Match report | Leinster 20-11 Stormers

For the second year in a row, Leinster will host the Bulls at Croke Park in the BKT United Rugby Championship final.

Leo Cullen's side fought their way past a physical Stormers side for a 20-11 win at Aviva Stadium, in what was a tense and edgy game of cup rugby, in front of another modest crowd of 15,346.

The game ultimately swung on a moment of madness by Stormers flanker Ruan Ackermann, whose reckless shoulder to the head on Rónan Kelleher with 12 minutes to go gave Leinster the territory for their try to ice the game.

Ackermann’s tucked arm earned him a yellow card, soon upgraded to a 20-minute red, with Jamison Gibson-Park's try, and a further Stormers yellow card for Salmaan Moerat, ensuring Leinster would see out the final 10 minutes with a two-man advantage, and a two-score lead.

Up until then it had been an edgy affair.

While Leinster had been 13-0 ahead after a dominant first 25 minutes, a concerning injury for Andrew Porter saw momentum swing back to the South Africans.

The Leinster scrum had been in control until his departure, winning two penalties, and providing the platform for a Rieko Ioane try and two penalties for Sam Prendergast.

His departure saw a change in fortune at the scrum, as both Thomas Clarkson and Alex Usanov struggled, with Adre Smith’s try and two Jurie Matthee penalties making it 13-11 as the game turned into the final quarter.

The defending champions found a way to win though, setting up a rematch with the Bulls at Croker, and while Cullen will be pleased by the manner in which his side dug their way through, improvements will be needed in 13 days' time.

Porter’s injury could have a severe impact on the scrum, where the Bulls are strongest, while he will also need to think hard about his out-half choice, with Prendergast targeted on multiple occasions by the Stormers’ physical carriers.

It was all Leinster for the opening minutes, and while Josh van der Flier was frustrated with an early knock-on in the Stormers 22, they didn't have to wait long for the first try.

An initial break from Hugo Keenan got them back into the 22, and as the retreating Stormers defence became narrow, Leinster moved it wide from Prendergast to Osborne and then Ioane to create a two-on-one, and the New Zealander’s quick show-and-go saw him skip inside and dive for the opening try.

Prendergast's conversion made it 7-0 after nine minutes, and the out-half extended Leinster’s lead with a penalty just before the end of the first quarter, with the South Africans straying offside after Jamison Gibson-Park had raced to the 22 following a breakdown steal by Van der Flier.

It was 13-0 by the 23rd minute, with the Leinster scrum again getting them up to the 22, before a high tackle by Adre Smith on Jimmy O’Brien allowed Prendergast knock over his second penalty.

Leinster had dominated possession for the opening 25 minutes, but they soon fell back into their habit of conceding a penalty within seconds of defending their 22, and it gave the South Africans a five-metre tap-and-go opportunity from which Mchunu’s big carry was followed up by Smith (above) for a try, cutting the home side’s lead to 13-5.

Jurie Matthee sliced the conversion wide, but he did tag on three more Stormers points on 33 minutes, when James Lowe’s knock-on led to a sustained period of pressure, before a penalty at the scrum allowed the Stormers out-half make it 13-8 from under the posts.

That’s how it stayed until half time, although Leinster had multiple opportunities to pull clear.

Lowe beat Wandisile Simelane and Dan du Plessis down the left wing to get them on the attack, leading to five minutes of pressure and multiple penalties, although a careless knock-on from Ioane and tame carry from Prendergast led to turnovers, and a slender five-point half time lead for Leinster.

A yellow card for Leolin Zas on 45 minutes gave Leinster the first real attacking opportunity of the first half, but after Thomas Clarkson lost the ball in contact, Imad Khan collected the scraps on the ground to sprint clear, but Keenan chased him down to prevent a breakaway try.

The visitors ended up winning the sin-bin period 3-0 with Matthee landing a penalty to make it 13-11 on 53 minutes, the Stormers demolishing a Leinster scrum after Prendergast’s kick walloped the back of Gibson-Park's head for an unfortunate accidental offside.

Right on the hour mark, a piercing run from Caelan Doris and quick hands from Lowe to Gibson-Park, injected some life into the Leinster attack, although it was a short-lived entry to the 22, as Evan Roos pounced on Usanov for a jackal penalty.

Another attack came and went after Ioane ran a perfect line, only for Keenan to lose control of the ball at a ruck, and then it was the Stormers’ turn to attack following a brilliant 50:22 from Ruhan Nel, but Rabah Slimani shut the door by winning his side a jackal penalty.

On 68 minutes the Stormers were reduced to 14 players for the second time, Ruan Ackermann shown a yellow card (which would later be upgraded to a 20-minute red) for a reckless shoulder charge to the head of Rónan Kelleher at a ruck, and this time they made the advantage count with an instant try for Gibson-Park.

There was a touch of fortune to the score, as the Leinster scrum-half's pass clipped the foot of Moerat, which was jutting out from the edge of a ruck, and the bobbling ball sat up kindly for Gibson-Park to run through a gap and score under the posts.

To make matters worse for the Stormers, Moerat was harshly shown a yellow card for his action at the ruck, ensuring the Suth Africans would be chasing a 20-11 scoreboard down to 13 players.

From there, there would be no way back.

Scorers

Leinster: Tries: Rieko Ioane, Jamison Gibson-Park

Cons: Sam Prendergast (1), Harry Byrne (1)

Pens: Sam Prendergast (2)

Stormers: Tries: Adre Smith

Pens: Jurie Matthee (2)

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O'Brien, Rieko Ioane, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Gus McCarthy (for Kelleher, 69), Alex Usanov (for Porter, 21), Rabah Slimani (for Clarkson, 54), Diarmuid Mangan (for McCarthy, 69), Jack Conan (for Van der Flier, 54), Luke McGrath (for Gibson-Par, 75), Harry Byrne (for Prendergast, 57), Garry Ringrose (for Osborne, 62).

Stormers: Damian Willemse; Wandisile Simelane, Ruhan Nel (capt), Dan du Plessis, Leolin Zas; Jurie Matthee, Imad Khan; Ntuthuko Mchunu, André-Hugo Venter, Neethling Fouché; Adré Smith, Connor Evans; Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Evan Roos

Replacements: JJ Kotzé (for Venter, 53), Vernon Matongo (for Mchunu, 53), Zachary Porthen (for Fouché), Salmaan Moerat (for Evans, 47), Ruan Ackermann (for De Villiers, 59), Marcel Theunissen (for Dixon, 46), Stefan Ungerer (for Khan, 62), Warrick Gelant (for Simelane).

Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU).