Leinster beat Ulster in festive derby
Leinster regained their top of the table standing in the Magners League on the weekend as they beat Ulster 15-3 in a high tempo derby at the RDS.
Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip scored on either side of halftime for the European champions as they made it 10 straight wins at home.
Ulster, who were slightly under strength after having rested a few players, could only respond with 3 points from Niall O’Connor, while Shaun Berne kicked a penalty and conversion for the home side.
It was 10-3 at halftime after Kearney’s try, that was set up by Gordon Darcy. Kearney picked up the Man of the Match honours as he added to his reputation once again, despite the pass to him for his try looking rather suspect.
Number eight Heaslip showed his power on the run as he swatted away an attempted tackle by Jamie Smith before galloping over for his try.
The result means that Ulster are left with the remarkable statistic of having not won away at Leinster for over ten years.
We’ll have more Magners League highlights, as well as Guinness Premiership action, over the next few days. Please bear with us as things will be slower over this holiday period.
Time: 03:01
Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip scored on either side of halftime for the European champions as they made it 10 straight wins at home.
Ulster, who were slightly under strength after having rested a few players, could only respond with 3 points from Niall O’Connor, while Shaun Berne kicked a penalty and conversion for the home side.
It was 10-3 at halftime after Kearney’s try, that was set up by Gordon Darcy. Kearney picked up the Man of the Match honours as he added to his reputation once again, despite the pass to him for his try looking rather suspect.
Number eight Heaslip showed his power on the run as he swatted away an attempted tackle by Jamie Smith before galloping over for his try.
The result means that Ulster are left with the remarkable statistic of having not won away at Leinster for over ten years.
We’ll have more Magners League highlights, as well as Guinness Premiership action, over the next few days. Please bear with us as things will be slower over this holiday period.
Time: 03:01
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35 Comments:
first!!!!!....Get in there!!!! you can all now f off!! YESSSSSS!!!!!
By Anonymous, at December 29, 2009 10:16 pm
Whoever does the first thing should get their IP banned.
Anyway it was a great game.
By Anonymous, at December 29, 2009 10:17 pm
The same could go for posting as an anonymous.
anyway, quite literally: "in your face"
Cheers
By Unknown, at December 29, 2009 10:42 pm
Derby LOL. Every game in Ireland is a derby
By jente, at December 29, 2009 11:09 pm
i think the commentators were quite kind to the fullback. that was a pathetic attempt at a tackle for a professional rugby player, i don't care how big heaslip is.
By Chris Boy, at December 29, 2009 11:12 pm
jente u dumbass....it was in the magners league which has teams from scotland and wales as well as ireland
By Anonymous, at December 29, 2009 11:23 pm
Hmmm someone needs to have a quiet word in Heaslips ear about these celebrations, a quiet word like "stop."
By Leinster for 2 in a row, at December 29, 2009 11:31 pm
I didn't see the match, but from that high ball to set up Heaslip's try, it looked like that was Humphreys there (Beardy McBeardson) wearing 21?
Any reason why he didn't start the match? Were they wanting to keep him injury-free for the HC, maybe? Otherwise, I don't see why a man who has started so many matches for Ulster this year would come on as a replacement. I guess it really didn't much of a difference. Sexton wasn't on for Leinster, either, so it wouldn't have been the Sexon v. Humphreys match I've been wanting to see.
By kehoe, at December 30, 2009 12:52 am
Heaslip, Ferris and Leamy are all on great form at the moment. It's a real pity Leamy got injured against Perpignan. Irish back row still looks to be the benchmark in the 6 nations.
By Anonymous, at December 30, 2009 2:09 am
Well the Ulster team had alot of top line players missing, inlcuding Ferris.
At least Heaslip did something noticeable, unlike the first 2 Lions tests.
Pass from D'Arcy for the first try was forward.
