Ospreys 45-10 Munster
Fri 11th May @ Liberty Stadium
Keatley’s early try gave Munster fans false hope. (c) Ivan O’Riordan.
Munster’s season ended with a whimper as the Ospreys cut them to pieces in Swansea. Despite a strong start, with Ian Keatley dotting down inside the first couple of minutes, Munster were comprehensively outplayed in every aspect of the game. The Ospreys were in superb form and scored some spectacular tries from inside their own half. Justin Tipuric continued his excellent season as he ruled the breakdown. Munster’s attacking play was once again devoid of imagination.
The lack of fight shown by Munster was another worry. Kahn Fotuali’i’s try on the stroke of half-time seemed to drain the last morsels of belief from Tony McGahan’s side and they were blown away after the break. All the big hits and incisive plays came from the Ospreys, who showed far more aggression. Rob Penney will now be fully aware of the task facing him at Munster. For the likes of Mick O’Driscoll, Lifeimi Mafi and McGahan, this was a depressing way to say their goodbyes.
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Leinster 19-15 Warriors
Sat 12th May @ The RDS
A break by Isa Nacewa set up Dave Kearney’s try. (c) Ken Bohane.
Leinster got the job done in Dublin, ensuring their spot against the Ospreys in the PRO12 Final in two weeks’ time. That match will also take place at the RDS. Joe Schmidt’s men weren’t at their sparkling best on Saturday night, but never looked like losing. But for typically solid Warriors defence, the scoreline would have told a far more comfortable story in the home side’s favour. Johnny Sexton kicked 14 points in total, with Dave Kearney’s second-half try finally settling the game as a contest.
The Warriors did manage to get over for two tries in the last 5 minutes, but they had left it too late at that stage. Leinster’s attention now turns to Saturday’s Heineken Cup final. Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney, Cian Healy and Gordon D’Arcy should all be fit to take their places against Ulster. Last Saturday night was simply about getting past the spirited Warriors, regardless of the performance, and that’s exactly what Leinster did.
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Photos courtesy: Ken Bohane, Ivan O’Riordan.
The Touchline 