THESE LIONS ARE GOING TO ROAR

Now that we don’t have any Ulster action to entertain ourselves, there are other pressing matters to attend to – mainly the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. Although Ulster only have two representatives in the thirty-eight man squad, it is still exciting to see how the best of the British Isles fare against one of the best sides in the Southern Hemisphere.

Normally I wouldn’t be too excited by a Lions tour. We can always tell how they’re going to go – Sky will big them up and make it out like they have a chance at “creating the impossible”, only for the Tests to be a whitewash 3-0 victory to the hosts. And this year I was tempted to give up on the Lions for a completely different reason.

The omission of Rory Best from the original squad was nothing short of ridiculous. Despite his poor line-out showings for Ireland and for Ulster against Saracens, he is still the best hooker in the Northern Hemisphere by a long way (well, in my opinion anyway). You couldn’t help but feel sorry for the Ulsterman when his name wasn’t read out back at the press conference in April. Going on the Lions tour was the least he deserved.

Luckily, he got there, although he had to rely on the stupidity of Dylan Hartley to take his place on the plane. As I mentioned on Tuesday, it’s not much of a victory for Best really – being on the tour now still doesn’t disguise the fact that he wouldn’t have been there had Hartley kept his head on Saturday and not sworn at referee Wayne Barnes.

That’s all in the past though, and what matters is that Rory is on the tour, joining the other Ulster representative Tommy Bowe, who is likely to start the three tests on the wing. Despite the fact that there are only the two Ulstermen on the tour, I am very interested this year for two reasons.

Firstly, the Lions actually have a chance of winning this year. The Lions will be heading to the Land of Oz in confidence, as Australia have not been in the best of form and their national team certainly aren’t what they used to be. If the Lions can play them correctly then there’s no reason why this couldn’t be a 3-0 whitewash in the visitor’s favour.

Secondly, it fills up the time before the return of Pro12 action. There are 99 days to go until the first weekend of the 2013/14 Pro12 season, and it is one that I cannot wait for. Luckily, the Lions tour takes up to the start of July and will provide us with plenty of rugby action while we wait for September to roll round again.

This weekend the Lions take on the Barbarians – a touring side made up of many players from different European clubs, including our own Jared Payne who will start at full-back. Barbarians tests are never really taken that seriously, and this will probably be an easy match to start the tour, although the sweltering heat of Hong Kong won’t make it a walk in the park. They need to get off to a winning start, no matter what the cost, and they should do against the ramshackle Baa-Baas who have already been hammered by England.

In the words of yet another cringey Sky advert for the tour, “This year, these Lions are going to roar!” That starts this weekend in Hong Kong…

British & Irish Lions vs. Barbarians

Saturday 1^st June, 12:30

Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Warm-up match

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 14. Alex Cuthbert (Wales), 13. Jonathan Davies (Wales), 12. Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11. Sean Maitland (Scotland), 10. Owen Farrell (England), 9. Mike Phillips (Wales); 1. Mako Vunipola (England), 2. Richard Hibbard (Wales), 3. Adam Jones (Wales), 4. Richie Gray (Scotland), 5. Paul O’Connell (captain, Ireland), 6. Dan Lydiate (Wales), 7. Justin Tipuric (Wales), 8. Toby Faletau (Wales).

16. Tom Youngs (England), 17. Cian Healy (Ireland), 18. Matt Stevens (England), 19. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), 20. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), 21. Conor Murray (Ireland), 22. Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 23. George North (Wales).

BARBARIANS

15. Jared Payne (Ulster), 14. Joe Rokocoko (Bayonne), 13. Elliot Daly (London Wasps), 12. Casey Laulala (Munster), 11. Taku Ngwenya (Biarritz), 10. Nick Evans (Harlequins), 9. Dmitri Yachvili (Biarritz); 1. Paul James (Bath), 2. Schalk Brits (Saracens), 3. Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), 4. Marco Wentzel (London Wasps), 5. Dean Mumm (Exeter), 6. Samu Manoa (Northampton), 7. Sam Jones (London Wasps), 8. Sergio Parisse (captain, Stade Francais).

16. Leonardo Ghiraldini (Treviso), 17. Duncan Jones (Ospreys), 18. Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), 19. Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), 20. Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro), 21. Kahn Fotuali’i (Ospreys), 22. James Hook (Perpignan), 23. Mike Tindall (Gloucester).

