Leinster take best Ulster can throw at them and still march on

LEINSTER 21-18 ULSTER

Ulster delivered their best performance of the season and still went out of the Champions Cup. Leinster rode one hell of a storm and it was Ross Byrne that proved the hero with a late penalty to clinch it.

With Johnny Sexton injured and watching from the sidelines, there was a lot of pressure on Ross Byrne but he truly came of age in one of the best games of the season.

Ulster started like a train and Rory Best was the man shovelling coal at a rapid rate. The Ulster and Ireland captain secured a turnover after 70 seconds and recovered from having a lineout swiped to charge down a clearing kick from Garry Ringrose to set up Kieran Treadwell for a simple score.

John Cooney converted to make it 7-0 after six minutes but Leinster answered right back when Ross Byrne burst past Robert Baloucoune to sscore near the right-hand corner. 7-5 to Ulster and a crazy opening 10 minutes.

Byrne missed the conversion to his own score and then pulled a penalty attempt wide but, after another sublime aerial tackle from Jacob Stockdale and a strong Ulster drive, John Cooney put the men in red 10-5 ahead. Byrne did make it a two-point game, though, after 30 minutes when Marcell Coetzee was pinged at the breakdown.

For all of Ulster’s brio and crowd-rousing moments, it was Leinster that hit the front after 34 minutes when Byrne pinged over his second penalty of the game from 36 metres out. That lead lasted only three minutes as, inspired by Cooney and Michael Lowry, the Ulster No.9 chipped over a penalty from right in front of the posts.

HALF-TIME: Leinster 11-13 Ulster

The second half began with Ulster nearly in for another try after Ringrose had a second clearing kick charged down. Minutes later and Ulster were left ruing a bigger chance that went abegging.

Jacob Stockdale looked to have scored a Champions Cup try for the ages, leaving four Leinster players in his wake, but Dave Kearney kept chasing him and the Ulster winger spilled the ball just as he was bending to dot down. It was a moment that looked worse with each replay on the big screen.

Jack Conan then evaded Ulster prop Eric O’Sullivan and made a fantastic line break from a ruck, finding Adam Byrne on his right shoulder. Byrne outpaced two Ulster defenders chasing back to score and Ross Byrne added the tricky extras.

There was a lengthy hold-up, just after Ulster won a penalty on the Leinster 22, when sub Dan Leavy received treatment on the pitch before being placed on a stretcher and applauded off the field. It was cruel luck for the flanker, who has been plagued by injuries for the past nine months.

Ulster ensured there were further Leinser headaches, minutes after play resumed, when Luke Marshall backed himself (with a spare man off his right shoulder) and grounded the ball. Cooney missed a relatively simple conversion and it was 18-18 with 15 minutes to go.

It was Leinster to edge ahead next when Byrne told captain Rhys Ruddock he would have a dart from the sideline when Roman Poite awarded the Blues a penalty. The outhalf pinged it over before limping back to his own half – cramp setting in. It was his last action as Rob Kearney soon took his place for the end-game.

Ulster simply could not get the ball back for the final four minutes and it was Leinster that got the acclaim at the final whistle. They await the winners of Racing 92 and Toulouse in the last four.

SPORTSJOE’s Man of the Match: Kieran Treadwell (Ulster)

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10