By JPM, at December 30, 2009 3:11 am
delighted heaslip got a try,he's playing out of his skin at the moment
and come on now Chris Boy,give jamie smith a break.He's NOT a professional rugby player!he's only in the academy as far as i know.i'd say an awful lot of experienced fullbacks wouldn't have made that tackle
By Mark, at December 30, 2009 4:24 am
I'm sorry but he should have made that tackle. Doesn't matter if the guy is ten times your size, from that angle you just go low. Every professional rugby player should be expected to take down any other, no matter how big.
By Andy, at December 30, 2009 10:49 am
@ anonymous: I KNOW it was in the magners league. I meant that every game between 2 of the 4 Irish regions is a derby.
By jente, at December 30, 2009 11:14 am
Clear forward pass on the first try and awful defence on the second...
By Anonymous, at December 30, 2009 11:36 am
"@ anonymous: I KNOW it was in the magners league. I meant that every game between 2 of the 4 Irish regions is a derby."
yea and every game in london is a derby, rollseyes
By Mr P, at December 30, 2009 11:39 am
heaslip should play soccer
By Anonymous, at December 30, 2009 12:07 pm
Kehoe - Humphreys didn't start the game because Ulster have to rest their Irish international squad players a certain number of games in the season. The management must have felt that it was more important to have a full team out for Ulster's next match at home to Munster in a few days, so they rested Humph &co. against Leinster.
Interestingly, when Humphreys came on in the second half Ulster were much more threatening, playing exciting running rugby at times, similar to their Ravenhill game against Stade Francais. Only silly handling errors prevented Ulster from breaching Leinster's defense in the second half.
O'Driscoll in particular was exposed on a couple of occasions... What do Leinster fans make of the view that their defense looked somewhat fragile at times?
Chris Boy and Andy, I agree that the Ulster fullback should have done better. Mark, even if he is 'only' an Academy player, if he wants to push for a professional contract he'll have to prove that he can put down players as big, strong and fast as Heaslip on regular basis.
To be fair to the lad, though, if Nagusa and Henry had not made a hash of the high ball from Kearney young Smith wouldn't have been put in the unenviable position of catching up with Heaslip and trying to get him into touch...
By Ni, at December 30, 2009 1:25 pm
emm, Lenister are not top of the table, Glasgow warriors are. Just thought you should know
By bob, at December 30, 2009 2:20 pm
i agree with chris boy my nan could have made a better attempt than that
By number7, at December 30, 2009 2:31 pm
love the mention of alan shearer at the end
By geordie, at December 30, 2009 8:32 pm
Kearney really does have alot of pace. The accelleration and the speed when he got the pass forward or not.
Dont think alot of people realise how quick he is.
Or how good he is.
Easily the best fullback in the world
By Anonymous, at December 30, 2009 10:32 pm
Kearney is, with ease, the best 15 in world rugby at the moment.
Just a sidenote, I was reading the Rugby World magazine, where Stephen Jones (the journalist not the Welsh fly-half) counted down his best 10 players in the world. From 1-10 it was : Juan-Martin Hernandez, Simon Shaw, Richie McCaw, Sergio Parisse, Matt Giteau, Imanol Hardinordiquy, Jamie Roberts, Victor Matfield, Rodrigo Roncero and Jonny Wilkinson.
Being completely subjective as an Ireland and Leinster supporter, I think that that list is an absolute load of bulls**t and am astonished that Jones is still employed at such a high level of sports journalism.
Thoughts worldwide??
By Brick Shithouse, at December 31, 2009 12:26 am
Roncero?
Powerful man, no doubt, but far from being the best world class prop. And with such a behaviour on the pitch that I find him really hard to like.
Others are questionable on the list of course. But honestly, rugby involving 15 players I find it incredibly stupid to reduce this game to 10. He should at least give his perfect team of the moment.
How can you compare Shane Williams to Rodrigo Roncero? And cross out Williams? (I agree that without players like Roncero, players like Williams would have no balls but still...)
By Maximus, at December 31, 2009 1:25 am
again Irish opinion but i completely agree with Brick above Stephen Jones is full shit, hands down worst sports journalist ever! Never gives anyone Irish a mention, I was reading the Sunday Times one day before the November Tests and he had England down as the ones to watch/best northern hemisphere team of the tests BULLSHIT!! He makes me so angry! Blows every English player up and dumbs down the Welsh, Irish and Scots. I've had to stop reading the paper on Sundays because he makes me that mad!