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)

Assistant Referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa), Angus Gardner (Australia)

TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)

ULSTER FALL AT FINAL HURDLE

So in the end, all of Ulster’s hard work was in vain. Despite winning the Pro12 regular season and seeing off the Scarlets in the play-off with relative ease, the Ulstermen could not seal the deal on Saturday as they succumbed to a 24-18 defeat in the RDS Arena to provincial rivals Leinster.

It’s devastating for Ulster. After reaching the Heineken Cup final last season and being duly hammered by Leinster, it seemed this year could be a shot at revenge – even if the game was in Dublin. Buoyed by the win at the RDS in March, fans headed down in confidence for once, rather than in hope.

Another slow start cost them though, and this time it was a cruel blow. In previous games Ulster have recovered against lesser opposition from behind, but not against Leinster. Once they had got their first try you knew Ulster were up against it and they never really recovered. 10-0 down after seven minutes was a hammer blow.

Discipline was also a very key part of the game and Ulster seemingly did not stay on the right side of the law for the game, increasingly annoying referee John Lacey throughout the match and culminating in a yellow card for Robbie Diack. It’s another learning curve for Ulster, for years their discipline has been brought into question and now they finally realise how detrimental it can be – it’s probably what lost them the match.

All in all, these two seasons have probably been building seasons for Ulster. Before the 2011/12 season they hadn’t reached a final for thirteen years. Now they have reached two in two years, and although they have lost both, Ulster will be far better off for the experience. Both Leinster and Munster had to go through a few years of failure before they became successful. Ulster are going through that now.

So for fans, all they can do is wait patiently. Ulster’s time will come, maybe not now, possibly not next season, but this side is too good not to win trophies. Ulster will keep building and will keep getting stronger and they will be in plenty more finals, and eventually they will win one. With a brand new stadium and a young squad quickly developing, the future is looking bright for Ulster, regardless of Saturday’s result.

What Anscombe will have to do, in what has been a very successful first season in charge for the Kiwi, is use this final to build. The Ulster side have built from the Heineken Cup final last year, they must now use this defeat to go that one step further. Next season will be a big season for Ulster Rugby. Because in my opinion it has to be a trophy season.

The longer Ulster reach finals and cannot finish it off, the longer they will start to believe they are a side that cannot get the job done. So next season will be crucial for Ulster – if they can bring a Heineken Cup quarter-final to Ravenhill and reach the play-offs of the Pro12 again then they will be on the right track. However, this should be an aim for Ulster every season.

This season has been mixed. A strong league showing, a 13-match unbeaten run and a lot of young players brought up through the ranks has been positive, but a poor knockout record and the loss of one of rugby’s young rising stars has made for an upsetting finish. Take it whatever way you will, but this has been another building season for Ulster and hopefully it will pay off in the long run.

Onwards and upwards for Ulster!

Best will roar for the Lions

Congratulations to Dylan Hartley for missing his second Lions tour due to his own indiscipline.

After swearing at referee Wayne Barnes in the Aviva Premiership final on Saturday and calling him a ‘cheat’ as well, an RFU disciplinary committee found Hartley guilty of the offence and banned him for 11 weeks which rules him out of the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Capitalising on Hartley’s stupidity is none other than Ulsterman Rory Best who was unlucky to miss out on making the original tour squad and now gets a second chance to prove himself worthy of a Lions test spot. However, Best’s call-up, in my opinion, isn’t as much of a personal victory as many believe.

Getting into the Lions squad is an achievement, yes, but getting in because someone pulled out is not ideal. Best will be happy he’s got another chance but it still doesn’t disguise the fact that he’s not the first choice for the squad. Nevertheless, he has his chance and hopefully it is one he can grasp with both hands.

Good luck Rory!

THE BIG ONE

Nine months of hard graft, one hundred and thirty two matches and two play-offs have all led to one match this Saturday, the 25^th of May – the RaboDirect Pro12 Grand Final at the RDS Arena in Dublin.

For the second time in Pro12 play-off history, the final will be an all-Irish affair, only unlike in 2010 when the two teams were Munster and Leinster, this season Leinster will again be one of the competitors, but Munster’s place is taken by Ulster.

