. > :02:56.depth and strength of these teams? I was speaking to Simon Shaw a
:02:56. > :03:03.
:03:03. > :03:07.couple of weeks ago. It goes to show what is really going on. We
:03:07. > :03:14.are seeing guys thrown into the back row tonight he was 18 years
:03:14. > :03:23.old. If you're good enough, you are up to it, but otherwise you will
:03:23. > :03:28.look a long way off your peak physical condition. The Ulster
:03:28. > :03:32.rugby fans went get a chance to see them at all in these two double-
:03:32. > :03:42.header matches of the Christmas period. That is the upshot. You pay
:03:42. > :03:46.
:03:46. > :03:50.your soup -- season-ticket. What we like to see his Ulster to give a
:03:50. > :03:58.good account of themselves so that -- as a team, but I would like to
:03:58. > :04:08.see a good spattering of senior players and young players. Let's
:04:08. > :04:37.
:04:37. > :04:47.That is not about strike, well covered by Luke Fitzgerald. Ian
:04:47. > :04:51.
:04:51. > :05:01.Madigan kept that low. I don't think it was deliberate. McKinney...
:05:01. > :05:03.
:05:03. > :05:13.Well trapped by a sham car. What a good tackle by Paul Marshall.
:05:13. > :05:14.
:05:14. > :05:23.Callum Black did a good job, covering back again. And Luke
:05:23. > :05:33.Fitzgerald is dangerous every times. Ulster have the wind at their backs,
:05:33. > :05:54.
:05:54. > :06:04.they need to insure they have that the match award before. Tim Barker.
:06:04. > :06:09.
:06:09. > :06:19.Robbie Diack, a little bit out of its own. -- zone. Here is Michael
:06:19. > :06:25.
:06:25. > :06:35.Allen. Paul Marshall lost his footing. Back goes Callum Black.
:06:35. > :06:51.
:06:51. > :06:58.There has been a change in the quickly. He has gone over on his
:06:58. > :07:08.ankle. One of those ones where the second player comes in at an
:07:08. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:22.awkward angle. He get pushed backwards on to his ankle. A little
:07:22. > :07:32.
:07:32. > :07:42.bit unfortunate. He has played 75 times for Connacht. Andrew Conway,
:07:42. > :07:48.
:07:48. > :07:53.the Junior World Cup player. But he was caught, he was almost double
:07:53. > :07:58.tackled, but he seems to be fine. It is good news for Fionn Carr and
:07:58. > :08:02.Leinster, maybe not for Ulster but always good to see a player get up
:08:02. > :08:09.after what looked like a serious injury. The first scrum of the
:08:09. > :08:18.second half, Leinster's put in. That was no way near straight. But
:08:18. > :08:23.who cares, these days(!) Gordon D'Arcy tries to slip inside. Reddan
:08:23. > :08:28.gets it away. A typically rampaging charge by him but he has lost the
:08:29. > :08:34.ball. The referee is playing advantage, they come back to the
:08:34. > :08:43.knock forward. Ulster, looking to have the same urgency again in
:08:43. > :08:50.defence. You can't rely on that to get you through the game, Leinster
:08:50. > :08:53.will go back -- eventually break you down. Ulster will be keen to
:08:54. > :09:00.get ball in hand but in the right places. They need to use the wind
:09:00. > :09:06.at their backs, established field position and then go through the
:09:06. > :09:16.paces. Michael Allen, doing a decent job in the middle of the
:09:16. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:30.Marshall takes it quickly. Marshall was may be put off. They have lost
:09:30. > :09:40.ground. He Gordon D'Arcy. It went forward from his hand, after it --
:09:40. > :09:42.
:09:42. > :09:51.three World Cups. Great upper-body strength, a low centre of gravity
:09:51. > :09:56.as well. Tom Court, clearing a bit of RBS mud from his boots. He will
:09:56. > :10:05.add a lot more experience, and also bulk and good old fashioned muscle
:10:05. > :10:11.to the Ulster front row. I can't understand why it this competition,
:10:11. > :10:15.the proton of, and the Heineken Cup, allow two prop forwards on the
:10:15. > :10:25.replacement bench and the Six Nations does not -- the pro- 12,
:10:25. > :10:48.
:10:48. > :10:54.and the Heineken Cup. The referee in more trouble than giving away
:10:54. > :11:00.penalties, if he continues to pull the scrum down. James McKinney has
:11:00. > :11:05.found touch. Is the son of John McKinney, the man who for so many
:11:05. > :11:08.years was in charge of rugby at Campbell College and took them to
:11:09. > :11:14.the Ulster Schools Cup final. He was a decent wing three-quarter in
:11:14. > :11:18.his day as well. That is battered, here is O'Farrell, formerly of
:11:18. > :11:22.Campbell College. He ducked into the tackle, nothing illegal about
:11:22. > :11:32.that. Pick up by Kalam Black, Lewis Stephenson giving him a bit of
:11:32. > :11:37.
