Bulls v Leinster recap as the province faces yet more summer regret and reflection

“It was exactly like we expected. A seriously tough game, it was Test match intensity and yeah, look, we’re gutted to come away on the wrong side of the result.

“Full credit to the Bulls, I thought they were brilliant today and the best of luck to them in the final.

“It’s knockout rugby, it’s all about small margins, I think. This team probably knows that better than most and as I said, we’re gutted.”

Having been so influential in this game, Johan Goosen boots the ball into touch and the contest is done at Loftus Versfeld. For a number of Leinster players, such as Ross Molony and Michael Ala’alatoa, this spells the end of the road for the province. For the rest, yet another summer of heartbreak and self-reflection is about to unfold.

This was another tight game, another tight finish and it was tight again on the scoreboard. But once more Leinster’s attack has failed to fire in the manner it did when they were the best team in Europe.

The Bulls progress to the URC final as Leinster’s season ends without a trophy – the third season in succession that has happened.

On their own 5 metre line, Leinster have to go the length of the pitch to score a try now

20 seconds remain of regulation time.

Well that penalty would have ended Leinster’s hopes but they’re still alive as his kick is short.

Another Leinster attack comes to nothing and Jack Conan gives away a penalty with a high tackle. The Blues have missed Jamison Gibson-Park’s speed of delivery since he failed to return from a HIA.

Conan’s tackle is reviewed but he is not sin-binned. Just over two minutes remaining but the Bulls are about to kick for the posts from 60 metres.

Leinster go through 23 phases in attack in a bid to hit back as Jordan Larmour and James Lowe almost break clear, but then a double hit on Caelan Doris forces the turnover as the Bulls come through over the ball.

Cian Healy is on for Andrew Porter as Leinster take a restart from under their own posts. Just over seven minutes now remain.

Sergeal Peterson gets above Ciarán Frawley in the air to score a crucial third try for the hosts – it was Papier’s up and under and the winger just got up ahead of the Skerries man to score.

Leinster had found themselves under pressure from the restart after Byrne’s penalty when Ryan Baird missed his catch and the drop-goal attempt and subsequent try stemmed from that error.

Johan Goosen misses the conversion so the Bulls lead by 5 points and there is 12 minutes remaining.

Garry Ringrose is replaced by Jamie Osborne and Ross Molony is on for James Ryan.

Rónan Kelleher flies out of the line to deny Johan Goosen a drop-goal that would have put his side ahead.

The Bulls have done well at the ruck this afternoon but on this occasion Akker van der Merwe is off his feet. Ross Byrne makes it 20-20 with 15 minutes to go.

Joe McCarthy pinged for being on the wrong side of the ruck having got away with one a bit earlier. This time he was unfortunate as there really was no way out. Goosen takes aim and fires over, and the Bulls are back ahead by three.

Jack Conan is on for Josh van der Flier

Ross Byrne holds his nerve and, with 59 minutes gone, Leinster have dragged themselves back to parity. It’s 17-17 with a massive last quarter to go now.

The winger’s magical deft chip bamboozles the Bulls’ defence and he finds Rónan Kelleher. Leinster pile forward and the Bulls are offside, and Leinster have a penalty within kicking distance of the posts.

A ruck clear-out is bad news for the Leinster scrum-half, who has to go off for a HIA. Luke McGrath replaces the Ireland No.9.

56 minutes gone.

Sam Grove-White tells James Ryan and Ruan Nortje to control their players after a bit of an altercation under the Leinster posts. A kinder bounce of the ball could have seen Embrose Papier score a try for the Bulls but Leinster had the luck again.

Rónan Kelleher replaces Dan Sheehan, Michael Ala’alatoa is on for Tadhg Furlong and Ciarán Frawley is on for Jimmy O’Brien as Joe McCarthy is fortunate not to give away a ruck penalty within shooting distance.

Caelan Doris barges over – helped by Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter – for an important five-pointer. Ross Byrne kicks the conversion over and it’s 17-14 now as Leinster make bench changes on 51 minutes.

Bulls go offside as the visitors try to engineer a gap to get over.

Scintillating break by the Blues’ backs and James Lowe gets the pass away to Garry Ringrose before he tackled into touch, and Leinster win a penalty. Ross Byrne kicks the penalty into touch for the lineout.