There are obvious favourites for obvious reasons. Newly crowned Amlin Challenge Cup winners Leinster are very rarely beaten, and at the RDS they have been nearly unbeatable. Despite having a very poor start to the season, epitomised by a 45-20 drubbing away to the Scarlets, the Dubliners have excelled, hitting form at all the right times and only losing once since December.

However, crucially that one loss was to the one side that matter this weekend – Ulster. Buoyed by the return of all their big players for the March encounter, Ulster put in an inspired performance and came away with a brilliant 22-18 win from the RDS, their first in the Irish capital since 1999.

That was a very important catalyst for the Ulstermen. While in the short-term it hindered their push for a second consecutive appearance in the Heineken Cup final, it provided the motivation required to enable them to push on and finish top of the Pro12 and secure that all-important home semi-final.

What will be slightly disappointing is the fact that due to the ongoing development of Ravenhill, Ulster’s “home” final will be held at the RDS instead, two hours down the road. Against any other opposition this wouldn’t have been as big a problem, but with their fellow finalists being Leinster it means that all home advantage has gone.

Nevertheless, 9,000 Ulster fans are expected to make the journey to D4 tomorrow in order to cheer on the team. Should Ulster win it will be their first trophy since 2006, and it has been a very long wait for the loyal fans for a piece of silverware for their team. The prolonged dominance of Leinster and Munster won’t have made that wait any less painful.

The wait could be over by tomorrow night, but it will take something special for Ulster to do an unprecedented treble over their Irish counterparts. No mistakes, no missed chances. In finals you must take your chances, and if Ulster have learned anything this year then it will be that they have to be far more clinical than they have been all season. They will also have learned from Twickenham a month ago that they have to take their points when they are on offer, or they will be playing the hard game of catch up.

They will be boosted by the fact that Sean O’Brien has been ruled out for Leinster and that John Afoa is available for selection after worries he would not make it due to a hamstring injury. Small things like these can be a massive morale boost and Ulster must head into the game full of confidence that they will win, otherwise they could be on the end of another 42-14 drubbing like last season.

This is going to be a cracker.

All throughout this season I have given my predictions for matches. This week I considered not giving my prediction as I just don’t want to guess. I really want to think Ulster can do it, and they can, but Leinster are one of the most difficult sides to play in world rugby. Ah well, last game of the season, can’t back anyone else! Prediction – Ulster by 5.

Ulster Rugby vs. Leinster Rugby

Saturday 25^th May, 16:45

RDS Arena, Dublin

RaboDirect Pro12 – Final

Live on BBC NI, BBC Wales, RTE, TG4, BBC Alba and Fox Soccer

ULSTER RUGBY

15. Jared Payne, 14. Andrew Trimble, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Stuart Olding, 11. Tommy Bowe, 10. Paddy Jackson, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa, 4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy, 6. Robbie Diack, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Nick Williams.

16. Rob Herring, 17. Callum Black, 18. Declan Fitzpatrick, 19. Iain Henderson, 20. Mike McComish, 21. Paul Marshall, 22. Michael Allen, 23. Peter Nelson.

LEINSTER RUGBY

15. Rob Kearney, 14. Fergus McFadden, 13. Brian O’Driscoll, 12. Ian Madigan, 11. Isa Nacewa, 10. Jonathan Sexton, 9. Isaac Boss; 1. Cian Healy, 2. Richardt Strauss, 3. Mike Ross, 4. Leo Cullen (c), 5. Devin Toner, 6. Kevin McLaughlin, 7. Shane Jennings, 8. Jamie Heaslip.

16. Sean Cronin, 17. Jack McGrath, 18. Jamie Hagan, 19. Quinn Roux, 20. Rhys Ruddock, 21. John Cooney, 22. Andrew Goodman, 23. Andrew Conway.

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 28^th competition match)

Assistant Referees: George Clancy, Peter Fitzgibbon (both IRFU)

4^th and 5^th Officials: Leo Colgan, Olly Hodges (both IRFU)

Citing Commissioner: Achille Reali (FIR)

TMO: Dermot Moloney (IRFU)

TOULON TRIUMPH

I said last week that Toulon would have to play incredibly well to win on Saturday, or Clermont would have to bottle it. It was a combination of both.

Clermont were victims of the pressure put on them. As many pundits were touting, to win they only had to overcome themselves, but they didn’t. Although they showed plenty of promising signs, they were never able to fully unleash all the talent at their disposal and in the end they almost shrunk into themselves at parts of the match, and they seemed to believe that they had the match won once they had scored their second try. The relenting attacks seemed to die away.

Perhaps I’m not giving enough credit to Toulon, but that is maybe because I’m not too fond of them as a club. Flaunting their cash and luring the big players to the south of France is something I’m not a fan of, no matter what club it is, and even though money can’t buy you happiness, it does appear that it can buy you Heineken Cups.

Nevertheless, the fight that Toulon showed was admirable. Once he grew into the game, Jonny Wilkinson excelled with the boot and kept his side in the match. Delon Armitage has to be credited for his great finish for Toulon’s only try too, even if his after match antics on Twitter didn’t cover him in any glory.

However, you cannot give Toulon too much credit for their win, or even for their knockout performances as a whole. They are possibly one of the most boring sides to watch in rugby if I’m being brutally honest, they only managed one try in their three knockout matches – Armitage’s try being that one. Contrast that to their opponents who amassed eight tries in three matches, six more than Saracens who were the second highest try scorers out of the eight teams.

In fact, I’d go as far as to say that the wrong side won that final. If trophies were awarded for whole season performances then Clermont would be sweeping up every single one, and there wouldn’t be anybody able to stop them. The style of rugby and the way have executed it has been incredible and easy on the eye. They have brushed aside all opposition and eased into the semi-finals of the Top14, as well as their first Heineken Cup final.

But it is in the knockout games that the cracks have begun to appear in the Jaunards’ armour. Faced with the relatively easy task of disposing Munster in the Heineken Cup semi-finals, even coach Vern Cotter admitted they struggled and became increasingly frustrated as the match went on. Despite having the lion’s share of possession the French side could not convert it into points and nearly threw the game away completely.

And of course, as we have seen, when faced with the prospect of a first Heineken Cup trophy they couldn’t cope with the pressure. Despite having 10,000 loyal fans cheering them on from the stands, the Auvergne team could not deliver and instead had to watch in agony as Wilkinson and co. lifted the coveted European prize.

Clermont will be back. They still have the Top14 to play for, and who knows they may have the chance to exact their revenge on Toulon in a potential final against them. They will win a trophy eventually, they have too much talent in their ranks not to. When they will though is another question entirely.

Looking ahead

Mark Anscombe and David Humphreys would have been interested spectators on Friday night at the RDS as Leinster eased to their first Amlin Challenge Cup win in the club’s history. What they will have learned however is rather mixed, because Joe Schmidt’s side didn’t yield much from their win.

It was professional to say the least. The clinical nature of Leinster’s performances was remarkable as they boasted a 100% record in the first half – three visits to the Stade 22 resulted in three tries. However the stats are slightly misleading. They don’t tell how easy Stade made the Dubliners job for them.

Poor defence and lacklustre attacking play from the French side meant that Leinster weren’t overly troubled and once they had established a solid lead, they were able to coast home, relying on Jonathan Sexton’s boot to maintain their large advantage. And in his penultimate game for his home province, Sexton proved that he is good enough to hold off the emerging Ian Madigan and that he should start for the Lions in Australia.

In all honesty, Stade lost the final rather than Leinster won it. As impressive as the ‘home’ side were, the incredible amount of unforced errors made by the Parisian team was detrimental to their efforts. They put themselves in the right positions but they could not land the decisive blow by getting a try, and as a result they found themselves playing catch up to a side that very rarely lose in finals.

Anscombe and Humphreys will have watched on in amusement as Ulster’s final opponents of the season were given an armchair ride to the Challenge Cup title. What effect that will have on the match this Saturday remains to be seen, but Stade’s intensity will not have impacted upon Leinster’s squad as much as the Ulster coaching staff would have liked.

Facing Leinster in a final is always a daunting task and you’ll take any help you can get to try and win. Had Stade given Leinster an 80 minute run for their money then that would have been perfect for Ulster. But as it is, that did not happen and Ulster have to focus all their efforts into finishing their season on a high, and they will have to do a lot better than Stade did last Friday.

Only four days to go!

VIVA LA REVOLUTION

Sadly, Ulster aren’t in action in the Heineken Cup final this weekend, and instead their place must be taken by Clermont and Toulon at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow. But it promises to be a cracking final, and one which will probably be replayed in a couple of weeks in the Top14 final as well.

Clermont have been the team of Europe this season without a doubt. They have walked over their opponents this season without mercy, putting 40+ points on their opponents nine times already, and three of those times they surpassed 60 points. Not to mention their incredible home record which now stands at sixty wins in a row.

Toulon have bought in a strong squad which boasts internationals in abundance. If anybody was going to challenge the Ultra Vulcans it would be Toulon with their wealth of stars. However they have not been tested yet in knockout rugby. Two years ago they reached the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and were promptly sent home packing by Perpignan. They are not a feared knockout side just yet.

What will work in their favour though is their underdog status. The pressure is firmly on Clermont as favourites. To be honest, the only team that can stop Clermont is Clermont. If they let the pressure get to them then they will falter at the final hurdle. If they play their normal game then they will ease to the win.

The quality that Clermont have should be enough to get them there, and they have plenty of international and knockout experience to back that up. Toulon will have to play some incredible rugby just to stay in touch with the Auvergne side and it’ll be a tough day for them if the nerves get the better of them instead. A first Heineken Cup for Clermont seems on the cards. Prediction – Clermont by 8.

ASM Clermont Auvergne vs. Toulon

Saturday 18th May, 17:00

Aviva Stadium, Dublin

ASM CLERMONT AUVERGNE

15. Lee Byrne, 14. Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13. Aurelien Rougerie (c), 12. Wesley Fofana, 11. Napolioni Nalaga, 10. Brock James, 9. Morgan Parra; 1. Thomas Domingo, 2. Benjamin Kayser, 3. Davit Zirakashvili, 4. Jamie Cudmore, 5. Nathan Hines, 6. Julien Bonnaire, 7. Gerhard Vosloo, 8. Damien Chouly.

16. Ti’i Paulo, 17. Vincent Debaty, 18. Clement Ric, 19. Julien Pierre, 20. Julien Bardy, 21. Ludovic Radoslavjevic, 22. David Skrela, 23. Regan King.

TOULON

15. Delon Armitage, 14. Rudi Wulf, 13. Mathieu Bastareaud, 12. Matt Giteau, 11. Alexis Palisson, 10. Jonny Wilkinson, 9. Sebastian Tillous-Borde; 1. Andrew Sheridan, 2. Sebastian Bruno, 3. Carl Hayman, 4. Bakkies Botha, 5. Nick Kennedy, 6. Dannie Roussow, 7. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (c), 8. Chris Masoe.

16. Jean-Charles Orioli, 17. Gethin Jenkins, 18. Davit Kubriashvili, 19. Joe van Niekerk, 20. Steffon Armitage, 21. Maxime Mermoz, 22. Frederic Michalak, 23. Jocelino Suta.

Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU)

Assistant Referees: Wayne Barnes (RFU), George Clancy (IRFU)

TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)

Timekeeper: Andrew Baird (IRFU)

Citing Commissioner: Murray Whyte (IRFU)

Amlin adventure

Luckily there is one side we can cheer on this weekend – tonight Leinster take on Stade Francais at the ‘neutral’ venue of the RDS in the Amlin Challenge Cup final. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t put neutral in quotation marks because it is a neutral venue, it was chosen two years ago. Nevertheless, it’s a boost for the Dubliners.

Stade will have their eyes set on the trophy though. It is their get-out-of-jail card to get back into the Heineken Cup for next season after missing out on automatic qualification through the Top 14 where they finished eleventh. This won’t be the walkover everybody expects it will be. The French side will be massively up for this, make no mistake about that.

But Leinster have probably the strongest team in all of Europe and all the experience required to win yet another trophy. But for a bad streak of injuries early on in the season, it is likely they would be facing Clermont in the Heineken Cup final instead. However, they are in the Amlin now and they will still try to win it.

I think they will. The skill they have in their side, even with the changes they’ve made is incredible and Stade just won’t be able to compete with the intensity they bring to the game. Ulster sit up and take note, this is what we’re up against next weekend. Prediction – Leinster by 13.

Leinster Rugby vs. Stade Francais

Friday 17th May, 20:00

RDS Arena, Dublin

LEINSTER RUGBY

15. Rob Kearney, 14. Andrew Conway, 13. Fergus McFadden, 12. Ian Madigan, 11. Isa Nacewa, 10. Jonny Sexton, 9. Isaac Boss; 1. Jack McGrath, 2. Sean Cronin, 3. Mike Ross, 4. Quinn Roux, 5. Devin Toner, 6. Rhys Ruddock, 7. Sean O’Brien, 8. Jamie Heaslip (c).

16. Richardt Strauss, 17. Cian Healy, 18. Jamie Hagan, 19. Leo Cullen, 20. Shane Jennings, 21. John Cooney, 22. Andrew Goodman, 23. Dave Kearney.

STADE FRANCAIS

15. Jerome Porical, 14. Jeremy Sinzelle, 13. Geoffrey Doumayrou, 12. Paul Williams, 11. Hugo Bonneval, 10. Jules Plisson, 9. Julien Dupuy; 1. Aled de Malmanche, 2. Laurent Sempere, 3. Rabah Slimani, 4. Pascal Pape (c), 5. Scott LaValla, 6. David Lyons, 7. Pierre Rabadan, 8. Sergio Parisse.

16. Remi Bonfils, 17. Stan Wright, 18. Jeremy Becasseau, 19. Gerhard Mostert, 20. Antoine Burban, 21. Nicolas Bezy, 22. Paul Warwick, 23. Julien Arias.

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)

Assistant Referees: Leighton Hodges, Ian Davies (both WRU)

TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)

Timekeeper: Jude Quinn (IRFU)

Citing Commissioner: Maurizio Vancini (FIR)

FINAL FANTASY

I’m not going to focus on Friday’s match much this week because it went exactly as I thought – Ulster were never going to lose that match. As much as you could build them up, it would have taken something special for the Scarlets to leave Ravenhill with the victory, and they could not provide it. Ulster were actually so much in control that they were able to switch off for the last 30 minutes and still coast home to a 28-17 win.

Rather, over the weekend, I’ve been thinking forward to the final on the 25^th May down in Dublin. Without a doubt, it is one of the biggest games in Ulster’s recent history and, much like last season’s Heineken Cup final, it will be an all-Irish affair between Ulster and Leinster. Only this time it will be much different.

A year ago Ulster were still growing as a club and it was probably a year too early for them. Leinster were by far the better side and the day probably got to the Ulstermen which is why the final scoreline was as bad as it was. This season you would like to hope that the final result will be a lot closer.

Ulster will probably be the better side heading into the match. Finishing top of the regular season league is a boost for them and a week’s break may prove crucial compared to Leinster who will have to navigate their way past Stade Francais in the Amlin Challenge Cup final next weekend first. With an extra week of preparation, Ulster may find themselves fresher for the occasion.

The Belfast side will also be buoyed by the fact that they’ve already done the domestic double over their Irish counterparts this season, including their first win over Leinster in Dublin since 1999. They will head to the RDS in two weeks looking to make it three out of three against the Dubliners this season.

Ulster might actually be happy it’s Leinster that they will face in the final. After watching the semi-final between Leinster and Glasgow, the away side were very impressive and for a while it looked like they might even snatch the win. But for a missed Stuart Hogg conversion then they would have gone to extra time and who knows what might have happened then.

However, Leinster also showed their ability to close out games and they will prove stern opposition as we all know. That’s one of the reasons why Leinster will always be tricky final opponents – they’ve been there, they’ve done it, they’ve got the t-shirt. Experience counts for a lot at this stage of the season and the Boys in Blue have lots of it. Ulster do not, and this might swing the pendulum in Leinster’s favour.

Certainly it is building up to be an exciting final. A repeat of the Heineken Cup final with Ulster looking for revenge is a very exciting prospect indeed. Dublin will be rocking in two weeks – it is the third time in four years that the RDS will have hosted the Pro12 Grand Final. It will be a massive occasion for everyone involved.

See you there!

Ulster Rugby vs. Leinster Rugby

Saturday 25^th May, 16:45

RDS Arena, Dublin

Sarries put to the sword

In early April many were touting the possibility of a rare League-Heineken Cup double being achieved. But for once it was not by Leinster, but this time by Saracens. After beating Ulster rather emphatically at Twickenham it seemed like they were on a roll. But their dreams were dashed against Toulon a few weeks ago, and yesterday they were destroyed by a superb Northampton performance at Allianz Park.

The Saints were well worth their win, as they shut out the home side for most of the game. Led from the front by captain and Lion Dylan Hartley they will take their place in the final against Leicester who cruised into the final with an easy win over early season favourites Harlequins who will also end the season with no trophies despite having the chance of winning three at one point during the season.