By Conor *angry Irish man*, at December 31, 2009 1:26 am
Wouldn't it almost be better he doesn't go out of his way to hype up Ireland/Irish players?
Take SA's tour as a point - they came off having a dream year and were easily the best team in world rugby in 2009. No doubt about that. But, everyone wrote off the Irish (particularly SA supporters) and look what happened. Makes the win more satisfying and a loss more bitter.
Regarding Roncero, you'd think that if they wanted to stick another Argentino in there, Lobbe would be in before Roncero. Simon Shaw? Hernández? .... ... ...wow.
By javier, at December 31, 2009 3:29 am
It was essentially the full-back's debut. I don't think he's on a full contract yet and is in the development squad. So I wouldn't quite call it, " a pathetic attempt at a tackle for a professional rugby player."
By Anonymous, at December 31, 2009 12:00 pm
I'd rather see Lobbe, Leguizamon or Albacete in the list than Roncero.
And I don't know if Kearney is the best 15 in the world right now but his timing in the back line really impresses me.
By Maximus, at December 31, 2009 12:05 pm
I think we should create the "Come back king of the year" award just for Gordan Darcy.
By vinniechan, at December 31, 2009 3:14 pm
Good game, especially after Humps came on, and had Ulster finished some of their plays it would've been interesting.
This resting players bull is starting to get to me big time. I'm all for having fresh players but this season is ridiculous (including the fact of the Lions tour). Munster for example, I can understand resting the Ire players for Connacht, but 2 weeks in a row. O'Connell and Wallace have only played 2 and 3 ML games respectively this season. On the other hand, Leinster had their full compliment, but didn't seem to really show up, so maybe there is a HC hangover.
Ulster, Leinster and Munster derbies whether the home or away team should involve all fit available Ire players outside of 6N and Nov AIs.
On Stephen Jones. Come on, have none of you learned. He gets paid for his 'journalism' because of the provocations (I once defended him on the times web for accusations of racism, there is a first for everything). But while I'd usually ignore his writing, the fact that he chose Hernandez at No.1 says all there is to say about his opinion. Yes, Hernandez is a skillful player but he is also the most selfish, self indulgent player I've ever seen and doesn't contribute to the team effort in the way Carter, McCaw, O'Driscoll or Stirlo (is he still injured by the way?) does. He may score points, but the amount of possession he squanders through retarded drop goal attempts or solo attacks where he gets isolated outweigh his benefits to the team. Moving to SA may change that, though I doubt it.
By Huh!! the 3rd, at December 31, 2009 7:06 pm
Roncero .... ? if i want to add a prop, i prefer Barcella, Sheridan, Mas, Hayman etc ....
By Anonymous, at December 31, 2009 8:48 pm
Gethin Jenkins the best loosehead
Jerry flannery the best hooker
Carl Hayman the best tight head
in the world.
You will not find a better front row if you put them together today.
By Frontrowforlife, at January 01, 2010 12:01 am
im irish and i love gerry flannery but id still have servat the french hooker in instead of him hes awesome
By number7, at January 01, 2010 1:11 pm
why would u go that high on jamie heaslip if you are that small? does the fullback have no logic?
By Frank Johnson, at January 02, 2010 11:02 am
U obviously cant love flannery that much because u cant spell his first name right.
Second Flannery is miles ahead of servat in every aspect of the game.
Scrummaging
loose
lineout
all you need from a hooker
By Anonymous, at January 04, 2010 10:30 pm
Andy said "I'm sorry but he should have made that tackle. Doesn't matter if the guy is ten times your size, from that angle you just go low. Every professional rugby player should be expected to take down any other, no matter how big."
To be fair, you can't expect say, Peter Stringer, to tackle, oooh i dunno, lomu? haha
but yeah that was a pretty poor attempt at a tackle from smith.
By Hooker, at January 13, 2010 6:25 pm
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