:11:37. > :11:42.Court set it up. Ali Birch into reverse gear. The ball is off the
:11:42. > :11:47.ground, they have got to get it off the ground. After were in danger of
:11:47. > :11:57.losing that, because they were off the ground. -- Ulster were in
:11:57. > :11:59.
:11:59. > :12:04.going to go straight for Wood. Court still takes it on, very
:12:04. > :12:11.encouraging by him. -- to go straight forward. Marshall needs a
:12:11. > :12:21.few more men in there. Can they capitalise on the position? And the
:12:21. > :12:26.
:12:26. > :12:33.staffed. Chris Cochrane does well. He is going to make it, what a
:12:33. > :12:37.score. What a riposte by Ulster. Three tries to nil down after the
:12:37. > :12:42.interval and they have come back and scored the try of the evening.
:12:42. > :12:45.Impressive stuff, going through the phases, around the fringes. Tom
:12:45. > :12:50.Court creates good quality possession and then wonderful
:12:50. > :12:55.sleight of hand by making me. Perfect angle by Cochrane --
:12:55. > :13:05.sleight of hand by making me. A wonderful piece of finishing by no
:13:05. > :13:10.
:13:10. > :13:16.defensive errors in the first half but it is redemption time. He was
:13:16. > :13:26.up to it. He plays his club rugby with Dungannon and the ravens.
:13:26. > :13:47.
:13:47. > :13:54.looking rosier for Ulster. We are back to the situation where there
:13:54. > :13:59.are only eight points between them. We can see the benefits of playing
:13:59. > :14:02.together for the ravens. Cochrane comes through the middle, excellent
:14:02. > :14:08.cohesion, important that Ulster were first to score, to make this a
:14:08. > :14:13.contest. Marshall has given that one heck of a kick. If you are
:14:13. > :14:16.going to kick tactically, that is exactly what you have to do. You
:14:17. > :14:21.don't kick it to the opposition, you kick it where the opposition
:14:21. > :14:25.can't get it. You can see the effect add has had on the Ulster
:14:25. > :14:30.body language. They are chasing the kicks with venom and they will be
:14:30. > :14:32.encouraged by that start in the second half. They can play in
:14:32. > :14:42.opposition territory, it has brought some excitement to this
:14:42. > :14:47.
:14:47. > :14:57.contest. Toner wins it, Reddan and make that tackle? D'Arcy, trying to
:14:57. > :15:03.
:15:03. > :15:10.use the craft and guile -- and this is the big number eight.
:15:10. > :15:20.Reddan. If Leinster are going to be spurred into replying quickly. A
:15:20. > :15:26.
:15:26. > :15:32.good offload to Fitzgerald. Tackled by James McKinney. Reddan, Madigan.
:15:32. > :15:39.He hit a good sidestep. The ball has gone loose. It is knocked
:15:39. > :15:44.forward. The referee, playing advantage. Leinster are all at
:15:44. > :15:54.sixes and sevens. They are going through a rocky patch in terms of
:15:54. > :15:59.
:15:59. > :16:06.settle in. -- saturnine. -- settling. They are not showing the
:16:06. > :16:10.composure you expect from a team that has won 11 on the trot. Carr
:16:10. > :16:20.got tackled, Fitzgerald was well marshalled, I think Carr is going
:16:20. > :16:20.
:16:20. > :16:25.off, that is a bit unfortunate. minutes played in the second half.
:16:25. > :16:35.Andrew Conway is seriously quick, the former Irish calls and under 20
:16:35. > :16:45.
:16:45. > :16:55.spire. -- Irish schools and under it away well, McKinney, nicely
:16:55. > :17:03.
:17:03. > :17:08.Ulster did not have enough men in the middle of all that. Another
:17:08. > :17:14.outrageous dummy by Reddan. The referee, much to the annoyance of
:17:14. > :17:24.the Leicester crowd, as not allowed Leinster any advantage -- of the
:17:24. > :17:26.
:17:26. > :17:30.Leinster crowd. He has given a knock-on. Gordon D'Arcy, driving
:17:30. > :17:33.through the centre of the maul. A difficult ball bouncing around,
:17:33. > :17:38.ruled to have touched the ball on the way through. When you put
:17:38. > :17:42.youngsters into this sort of atmosphere, you get enthusiasm and
:17:42. > :17:46.after have lacked none of that. You are waiting for the lens the
:17:46. > :17:51.composure to be brought to bear but Ulster are doing well to keep in
:17:52. > :17:59.touch -- the Leinster composure to be brought to bear. Chris Cochrane
:17:59. > :18:07.is injured. Gaston was the replacement wing but he has started
:18:07. > :18:14.because of a late withdrawal of Simon Danielli. Ricky Andrew is on
:18:14. > :18:22.the bench for Ulster. Leinster have the comfort of a very experienced
:18:22. > :18:27.bench. If you look through the names, Richardt Strauss, Isaac Boss,
:18:27. > :18:37.experienced players at this level we could be called on if required.
