Ulster hold on for famous win over Leinster

MATCH REPORT: Ulster started 2024 with a bang by beating United Rugby Championship leaders Leinster 22-21 for their only their third win in 22 visits to the RDS Arena.

Billy Burns’ right boot was at its creative best, setting up tries for Nick Timoney (2) and Jacob Stockdale as Ulster deservedly led 19-14 at half-time.

Leinster, who had two late withdrawals in captain James Ryan and Jimmy O’Brien, crossed through Cian Healy and Rob Russell to erase an initial 12-point deficit.

A John Cooney penalty gave Ulster a 22-14 advantage, and despite Dan Sheehan replying from a maul, a territorially dominant Leinster could not avoid their first defeat since the opening weekend of the season.

Taking a leaf out of Sale Sharks’ book, Burns deftly kicked in behind the rush defence. Timoney gathered the ball, beat Russell’s attempted tackle and slid over despite Ciaran Frawley’s challenge.

Following Cooney’s conversion, Timoney and Stuart McCloskey were soon flooding forward again in atrociously wet conditions. Leinster’s defence was exposed by another Burns kick, giving Stockdale a comfortable run-in on the left.

Trailing 0-12 early on, the Leinster forwards seized control and Healy crashed over for his 31st try in 270 provincial appearances, which Sam Prendergast converted.

The table toppers edged ahead after Prendergast and Tommy O’Brien had put Russell over in the 23rd minute.

Prendergast had reacted quickest to a kick from Jamison Gibson-Park that bounced back off the crossbar, and the 20-year-old flyhalf also converted with aplomb.

However, five minutes before the interval, Luke Marshall and Tom O’Toole both carried well before Burns’ cross-field kick went over Prendergast’s head and bounced up for Timoney to double his tally.

Cooney curled over a classy conversion and he opened the second half’s scoring with a 55th-minute penalty. Sean Reffell was having more impact at the breakdown.

Nonetheless, with Ulster’s lineout letting them down, Leinster closed the gap to just 22-21 with a timely try from Sheehan.

Joe McCarthy’s charge-down on Cooney had lifted the hosts beforehand, and the newly-introduced Harry Byrne nailed the difficult conversion.

Victorious at the Ballsbridge venue in 2013 and 2021, the Ulstermen knuckled down in defence with Marshall crucially intercepting a Gibson-Park pass.

Replacement Nathan Doak’s inch-perfect kick also forced Frawley to concede a lineout near the Leinster line.

Last beaten at the RDS by the Vodacom Bulls in June 2022, Leinster won a last-gasp scrum penalty, but Byrne overcooked his long-range kick to touch, leaving Ulster to celebrate a famous win.

Player of the Match

Leinster lock Joe McCarthy, a late replacement for James Ryan, added to his growing reputation with another abrasive performance. But it was not enough to deny fast-starting Ulster. Timoney took his tries very well, but Billy Burns, the visitors’ creator-in-chief, stood out as the BKT URC player-of-the-match. Burns’ brilliantly accurate kicks – and smart wet-weather play – teed up all three of Ulster’s tries, and he almost delivered a fourth for Mike Lowry from another cross-field kick.

Play of the Match

Ulster’s varied kicking game exposed Leinster’s defence early on, setting the template for this New Year’s Day derby success. They quickly turned defence into attack after Will Addison won a high ball. Nick Timoney and Stuart McCloskey spearheaded a pacy break, and with Leinster short of numbers out wide, Billy Burns prodded a kick out to the left for Jacob Stockdale to gather and gallop home untouched.

The scorers:

For Leinster:
Tries: Healy, Russell, Sheehan
Cons: Prendergast 2, Byrne

For Ulster:
Tries: Timoney 2, Stockdale
Cons: Cooney 2
Pen: Cooney

Teams: 

Leinster: 15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Liam Turner, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Rob Russell, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Will Connors, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan (captain), 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Cian Healy
Replacements: 16 Lee Barron, 17 Jack Boyle, 18 Michael Ala’alatoa, 19 Joe McCarthy, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 Josh van der Flier

Ulster: 15 Will Addison, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 Luke Marshall, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Billy Burns, 9 John Cooney, 8 Nick Timoney, 7 Sean Reffell, 6 Matty Rea, 5 Iain Henderson, 4 Kieran Treadwell, 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Andy Warwick, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Alan O’Connor, 20 Dave Ewers, 21 Nathan Doak, 22 Mike Lowry, 23 Jude Postlethwaite

Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Eoghan Cross (Ireland) and Tomas O’Sullivan (Ireland)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland)