More final agony for Ulster

Leo Cullen’s side completed the prefect domestic season winning all 17 games in the Pro14 and clinched a third consecutive title outscoring Ulster by three tries to one.

It is the seventh time in the last nine years that Ulster have lost a knockout game to their Dublin rivals.

McFarland’s men made the prefect start carving open the Leinster defence after four minutes to get the game’s opening try.

Centre Stuart McCloskey and back row Marcell Coetzee made rampaging runs to give Ulster go forward ball, Michael Lowry, Billy Burns and Alan O’Connor shifted the ball to James Hume, and the centre went on an angled run, showing his power and pace to avoid tackles from James Lowe and Hugo Keenan to cross the whitewash. Burns was off target with the conversion.

Hume’s try was to prove Ulster’s only score of the final as any time they built momentum in Leinster territory a penalty, a turnover or good defence from the blue shirts stopped them as they conceded 15 penalties in the game and coughed up five turn overs.

The lead was short lived as leinster responded on 12 minutes.

From a lineout Leinster released Ross Byrne, the out-half was able to carry close to the Ulster line. Leo Cullen’s side worked the ball through a few phases before Rob Lyttle shot out of the defensive line looking for an intercept leaving James Lowe an easy run in and Byrne’s conversion put Leinster in front.

Ulster conceded three quick penalties in succession in their 22, the third one was in front of the posts and Byrne slotted the kick over on 26 minutes to extend Leinster’s lead.

After scoring two maul tries in the semi-final against Edinburgh Ulster went to the corner with a penalty, they probed at the line but the chance was wasted as Leinster tight head Andrew Porter forced a turnover penalty on the ground against Hume.

Ulster turned down a kickable penalty to go to the corner again just before half time, but once again they couldn’t breach the Leinster rear guard. The pressure was relieved when Hume knocked on a low pass from Burns.

Leinster went into the interval with a 10-5.

Any chance Ulster had of claiming a first piece of silverware in 14 years evaporated in the seven minutes after the restart.

Leinster were starting to build momentum with some good phase play just inside the and Ulster half flanker Sean Reidy was punished for tackling Garry Ringrose of the ball.

Byrne slotted over the long range penalty on 44 minutes.

Three minutes later Leinster were gifted their second try.

Ulster, attempting to unlock the Leinster defence, Alby Mathewson found Burns in midfield, the out-half had Eric O’Sullivan on his shoulder but tried a long cut out pass to Marcell Coetzee however Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw read the move intercepted and ran half the length of the pitch to go under the posts.

Byrne’s conversion extended Leinster’s lead to 15 points.

McFarland emptied his bench but they didn’t have the same impact as they had at Murrayfield a week earlier and rarely threatened the Leinster 22.

Caelan Doris grabbed Leinster’s third try with nine minutes remaining.

The blindside flanker trucked the ball up the middle in the Ulster 22, it was quickly recycled before Rory O’Loughlin was stopped a few metres from the line. Luke McGrath hit Doris on the crash ball and the backrow smashed through Jordi Murphy and Ian Madigan to touch down with Johnny Sexton converting.

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