:18:37. > :18:45.
:18:45. > :18:51.improvement in the Ulster scrum. Farrell as well. James McKinney
:18:51. > :19:01.gets it away, a great piece of play by Nelson. What a wonderful run
:19:01. > :19:23.
:19:23. > :19:28.Allen. Couldn't quite get the pass away. Ulster's young backs in
:19:29. > :19:32.sparkling form with ball in hand. They are taking it to Leinster.
:19:32. > :19:36.Allen trying to position himself you get the pass away.
:19:36. > :19:43.Unfortunately, running out of space on the outside. As the tackle comes
:19:43. > :19:47.in, he looks for the offload, just not going to hand. Some impressive
:19:47. > :19:57.lead-up work and certainly having a go. The Devon Taione a wins it.
:19:57. > :19:58.
:19:58. > :20:07.Ulster might have disrupted -- Devin Toner wins it. He did well,
:20:07. > :20:15.here comes Stevenson. Pick up by Callum Black. Well taken in by Ali
:20:15. > :20:21.Birch, he has had a good Ulster debut. Good lens their defence. --
:20:21. > :20:31.good Leinster defence. I think he is leaving it. Court squeezes and
:20:31. > :20:37.
:20:37. > :20:47.drives and squeeze it again. Nigel this highly experienced Ulster side.
:20:47. > :21:18.
:21:18. > :21:28.tight. Marshall, a barrel. -- good defence. Leinster's secure
:21:28. > :21:30.
:21:30. > :21:36.possession again. A little inside flip, the Leinster defence is solid.
:21:36. > :21:42.Tom Court maybe in the middle of that. A good steal by Leinster.
:21:42. > :21:50.Terrific piece of play by Shane Jennings, good work by Ulster, but
:21:50. > :21:54.offside. What a great piece of pressure by this Ulster side and an
:21:54. > :22:00.equally good piece of defence by Leinster, who will be shocked by
:22:00. > :22:06.the ferocity of the young Ulster Lions. Shane Jennings, showing all
:22:06. > :22:11.that experience, to infiltrate the maul and rip the ball out. It would
:22:11. > :22:15.have made it interesting, had Ulster got a score, with the wind
:22:15. > :22:25.at their backs and in the ascendancy. Up to Leinster to
:22:25. > :22:32.
:22:32. > :22:39.field for Leinster. Her Kevin McLaughlin will probably slip into
:22:39. > :22:49.the second row and radical take his position in the back row. --
:22:49. > :22:56.
:22:56. > :23:04.he has come on, the son of former Leinster and Welsh coach Mike
:23:04. > :23:14.Ruddock. Leinster, realising they have got to take this Ulster side
:23:14. > :23:29.
:23:29. > :23:35.on up front and they are doing a done by the veteran, Reddan, if he
:23:35. > :23:45.doesn't mind recalling him that. Healy is down injured, -- if he
:23:45. > :23:58.
:23:58. > :24:08.Joyce and Neil McCombe. Leinster, trying to create with, as they did
:24:08. > :24:09.
:24:09. > :24:15.in the first half. -- create width. Robbie Diack gets across. Reddan
:24:15. > :24:22.again, good Leinster pressure, looking for another try which would
:24:22. > :24:32.secure the bonus point. The crowd seemed to sense something is on.
:24:32. > :24:38.
:24:38. > :24:44.came bouncing straight back. As you would expect, from the champions of
:24:44. > :24:51.Europe. They showed how dangerous they can be on the front foot. They
:24:51. > :24:56.seem to go into cruise control mode. High-tempo ball, Reddan start
:24:56. > :25:02.sniping around the edges, exciting stuff to watch, bringing the crowd
:25:02. > :25:07.back into the game. Shane Jennings, interestingly, has decided to go
:25:07. > :25:11.for the posts. A mark of respect for Ulster's performance in this
:25:11. > :25:16.second half. Already, one would have thought enough of a buffer,
:25:16. > :25:25.but Leinster, not taking any chances, trying to increase the
:25:25. > :25:29.margin as they go in search of the 4th try. MacFadyen has been in
:25:29. > :25:33.cracking form, he landed three conversions in the first half. We
:25:33. > :25:37.are nearly midway through the second half and this is the first
:25:37. > :25:45.genuine chance of Leinster points in the second half, which speaks
:25:45. > :25:55.volumes for the tenacity of this Ulster side. Fergus MacFadyen, now
:25:55. > :26:15.
