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Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is excited by the prospect of finishing out the season at Croke Park next weekend.
That’s after the Irish province overcame their recent United Rugby Championship semi-final hoodoo in clinical fashion at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
Playing in front of 15,762 spectators at the sparsely-populated Ballsbridge venue – a slight improvement on the 12,879 that attended their quarter-final win over Scarlets in the Aviva last weekend.
Leo Cullen’s side produced an accomplished display to defeat title holders Glasgow Warriors by 18 points and ease into next Saturday’s showpiece in Croker.
They will play the Bulls who saw off the Sharks 25-13 in today’s all-South African semi-final.
The Bulls got the better of Leinster at the penultimate phase of last season’s URC – their third consecutive defeat at that stage of the competition – at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
But 2024/25 has now seen the Blues going at least one step further in their pursuit for top league honours.
Speaking after today’s win, Leo Cullen is relishing another trip back to Croke Park for Saturday’s final.
He said: “Particularly when you’re in South Africa, I’m pinching myself really in those stadiums. You do pinch yourself a little bit.
“Personally I have so much respect for those teams. We were in South Africa last year for a semi-final, obviously lost in Loftus.
“It’s not a great place to end the season. There’s joy for us in the fact that we have another week together. It’s great,”
“There are some great characters in the group that have been around a long, long time. Have been great servants to the club. I know every club will have their version of that as well.
“It’s making sure we have a great week now and get excited about putting on another performance. Show what it means to play for Leinster and show what it means to represent the province.”
In an explosive start to the contest, Leinster and their Scottish counterparts both crossed over for tries inside the opening five minutes.
After Dan Sheehan dotted down in the third minute at the end of an elongated attack that was kick-started by Sam Prendergast booting an early penalty to touch.
Glasgow immediately fired back as scrum-half George Horne bagged a five-pointer via a delicate chip into the ‘22’ from Kyle Rowe.
The fact that Horne couldn’t match Prendergast in registering a successful conversion during these early exchanges ensured the hosts remained in a slender lead.
And their cushion was extended to five points when Prendergast knocked over a routine penalty on 23 minutes.
The visitors were handed a reprieve after a Jamie Osborne try was retrospectively ruled out for a forward pass from Jamison Gibson-Park.
But the Leinster outside centre eventually got his name on the scoresheet when a James Lowe offload released him for a 28th minute score in the left-corner.
The eastern province were becoming more assured in their play as the action wore on and with Thomas Clarkson touching down in advance of front-row partner Sheehan claiming his second try of the half, they brought a commanding 25-5 buffer into the interval.
Prendergast had been off-target with three of his four conversion attempts in the opening period and while he opted for a kickable penalty inside the opposition ‘22’ at a right-hand angle 11 minutes into the second half.
His effort rebounded off the post and into the grateful arms of the Glasgow defence.
Yet this wasn’t a major concern for Leinster on the day and Cullen’s men proceeded to place the outcome beyond any doubt in the third-quarter.
Supplementing another Osborne try on 54 minutes – this time off an elaborate Gibson-Park pass – replacement back Ciaran Frawley got in on the scoring act with a simple five-pointer just shy of the hour mark.
Glasgow eventually responded with impressive solo tries from Jamie Dobie and Sione Tuipulotu in the 72nd and 79th minutes respectively.
But despite not adding to their account in the closing quarter, Leinster comfortably advanced into next weekend’s showdown at the home of the GAA.
Scorers: Leinster: Tries: D Sheehan 2, J Osborne 2, T Clarkson, C Frawley. Cons: S Prendergast 2. Pens: S Prendergast.
Glasgow Warriors: Tries: G Horne, J Dobie, S Tuipulotu. Cons: T Jordan 2.
Leinster: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, J Osborne, J Barrett (C Frawley 56), J Lowe; S Prendergast (R Byrne 61), J Gibson-Park (L McGrath 70); A Porter (J Boyle 59), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 56), T Clarkson (R Slimani 56); J McCarthy, J Ryan (RG Snyman 56); R Baird, S Penny, J Conan (M Deegan 64).
Glasgow Warriors: J McKay; K Steyn, S Tuipulotu, T Jordan, K Rowe; A Hastings (S McDowall h-t), G Horne (J Dobie 52); J Bhatti (R Sutherland 45), G Hiddleston (J Matthews 45), F Richardson (S Talakai 45); A Samuel (M Williamson 45), S Cummings; E Ferrie (J Mann 73), R Darge, H Venter (M Duncan 59).
Referee: A Piardi (FIR).