It’s a rather disappointing end to the season for Quins who really faded away after Christmas, being comprehensively beaten in their Heineken Cup quarter-final by Munster and then slowly sliding into third in the league. On the other hand, Leicester’s season has taken an upturn and they will be firm favourites for the final in two weeks.

That will be an interesting one to watch.

PLAY-OFFS HERE WE COME!

Four tries for the Ulstermen and a dominant win made for a rather enjoyable evening for all Ulster fans last Friday – even the dreary Northern Irish weather couldn’t spoil Ulster’s evening as they capped off a fine regular season with a 37-13 win over the Cardiff Blues, securing top spot in the RaboDirect Pro12.

On the night, Ulster met all the expectations that were put on them and duly delivered, although they made hard work of it early on, actually heading in at half-time 10-13 down. But they finished off the game in style, running in three second half tries to guarantee themselves a home semi-final against the Scarlets this Friday.

You have to give Cardiff a lot of credit. Missing their Lions contingent of Warburton, Halfpenny, Roberts and Cuthbert, they still gave Ulster a good game and were in with a chance of causing an upset for most of the match. I’m rather surprised they’re as low down as ninth in the table because they played some very good rugby.

However, the gulf in class was apparent. In the second half Ulster turned on the style and grasped the game by the scruff of the neck and used their skill to dominate the proceedings, so much so that the visitors didn’t even get on the scoreboard in the second half, or even relatively close to it.

It is that professionalism that Ulster will have to show during the play-offs if they wish to win the Pro12. Against Saracens in the Heineken Cup they were guilty of missing golden opportunities to score points and let the home side run away with the game. Ulster have to learn from that, and realise that in big knockout matches, your points must be taken when they’re offered to you.

Still, Ulster will be in a position they’re unfamiliar to – favourites. There’s no doubt that most rugby fans will be expecting a home win and that puts a lot of pressure on Ulster to perform. Last time they were favourites Ulster only just scraped past Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup semi-final.

But Mark Anscombe and his side will head into the knockouts with plenty of confidence. In their last three matches Ulster have taken the maximum fifteen points on offer to them and have controlled those matches rather easily. They can go into the play-offs boasting the best record of the top four sides.

All focus turns towards the play-offs this weekend and it’s another step forward for the Ulstermen. Here we go…

RaboDirect Pro12 play-offs

Ulster Rugby vs. Scarlets

Friday 10^th May, 19:45

Ravenhill

Leinster Rugby vs. Glasgow Warriors

Saturday 11^th May, 19:35

RDS Arena

Top 4 tussle

Scarlets 17-41 Treviso. No you didn’t read that wrong. No I have not mixed the scores up. On Friday night at the Parc y Scarlets, Treviso produced possibly their performance of the season to grab a bonus point win over Ulster’s play-off opponents the Scarlets and finish seventh in the table. It will be a hammer blow to the boys from Llanelli as they prepare for the play-off match in Belfast and they will have to regroup quickly if they want to stand any chance of winning this weekend.

Meanwhile in Dublin, the Ospreys had been presented a glorious opportunity to sneak into the play-offs with that Scarlets loss, but they could not take it against a resurgent Leinster side that ran in four tries to grab a bonus-point win and deny the Welsh side a spot in the knockouts. With the final likely to be at the RDS Arena, you’d say the Boys in Blue are favourites for the overall title.

In Galway it was business as usual for Glasgow who wrapped up a 20-3 win over Connacht to guarantee themselves third place, which means they will travel back to Ireland this Saturday to play their knockout match against Leinster. In the form they are in however, you would back them to give the Dublin side plenty of difficulties.

It’s season over for both Edinburgh and the Dragons, but that didn’t stop them playing out a cracker of a match at Murrayfield, with the home side coming up top in a thrilling 31-24 win. With a brand new coaching team coming in next season, Edinburgh will look to push on from this season, while the Dragons have proven that they can push their fellow Welsh regions for an automatic Heineken Cup place.

Finally, my heartfelt commiserations go to Zebre who have finished the season without a win after coming so close to beating Munster in Parma. Luciano Orquera had a kick late on to give the Italians what would have been a deserving victory, but unfortunately his effort drifted wide and the Limerick outfit held on for a 27-25 win. Undoubtedly Zebre will be back next season with a strong determination to set the record straight.