:26:15. > :26:21.wide. How did he miss that one? Only he knows. Marshall needs to
:26:21. > :26:24.settle himself, and he has done. That was a let off for of that.
:26:25. > :26:29.tactic looked like kick it low into the wind, to take that out of it,
:26:29. > :26:39.but it did not rule required, with the distance but was there. It
:26:39. > :26:40.
:26:40. > :26:48.looked more like a soccer penalty attempt. Fitzgerald, underneath it,
:26:48. > :26:56.they need to watch out for him. Reddan, McLaughlin at pace.
:26:56. > :27:02.Leinster, being patient, that is the key word. One wonders where
:27:02. > :27:11.Rhys radical be playing his rugby next year. -- Rhys Ruddock will be
:27:11. > :27:19.playing his rugby. Kevin no but then again. -- Kevin McLaughlin
:27:19. > :27:29.again. Again, good Ulster defence, but the leads the pressure is
:27:29. > :27:37.
:27:37. > :27:42.mounting. Jennings. -- the Leinster recycling, and great driving. This
:27:42. > :27:52.is Reddan again, that was very close. Again, the crowd get behind
:27:52. > :27:53.
:27:53. > :28:00.them, it is Healy. Fitzgerald. I think Leinster have nudged that
:28:00. > :28:03.forward. Ulster, living right on the very edge. Once again,
:28:03. > :28:06.desperate defence denying Leinster. We saw a couple of tries held up
:28:06. > :28:10.over the line in the first half, this is desperate defence from the
:28:10. > :28:15.outside. Wonderful tackle by Paul Marshall on the bigger man. The
:28:15. > :28:20.ball out into the wider channels, Chris Cochrane, analysing the
:28:20. > :28:23.situation perfectly, coming into cut of that attack. We see a comedy
:28:23. > :28:28.of errors, fumbling the ball, Ulster have a chance to clear their
:28:28. > :28:38.lines. I think if Fitzgerald had not released Abul, Cochrane would
:28:38. > :28:46.
:28:46. > :28:56.have got the intercept in. -- not never expect anything. The two
:28:56. > :29:05.coaches at the moment, Brian McLaughlin might be happier.
:29:05. > :29:12.tremendous but -- performance from Ulster so far. The adrenalin will
:29:12. > :29:22.start be wearing off in this match. Will they have that focus and
:29:22. > :29:27.
:29:28. > :29:35.ability to sustain this level of before the ball goes in, but the
:29:35. > :29:45.referee is going to ask them to do it again. You can see how badly the
:29:45. > :29:51.
:29:51. > :30:01.pitch is becoming cut up. Kevin McLoughlin has gone into the second
:30:01. > :30:20.
:30:20. > :30:30.have got that a lot quicker, Ulster. The No. It was very definitely at
:30:30. > :31:02.
:31:02. > :31:12.Leinster. Eoin O'Malley has come on. Solid Leinster's gram. Good work by
:31:12. > :31:22.Marshall. Here comes Eoin O'Malley, straight away. Leinster's still
:31:22. > :31:24.
:31:24. > :31:30.have it can go looking for the bonus point try. Ulster need to be
:31:30. > :31:37.careful they don't concede another penalty. Narrow side effort. Here
:31:37. > :31:47.is the big New Zealander going for his second try. It's going to be
:31:47. > :31:52.
:31:52. > :32:02.one for Reddan. Sean Cronin has a look to either side. Peter
:32:02. > :32:06.
:32:06. > :32:13.Fitzgibbon is still there. Again, Leinster press and Ulster did in. -
:32:13. > :32:20.- dig in. The referee has blown the whistle, I think somebody is
:32:20. > :32:23.injured. I think Sean Cronin has maybe got a bumper the head. Once
:32:23. > :32:33.again, the Ulster defence on the line can be denying Leinster. A bit
:32:33. > :32:36.
:32:36. > :32:43.more composure in their efforts at this time. Cian Healy trying to get
:32:43. > :32:53.across that line. They haven't checked the physical aspect of this
:32:53. > :33:14.
:33:14. > :33:24.game. -- shirked. Just over 15 has meant that West Yorkshire
:33:24. > :33:25.
:33:25. > :33:35.Police have had -- has meant that Ulster has not a single
:33:35. > :33:36.
:33:36. > :33:40.international. Sean Cronin has gone off the field. Richardt Strauss is
:33:40. > :33:50.coming on. He has played more than 50 times for the cheetahs back in
:33:50. > :33:52.
:33:52. > :34:02.his native country. It is one of those positions where Leinster have
:34:02. > :34:07.
:34:07. > :34:17.got enviable depth. The ability to rotate his playing resources, they
:34:17. > :34:21.
:34:22. > :34:29.have huge depth in their face what. -- in their squad. Through no fault
:34:29. > :34:39.of anyone, the front rows stood up. 15 minutes remaining, eight points
:34:39. > :34:42.