They’ve proved in the past that they can react to setbacks but Leinster know that what happens next can make or break their season – and it’s a big ask for them now to come back against a team that has made Loftus Versfeld a fortress.

All too easy for Seargal Peterson onto Harold Vorster’s kick through after a sweeping move by the home side and Goosen splits the posts with the conversion. Big move by the Bulls, who increase their lead to 17-7

Ross Byrne kicks off and Akker van der Merwe has replaced Johan Grobbelaar at hooker for the Bulls. Leinster unchanged so far.

That was a low scoring first half but it was propulsive, punishing stuff and Leinster will have to go to their experienced, international-laden bench early in the second half as there has been a huge amount of work put in by their starters. Leo Cullen will need to get the Leinster scrum sorted and ensure his back three aren’t caught out by the cross-kicking of Goosen and Le Roux, who are looking to exploit gaps at every opportunity. This one is still wide open.

Johan Goosen slots over and Jake White’s side take a 10-7 lead into the break.

After a reset, the Bulls exert their scrum dominance to earn a penalty and, with the clock in the red at the end of the first half, the Bulls decide to take the three-pointer on.

Plenty of kicking by both sets of backs but the ball is remaining in play for long periods and it is taking it’s toll. Jordan Larmour’s knock-on as he contests in the air gives the Bulls a scrum just inside Leinster’s 22.

The Bulls forwards roll up their sleeves and they make serious ground before the ever-dangerous Goosen is picked out by scrum-half Embrose Papier and he flies through the gap and under ther posts. Goosen’s tip-over conversion levels it up.

Willie Le Roux’s superb kick hands the home side a lineout just outside Leinster’s 5m line.

James Lowe scores in the corner! Ross Byrne improvises with his pass and Lowe dots down in the corner where the sin-binned Peterson usually defends. The try came off lineout ball where the move initially broke down, with Dan Sheehan failing to make a pass, but Leinster scrambled with Caelan Doris and Joe McCarthy trucking it up before Gibson-Park and Byrne shifted it wide to Lowe.

Ross Byrne nails the difficult conversion and Leinster lead 7-0 with 25 minutes gone.

Bulls winger Sergeal Peterson is sin-binned, so a chance for Leinster to take advantage. They decide to kick for the corner.

Another penalty for the province after a deliberate knock-on. TMO looking to see if there was cover behind Sergeal Peterson as James Lowe passed to Jimmy O’Brien.

Poor effort by Ross Byrne who pulls his kick wide. The sides remain scoreless after 21 minutes.

Back row Cameron Hanekom is pinged just over the half-way line and Leinster skipper James Ryan tells Ross Byrne to kick for the posts.

Marco van Staden took out Ross Byrne off the ball and the five-pointer is disallowed. A let-off for the visitors, who are being stretched on the flanks by the Bulls’ clever tactics.

No surprise that the hosts take the lead. Willie Le Roux central to the move and Devon Willams crosses. But the TMO is looking at the replay as Ross Byrne may have been taken out.

Elrigh Louw takes a crossfield pass from Goosen and Jimmy O’Brien injures his shoulder trying to stop the flanker – without success. The Bulls switch to the right side, with Willie Le Roux keeping the dangerous move alive, but Leinster just hang on as Sergeal Peterson can’t find a team-mate with the line at the hosts’ mercy. Eventually, Garry Ringrose puts Devon Williams in touch.

The Bulls out-half lets fly with a drop goal attempt from the half-way line and it drifts just to the right and wide. But a real indication of how far the ball travels at this altitude.

Some nice trickery from Leinster’s centres when finally given the opportunity to attack until Garry Ringrose just knocks on. 10 minutes gone and still scoreless.

Leinster’s scrum comes under serious pressure from the Bulls’ front row and Andrew Porter looked in real trouble until Jamison Gibson-Park sprinted off down the blindside and kicked immacuately right into the corner. The Bulls deal well with their lineout duties and clear to outside the 22.

James Lowe is clearly enjoying himself already as playing at altitude allows him to send a booming kick deep into Bulls’ territory. Devon Williams, however, could have been away had Devon Williams held Johan Goosen’s cross-kick. Goosen is already testing Leinster’s blitz defence by going wide when he can.

The Bulls immediately test Leinster’s full-back Jimmy O’Brien in the air – and have started proceedings by probing with a number of kicks. Leinster are coping for now. A brilliant take by O’Brien shows he’s ready for the challenge.