TOTTENHAM want Bryan Mbeumo to join with Thomas Frank — in a £70million double raid on Brentford.
Spurs have made Bees boss Frank their first choice to replace axed Ange Postecoglou and want to tie up a swoop quickly.
And the Europa League winners are trying to hijack Manchester United’s move for attacker Mbeumo — with hopes that landing Frank could help sway a deal.
Frank, 51, is open to the move across London and a £10m compensation package to land the Dane and his staff will not be a problem.
Spurs technical director Johan Lange, who worked with Frank at Danish club Lyngby, will play a key role in negotiations.
Then Tottenham can join the Mbeumo chase seriously and hope that being able to offer Champions League action will give them another edge.
United are edging towards a £60m deal and Spurs have cash to match that.
It would be a huge test of Tottenham’s spending power as United prepare to offer huge wages on top of the fee for the Cameroon international, 25.
Meanwhile, Brentford are already homing in on Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna to succeed Frank.
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But McKenna signed a massive new deal at Ipswich a year ago and his compensation clause is understood to be a similar figure to Frank’s.
The lure of a second crack at the Premier League is bound to appeal to the Northern Irishman, who was relegated after leading Ipswich to Prem promotion for the first time in 22 years.
Brentford have alternatives if McKenna is not committed.
На Курському напрямку вранці 7 червня “відмінусовано” російський Су-35 Про це повідомили в пресслужбі Повітряних сил ЗСУ, передає Хронікерс. Як зазначено, збиття ворожого винищувача відбулося вранці суботи 7 червня. “Сьогодні вранці, 7 червня 2025 року, внаслідок успішної операції Повітряних Сил на Курському напрямку збито російський винищувач Су-35”, – доповідають військові. hronikers.com
LUKE LITTLER has CRASHED OUT of the Nordic Darts Masters!
The teen sensation’s tournament debut came against Swedish newcomer Viktor Tingstrom where he pulled off a 6-3 win
But the roles were reversed for Littler in his quarter-final contest against Nathan Aspinall as he lost 6-3.
Elsewhere, the Iceman Gerwyn Price dumped Premier League winner Luke Humphries out and Rob Cross dismantled Chris Dobey in their quarter-final encounter.
Stephen Bunting also booked his spot in the semis with a win against Jonny Clayton and he faces Nathan Aspinall, while Price takes on Cross.
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LOVE Island star Conor Phillips has admitted to breaking show rules AFTER signing up to the programme.
The Irish rugby player, 25, is entering the villa in the ITV dating show’s latest series.
He replaced the originally announced Kyle Ashman, who was sent packing from Majorca just days ahead of the series launch after it emerged he’d been quizzed by cops over a violent attack that took place in February.
Speaking to press, Conor revealed he’d sought advice from past winner Greg O’Shea.
Islanders are forbidden from revealing their involvement in the series before entering the villa.
Fellow Irish rugby player Greg, 30, won series five alongside Amber Gill.
Conor shared: “I know Greg through rugby circles so I spoke to him about going on Love Island.
“He just said ‘be yourself, it’s a really really really cool experience that not many people get.
“So enjoy it and yeah take it day by day and if you can be yourself you can’t really go too far wrong’.
“So that’s my plan. He was like ‘my advice might be a bit different from others because I won’.”
He added: “I’m 25 and I’ve only had one relationship and it wasn’t very long.
“So I feel like I’m maybe doing something wrong or maybe I’m not in the right places.
“So, hopefully that this is the right place and it should be you know because you’re in a lovely villa surrounded by beautiful people, so I’m hoping that this is the one.”
Kyle has since spoken out about being axed saying: “I fully co-operated with this police investigation and made it very clear that I had no involvement in this incident.
“I am not a violent person and any suggestion otherwise is a mischaracterisation.”
Masked thugs stormed a wake in Stafford and hacked at a dad with a blade in February.
Ashman, 23, was one of two quizzed but released with no further action.
Sources said the channel was unaware of the incident and he was not flagged as part of contestant checks.
The victim, 38, nearly lost his arm. He was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment and kept in for around two weeks.
Another mourner was glassed, one struck with a metal pole, and two people run over by a car during the 15 minutes of terror at a social club in Stafford.
Ashman, who lives in the town, was one of two men to be nicked on suspicion of affray then bailed.
Departures:
Police confirmed that after the matter had been investigated the pair were released with no further action only last month.
A source said: “This was a horrific attack which could have been even worse.
“Ashman may have signed up to one of the biggest shows on TV with this hanging over his head.”
It is not suggested that Ashman, whose job involves laying and repairing water pipes, was involved in the attack.
