Leinster’s season is over.
RTE pundits Donncha O’Callaghan and Jamie Heaslip have criticised “a terrible performance” after Leinster were dumped out of the URC by the Bulls.
Leinster, who were hoping to bounce back from Champions Cup final disappointment with a league triumph, lost 25-20 in Pretoria to end any hopes of a trophy this season.
It marks the third season in a row where Leinster end the season empty-handed, having also lost in the semi-final last year versus Munster and the 2022 semi-final to today’s opposition the Bulls.
Speaking on RTÉ shortly after the full-time whistle, Jamie Heaslip queried why Leinster have lost their winning habits in recent seasons
“What has changed and what has that meant?” he asked.
“You have to give credit to the Bulls because they were definitely the better team on the day and deserved the win.
“It’s a couple of seasons now where there is no silverware and the standard for Leinster is silverware.
“The organisation has to look long and hard at themselves”, he added.
Fellow pundit Donncha O’Callghan shared similar feelings, stating that for “one of the best-resourced teams in not just Europe but world rugby”, today saw a “terrible performance and a terrible result” for Leinster Rugby.
“They’ve got it wrong this year,” he continued. “When it comes to cup final rugby you need to win and you need to have a team.
“We saw this team star-studded with internationals…they were lost on the road because they’re not used to doing it.”
The result means that the Bulls will either host Glasgow Warriors or travel to Thomond Park to take on Munster in the URC Grand Final next weekend.
That’s before some of these Bulls and Leinster players reunite as Ireland and South Africa lock horns in a test series this summer.
