Leinster Beat Stormers 20-11 to Set Up URC Final vs Bulls

The Stormers' Brave Stand Falls Short

The United Rugby Championship semifinal at the Aviva Stadium delivered exactly the kind of drama South African rugby fans live for. Leinster edged the Stormers 20-11 on Saturday night, but only after the Cape Town side produced an immense defensive effort that kept them in the contest until the final ten minutes.

Defending champions Leinster dominated possession with 66 percent and territory with 67 percent. The Stormers were forced to make 200 tackles while the hosts made less than half that number. Yet the visitors stayed right in the game through sheer determination until discipline let them down.

Bulls Set the Stage with Glasgow Upset

Earlier in the day the Bulls produced a superb second-half performance to upset Glasgow Warriors 22-21 at Scotstoun Stadium. That result meant the Stormers knew a win would let them host the final. They came agonisingly close before two yellow cards and a red card in the second half handed Leinster the advantage.

The Stormers' incredible fight kept the scoreboard tight at half-time and gave every South African supporter watching back home reason to believe an upset was possible.

Leinster Strike Early Through Ioane

Leinster started on top from the kick-off, pinning the Stormers in their own half for the opening ten minutes. The pressure finally told in the eighth minute when outside centre Rieko Ioane hit a gap and ran in for the first try.

Flyhalf Sam Prendergast added two penalties to stretch the lead to 13-0 after the opening quarter. The Stormers had barely crossed halfway, yet they refused to break.

Adre Smith Try Gives Stormers Hope

The Stormers finally launched their first real attack into the Leinster 22. Fullback Damian Willemse broke into the area and earned a penalty that the visitors tapped and went. Lock Adre Smith powered over for the try that brought them back into the match.

Jurie Matthee slotted a penalty after 34 minutes to make the score 13-8. An unbelievable defensive set on their own line in the closing minutes of the half kept Leinster out and sent the Stormers into the break still very much alive.

Second Half Turns on Discipline

The second half began with wing Leolin Zas receiving a yellow card in the 47th minute for a deliberate knock-on. Leinster kicked to the 22 but lost the ball, allowing Stormers scrumhalf Imad Khan to hack ahead and threaten a break.

Matthee added another penalty from a scrum on the Leinster 22 to cut the deficit to two points in the 52nd minute. The match became a massive arm wrestle with the Stormers defending for long periods.

Red Card and Gibson-Park Try Seal It

Ill-discipline decided the outcome. Replacement loose forward Ruan Ackermann received a yellow card that was upgraded to a red for a poor cleanout at a ruck in the 68th minute. Just a minute later scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park spotted a gap on the Stormers 22 and sniped through for a try under the posts.

Replacement lock Salmaan Moerat was then yellow-carded for a deliberate kick of the ball out of Gibson-Park's hands. Leinster converted to lead 20-11 and saw out the win comfortably once reduced to 13 men.

Scorers: Leinster – Tries: Rieko Ioane, Jamison Gibson-Park; Conversions: Sam Prendergast, Harry Byrne; Penalties: Prendergast (2). Stormers – Try: Adre Smith; Penalties: Jurie Matthee (2).

The result sets up a URC final between Leinster and the Bulls. South African rugby can take pride in the Stormers' massive defensive showing and the Bulls' earlier victory, even if the final will now be played away from home soil.

Tags: URC semifinal, Leinster, Stormers, Bulls, Glasgow Warriors, Jamison Gibson-Park, Adre Smith, Jurie Matthee, Ruan Ackermann, South African rugby

By Dante Williams, Staff Writer