:34:42. > :34:48.between them. That little post with a plastic bag is the corner post,
:34:48. > :34:58.indicating how close Leinster art of the Ulster line. -- how close
:34:58. > :35:00.
:35:00. > :35:08.Leinster are to the Ulster line. Not through the mark, as is the
:35:08. > :35:12.referee. I'm sure Leinster will go free yet another scrum. A couple of
:35:12. > :35:22.occasions, Leinster have tried that, but it will be back to scrum time
:35:22. > :35:45.
:35:45. > :35:55.again. Leinster, top of the pro 12 well over an hour to get into full
:35:55. > :36:00.
:36:00. > :36:05.voice. CHEERING.. Maybe they haven't really seen the need for it.
:36:05. > :36:08.There will be huge pride in the performance from this team. It is
:36:08. > :36:18.vital they keep it on for the next 40 minutes. Leinster are capable of
:36:18. > :36:25.scoring a lot of points in that time. The referee has given a try.
:36:25. > :36:31.That is the bonus try. Leinster would have scored the try, hence
:36:31. > :36:35.the penalty try. That really is game over. Bonus point for Leinster.
:36:35. > :36:45.A great squeeze on and the Ulster front row collapsed under all that
:36:45. > :36:53.
:36:53. > :37:03.pressure. Tom Corke down on one knee. Leinster a benefiting from
:37:03. > :37:04.
:37:04. > :37:10.fact that the scrum could not be completed. 13 minutes remaining.
:37:10. > :37:15.McFadden with no mistake this time. That is his 4th conversion.
:37:15. > :37:25.Leinster and now leading by 28 points to 13. -- Leinster are now
:37:25. > :37:35.leading. 12 minutes left on the clock. An opportunity for Stuart
:37:35. > :37:51.
:37:51. > :38:01.boarding coming on. -- Olding. is lovely stuff. Andrew Conway just
:38:01. > :38:06.
:38:06. > :38:16.couldn't hold the ball. What a moment for this 18-year-old, Stuart.
:38:16. > :38:25.When you look at the age of that back line, playing in front of
:38:25. > :38:35.15,000 here. The average age is probably slightly under 20. Jamie
:38:35. > :38:39.
:38:39. > :38:44.Hagan coming on, Mike Ross going off with a medical official. Jamie
:38:44. > :38:54.Hagan came here to Leinster at the end of last season from Connacht.
:38:54. > :38:59.
:38:59. > :39:08.He played 50 times for Connacht. Cian Healy might well go off. It
:39:08. > :39:18.seems he has got a problem with his neck. He looks like he was
:39:18. > :39:26.
:39:26. > :39:36.physically ill her. -- there. McGrath is on. Leinster have
:39:36. > :39:36.
:39:36. > :40:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 49 seconds
:40:25. > :40:30.remaining. Good squeeze by Leinster. Ulster come in from the wrong side.
:40:30. > :40:40.That is a penalty to Leinster, who want to make little bit of ground
:40:40. > :40:43.
:40:43. > :40:49.from that. He did well to maintain his feet for long enough. An
:40:49. > :40:58.opportunity for Leinster now. Ulster do want to do is put their
:40:58. > :41:06.heads down and concede anything more. 10 more minutes remaining.
:41:06. > :41:16.Ulster went one to concede anything more, if possible. Ian Madigan.
:41:16. > :41:22.
:41:22. > :41:27.Gordon D'Arcy... Shane Jennings. Robbie Diack with the tackle, needs
:41:27. > :41:37.to get away from it. Ali Birch coming through. Reddan does really
:41:37. > :41:40.
:41:40. > :41:50.well. The Eoin O'Malley. Here is Andrew Conway. Good covering by
:41:50. > :42:03.
:42:03. > :42:13.Jerry Creggan. -- Cronin. Ian Madigan has done it again! CHEERING.
:42:13. > :42:13.
:42:13. > :42:19.A lovely little try. Some excellent work. Ian Madigan involved again,
:42:19. > :42:23.and from that recycled ball, some clever footwork by Ian Madigan. He
:42:23. > :42:30.slipped through the tackle and under the post. You were talking
:42:30. > :42:37.about Leinster's strength and depth in a number of positions. They're
:42:37. > :42:42.not too bad, are they? Looking good at this level. The challenge for
:42:42. > :42:46.Ulster was, could they maintain that focus throughout the remaining
:42:46. > :42:56.life -- minutes of the second half? It is a challenge they have still
:42:56. > :42:57.
:42:57. > :43:07.got it faced. It will be unfortunate for them if that
:43:07. > :43:34.
:43:34. > :43:44.now. Neil Annett has come on for Ulster. This is a young man with a
:43:44. > :43:48.
:43:48. > :43:53.bright future. Former Irish Under 20 captain. There is another new
:43:53. > :44:03.Ulster cap. They're giving them out like Christmas presents. Brian
:44:03. > :44:04.