LIONS MISSING THEIR BEST

Every Lions tour has its shock selections. Think back to Lee Mears in 2009. But I don’t think any other omissions are as controversial as Warren Gatland’s omission of Rory Best this season. Despite the Ulsterman having a few poor matches with his line-out throwing during the Six Nations, most still believed that Best would go as the starting hooker and he was even being touted as a potential captain.

Despite Tommy Bowe being selected for his second Lions tour, his place in the squad was completely overshadowed by the shock that Best would not travel. What is even more surprising are the players who beat him to the three places available for hooker.

Most surprising is controversial Northampton Saints hooker Dylan Hartley, whom Best got the better of in Franklin’s Gardens in Ulster and Northampton’s Heineken Cup clash in December. Hartley has had a turbulent season being banned for striking Best in the aforementioned match and then he lost his place in the England side to another touring hooker, Tom Youngs.

Speaking of the Leicester hooker, he is a rather controversial selection too. Youngs himself admitted he is “still a work in progress” and has only just managed to break his way into both the Leicester team and the England team too. His rapid ascension to the Lions squad is fascinating, but many would question his experience.

Indeed, the only “safe” hooker would be Ospreys and Wales hooker Richard Hibbard, who has had a very successful season both internationally and domestically. Well worth his place in the squad, he will now be the odds on favourite to start at hooker with Best missing.

It is well worth pointing out though that Best’s omission is not just being questioned in Belfast, but rather it is being debated across all of Britain and Ireland. It is a rather confusing call no matter what way you look at it, and Gatland so far has managed to avoid the questions thrown at him regarding the Craigavon-born hooker.

In the midst of the furore over Best, we must congratulate Tommy Bowe on his place in the squad. Despite being injured for the most part of five months after the Northampton match at Ravenhill in December, Bowe has impressed since he returned and is deserving of his selection. He will more than likely start in the Tests on the wing.

However, it is very disappointing for Best who still doesn’t have a Lions tour to his name. All he and the rest of Ulster can wait and hope for now is a withdrawal from one of the other hookers.

Dealing with the blues

We must however remember that there is a match tomorrow and it is the Cardiff Blues who make the journey to Ravenhill this weekend for the final match of the Pro12 regular season. Two points would be enough for the Ulstermen to finish top and in their current form they should get that. Mark Anscombe has more or less a full hand to choose from and there will be no excuses if Ulster throw this away. A win is necessary; a bonus point win is preferred.

The Blues have nothing left to play for. Languishing in eighth in the table and with half of their players with one eye on the upcoming Lions tour, one would forgive them for having their minds elsewhere. Ulster have at least one more match (hopefully two) to go after this and so the mindset has to be right – get in the winning mentality and keep it going. I back them to do so. Play-offs here we come! Prediction – Ulster by 21 (BP)

Ulster Rugby vs. Cardiff Blues

Friday 3^rd May, 19:45

Ravenhill

RaboDirect Pro12, Round 22

Live on BBC2 NI

ULSTER RUGBY

15. Jared Payne, 14. Andrew Trimble, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Stuart Olding, 11. Tommy Bowe, 10. Ruan Pienaar, 9. Paul Marshall; 1. Callum Black, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa, 4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Iain Henderson, 6. Robbie Diack, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Nick Williams.

16. Nigel Brady, 17. Tom Court, 18. Declan Fitzpatrick, 19. Dan Tuohy, 20. Sean Doyle, 21. Paddy Jackson, 22. Michael Allen, 23. Peter Nelson.

CARDIFF BLUES

15. Dan Fish, 14. Alex Cuthbert, 13. Gavin Evans (c), 12. Dafydd Hewitt, 11. Harry Robinson, 10. Rhys Patchell, 9. Lewis Jones; 1. Taufa’ao Filise, 2. Kristian Dacey, 3. Scott Andrews, 4. Bradley Davies, 5. Lou Reed, 6. Luke Hamilton, 7. Josh Navidi, 8. Michael Paterson.

16. Marc Breeze, 17. Thomas Davies, 18. Campese Ma’afu, 19. Tefilo Paulo, 20. Macauley Cook, 21. Liam Davies, 22. Ceri Sweeney, 23. Tom James.

Referee: Neil Paterson (SRU)

Assistant Referees: Sean Gallagher, Nigel Correll (both IRFU)

Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)

TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)