:44:04. > :44:14.McLaughlan wearing a Santa suit in terms of handing out caps. Isaac
:44:14. > :44:27.
:44:27. > :44:37.playing with the error very confident player who has just
:44:37. > :44:51.
:44:51. > :45:01.scored a fine try. -- with the air. Well brought down by Tom Corke.
:45:01. > :45:11.Plenty of men out wide, Gordon D'Arcy... Here come Leinster again.
:45:11. > :45:19.
:45:19. > :45:29.A nice little switch. That line was Ulster's 22. Boss... Jack McGrath.
:45:29. > :45:50.
:45:50. > :45:58.It is all blue. And again, the out of the way. -- gets. Great
:45:58. > :46:06.events by Peter Nelson. It has been a feature of Ulster's performance.
:46:06. > :46:13.They have been forced into a number of errors. They're working hard to
:46:13. > :46:23.get numbers back. Ultimately, as buyers enthusiasm and urgency goes,
:46:23. > :46:28.
:46:28. > :46:38.Ulster have been top of the list. Ulster's wind up. Neil Annett. --
:46:38. > :46:42.
:46:42. > :46:52.line-up. Here is Eoin O'Malley. That is cleverly done. Here is
:46:52. > :47:03.
:47:03. > :47:13.McFadden. Boss. Four minutes remaining. Leinster with five tries
:47:13. > :47:27.
:47:27. > :47:34.in the bag already. Boss... Tackled by Stuart Olding. Boss looking
:47:34. > :47:42.composed. Shane Jennings... Ulster players throwing themselves into
:47:42. > :47:52.the tackle as hard as they can. A good line taken by McFadden again.
:47:52. > :48:01.
:48:01. > :48:11.Sweetly down. Are they going to get another try? No way through. It was
:48:11. > :48:21.Ali Birch with the tackle, what an Ulster debut he has had. Jameel
:48:21. > :48:27.
:48:27. > :48:37.Prize defence has got to -- Ulster defence... All that pressure simply
:48:37. > :48:44.
:48:44. > :48:49.had to pay. Jameel Prize just couldn't hold out. -- Ulster.
:48:49. > :48:58.Eventually, when you're defending for long periods of time, it
:48:58. > :49:08.becomes difficult to get the right men in the right places. McFadden
:49:08. > :49:09.
:49:09. > :49:16.prepares to take the conversion. Leinster had done exactly what they
:49:16. > :49:24.needed to do. Leinster have come away. The penalty try really
:49:24. > :49:29.settled it and then a couple of tries after that. This conversion
:49:29. > :49:39.to come from Fergus McFadden who has only missed one kick all
:49:39. > :49:50.
:49:50. > :50:00.21 points in the first half for Leinster. 21 points in the second
:50:00. > :50:07.
:50:07. > :50:12.half for Leinster. One more minute morning and had not saying the game,
:50:12. > :50:18.you would expect that scoreline -- if you were waking up in the
:50:18. > :50:23.morning and had not seen the game. They made them work hard for their
:50:23. > :50:28.tries, no question. Here come Leinster again. The ball goes dead
:50:28. > :50:38.from here, that is going to be it, I suspect. Madigan, putting a bit
:50:38. > :51:01.
:51:01. > :51:06.of distance on it. Michael Allen gets it away, Chris Farrell has had
:51:06. > :51:09.no chance at all to show what he is like with ball in hand. He has had
:51:09. > :51:14.an evening defending and knocking down men in blue and he has done a
:51:14. > :51:24.pretty well. But Leinster's strength in depth is quite
:51:24. > :51:28.
:51:28. > :51:32.phenomenal. Boxing Day. Gordon D'Arcy says well
:51:32. > :51:39.done to one of his Leinster colleagues. One of the Leinster
:51:39. > :51:44.try-scorers, Leo Auva'a. 21-6 at half-time. Three tries in the
:51:44. > :51:49.second half. It took Leinster quite a while, they had to hold off a bit
:51:49. > :51:56.of Ulster Resistance. What will Brian McLaughlin make of this?
:51:56. > :52:02.think more positive than negative so. They usually experienced team
:52:02. > :52:10.fought well. -- more positives than negatives. I thought they put in a
:52:10. > :52:12.very positive performance, plenty of urgency, plenty of pride in the
:52:12. > :52:18.jersey. Ulster will certainly be happy with the performance, if not
:52:18. > :52:27.the result. Three first-half tries from Fionn Carr, Sean Cronin and
:52:27. > :52:31.Leo Auva'a. For Leinster, a couple of James McKinney penalties. It
:52:31. > :52:38.took Leinster another 20 minutes before they scored the 4th and
:52:38. > :52:47.conclusive try and it was a penalty try from a scrummage. At the end,
:52:47. > :52:52.Jamie Hagon, and all three were converted by McFadden. Ulster have
:52:52. > :53:02.a lot to do, and they really simply must win against Munster this
:53:02. > :53:11.
:53:11. > :53:16.STUDIO: It was inevitable, wasn't it? A Christmas canter, for
:53:16. > :53:23.Leinster. Boxing Day blues for Ulster. Leinster never really
:53:23. > :53:26.looked under pressure. They eased looked under pressure. They eased
:53:26. > :53:31.to a 21-6 lead at the interval. Credit to Ulster's young guns, who
:53:31. > :53:35.came out blazing, scored a superb try of their own. For a while, it
:53:35. > :53:40.was not as straightforward as everyone expected. The smiles do
:53:40. > :53:47.not last for long, as the experienced home side outplayed the
:53:48. > :53:55.enthusiastic travelling team. Three more tries for a very easy bonus
:53:55. > :53:59.point victory for Leinster. A resounding 42-13 win. A 29 point
:53:59. > :54:09.winning margin in the end and Leinster have opened up a six point
:54:09. > :54:20.
:54:20. > :54:23.Lets hear from the Ulster coach, Brian McLaughlin.
:54:23. > :54:28.I'm sure the scoreline does not reflect what you thought about the
:54:28. > :54:34.game. Not at all. We are exceptionally pleased with the
:54:34. > :54:39.young guys. We thought we held our hands up well. We think the
:54:39. > :54:42.scoreline in the end flattered Leinster. We had to take a look at
:54:42. > :54:46.these young fellas, they have a little bit to learn in the way they
:54:46. > :54:49.attacked. There was a period in the first half and second half when we
:54:49. > :54:54.had an opportunity and you have got to take those chances on these
:54:54. > :54:59.stages. We didn't and again got away from us. But you can't fault
:54:59. > :55:04.them, they held their hands up well and did the province proud. As they
:55:05. > :55:11.made Leinster work hard for patches. They certainly did. Brian
:55:11. > :55:15.O'Driscoll was loving there the young fellows. It is a great night
:55:15. > :55:18.for them, a learning experience and that is the key thing they have to
:55:18. > :55:24.land. When you get opportunities at this level, you have got to take
:55:24. > :55:28.them. Defensively, a very good performance. We put some good
:55:28. > :55:33.tackles in but there were soft tries as well. But they are young,
:55:33. > :55:39.they will learn from it. What will you say to them? Well done but lots
:55:39. > :55:44.of things to learn. A thought on Munster in a few days. If are
:55:44. > :55:54.senior guys are watching that, they see the energy -- if our senior
:55:54. > :55:57.
:55:57. > :56:02.guys are watching that. If we get a Andy Ward and Tony McWhirter have
:56:02. > :56:07.been watching this. Brian McLaughlin, but in a positive spin
:56:07. > :56:12.on this, rightly or wrongly so? think rightly so. I would love to
:56:12. > :56:20.see the tackle count. I thought Ali Birch had a fantastic game, tackled
:56:20. > :56:26.everything that came towards him. A lot of positive performances. Allen
:56:26. > :56:31.played particularly well. I think had there been one or two more
:56:31. > :56:35.senior players, it could have been a different outcome. The coach,
:56:35. > :56:39.taking positive, but too easy for Leinster in the end? A walk in the
:56:39. > :56:47.park. It was in the end, the floodgates opened in the last 10
:56:47. > :56:55.I think from the team picked, an acceptable performance and
:56:55. > :57:00.scoreline. If you wake up and see the score, and think it was a game
:57:00. > :57:04.against the two Test teams, you would not be too happy. But when
:57:04. > :57:09.you see who is available, no Ulster player should be happy about the
:57:09. > :57:14.scoreline, but we have done well for the team we had. A lot of the
:57:14. > :57:21.young guys have come out with credit. Ulster got themselves back
:57:21. > :57:24.into the game. A great score. Fantastic, they built it up well.
:57:24. > :57:29.It is nice to see, when you get in the opposition 22, keep the ball
:57:29. > :57:33.and something will come from it. They ran some nice lines, they knew
:57:33. > :57:40.what was happening, and showed a good bit of strength to finish it
:57:40. > :57:44.off. You can't ask for any more, you visit the opposition 22 added
:57:44. > :57:51.come out with something tangible. Cochrane impression? Bits and
:57:51. > :57:55.pieces, defensive record at sea a couple of times. -- defensively,
:57:55. > :57:59.caught at sea a couple of times. Exposure at this level of rugby
:57:59. > :58:04.will only bring him on and that is the one thing Ulster will look for.
:58:04. > :58:09.That these young guys grasp the nettle, see what is all about.
:58:09. > :58:12.Coming to training on Monday, Tuesday, and go again. They have
:58:12. > :58:22.had a game at this level, they want to play more at the level and put
:58:22. > :58:28.pressure on the Test team to battle for places. Brian McLaughlin
:58:28. > :58:38.mentioned that O'Driscoll had said well done to the young players, it
:58:38. > :58:42.is great to get praise. Without a shadow of a doubt, great to get
:58:42. > :58:45.praise from one of the world's great players. Here we are in the
:58:45. > :58:51.opposition 22, need to come away with something. On this occasion,
:58:51. > :58:54.didn't quite. The build up his good, playing some good stuff. Some of
:58:54. > :59:00.the players getting caught in wrong positions and that is a bit of
:59:00. > :59:04.inexperience. A good work-rate, we can see them organising of the ball,
:59:04. > :59:09.that is what it is all about. was about the speed of the
:59:09. > :59:14.breakdown at the end. That is the bit where Leinster found it
:59:14. > :59:20.specifically, having the ability to be bigger and stronger in the
:59:20. > :59:30.tackle. It is the speed of ball. the first half, the ruck became the
:59:30. > :59:33.
:59:33. > :59:37.It is great to see, Ulster have thrown themselves about and got in
:59:37. > :59:42.their faces and that is all you can ask from the young guys. Just to
:59:42. > :59:46.get in there and defend. People may be surprised for you to say that
:59:46. > :59:51.Ulster had a good defensive performance because they look so
:59:51. > :59:55.many tries, but they did. You have to look at this in context, in
:59:55. > :00:01.terms of the personnel. There were a lot of young guys and untried
:00:01. > :00:06.combinations. Whenever you are at the RDS, playing against the
:00:06. > :00:09.European champions, it is a different kettle of fish. I think
:00:09. > :00:13.Leinster just had too much experience and firepower. That was
:00:13. > :00:18.not an example of Ulster defending well. The scrum wilted under
:00:18. > :00:21.pressure for the penalty try. At other times, Ulster defended well.
:00:21. > :00:25.They did exceptionally well defensively. It is very difficult
:00:25. > :00:32.to defend, not an easy job. Especially when you are going
:00:32. > :00:39.backwards. I'll start conceding a lot of yardage each time Leinster
:00:39. > :00:44.get on the front foot -- Ulster conceding. You don't get the
:00:44. > :00:48.experience on the training pitch. The floodgates opened at the end, a
:00:48. > :00:56.couple of more scores were run-in which felt inevitable. It did a bit
:00:56. > :01:00.and the game changed. Olding, a fantastic tackle, he is 18 years
:01:00. > :01:08.old. He is still wet behind the ears, it is going to happen. They
:01:08. > :01:18.have the ability to bring on proven inter-provincial players. -- it is
:01:18. > :01:20.
:01:20. > :01:26.Our defensive structure was reasonably sound. The offloading in
:01:26. > :01:32.the tackle took its toll. Good experience from D'Arcy. The guy has
:01:32. > :01:36.got caught in no-man's land, there. Unfortunately, until that point,
:01:36. > :01:42.everything was fairly well organised and structured. I thought
:01:42. > :01:47.Ali Birch had a very good evening. In terms of the RaboDirect Pro 12
:01:47. > :01:51.league, after have a lot of work to make the top four. They are 9th,
:01:51. > :01:58.Edinburgh are beating Glasgow currently of which means they will
:01:58. > :02:03.leapfrog Ulster. They have determined big performances. With a
:02:03. > :02:08.full-strength Connacht side, against a Munster second-string as
:02:08. > :02:17.well. There was potential for Connacht to spring a surprise. That
:02:17. > :02:25.is what this season comes down to. Lets hear from Chris Cochrane.
:02:25. > :02:28.did prime a prop and have to say? - - Bryan McLaughlin have to say?
:02:28. > :02:32.should 40 points which was a negative but some of the boys
:02:33. > :02:40.performed, we made chances and did not finish there -- we should put
:02:40. > :02:50.40 points your try at the RDS must have been a special feeling? It was
:02:50. > :02:55.
:02:55. > :03:00.great, to get my first cap and then Well done, thank you for your time.
:03:00. > :03:07.Munster will be a great occasion and a must win again. We have said
:03:07. > :03:15.that we are resting a few players. The -- a must win it again. We are
:03:15. > :03:18.focusing on this Friday-night match. You have got a big job to do.
:03:18. > :03:28.going to be interesting. It will be interesting to see which team
:03:28. > :03:30.
:03:30. > :03:35.Munster cent. -- cent. They have a very strong squad. Ulster have a
:03:35. > :03:39.challenge but they are capable. We need a win as well, very important.
:03:39. > :03:46.I can confirm Edinburgh have beaten Glasgow, Ulster dropped to 9th in
:03:46. > :03:56.the Pro 12 table. The big game coming up on Friday his life on BBC
:03:56. > :03:58.