14 points: Jonathan Sexton
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Leinster booked themselves into their second final of 2011/12 after beating Glasgow 19-15 in the RaboDirect PRO12 semi at the RDS on Saturday.
Jonathan Sexton kicked three first-half penalties to Duncan Weir's one as the hosts opened up a six-point lead at the break.
Sexton added another three-pointer in the second period before Dave Kearney's converted try confirmed their place in the final where they will play the Ospreys.
Dougie Hall and Stuart Hogg went over late on for the visitors, but it proved to be mere consolation.
The Irish province went in as heavy favourites and they justified that tag early on, playing with a high tempo and looking to run the ball from deep. Their initial ambition was rewarded through a long-range Sexton penalty.
But Glasgow gradually grew into the game and Weir levelled the scores from the tee. It was the hosts who were next to threaten.
Although the visitors' defence was valiant, when Leinster were in control of the ball, the Warriors ultimately struggled to contain their wide, expansive game. And Leinster's fly-half kicked a second three-pointer to take them into the lead.
By now, the Irish outfit's power and creativity was starting to tell. Glasgow's Alex Dunbar was sin-binned for a cynical infringement close to his own line, but a combination of superb rearguard action and inaccurate Leinster attack saw the Scottish side hold out. However, Sexton added a penalty late in the half as the hosts took a 9-3 lead into the interval.
The visitors started the second period brightly, but Weir was profligate with two three-point opportunities.
They were punished when the home team's fly-half kicked a penalty of his own before the Irish province effectively sealed the victory when Kearney touched down.
Although Hall and Hogg went in late on, Ruaridh Jackson converting the latter, Leinster comfortably booked their place in the final.
The scorers:
For Leinster:
Try: Kearney
Con: Sexton
Pen: Sexton 4
For Glasgow:
Try: Hall, Hogg
Con: Jackson
Pen: Weir
Leinster: 15 Isa Nacewa, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Eoin O'Malley, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 David Kearney, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip (capt), 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Sean O'Brien, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Nathan White, 19 Leo Cullen, 20 Kevin McLaughlin, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Andrew Conway.
Glasgow: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Federico Aramburu, 13 Alex Dunbar, 12 Graeme Morrison, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Chris Cusiter, 8 John Barclay, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Al Kellock (capt), 4 Richie Gray, 3 Mike Cusack, 2 Pat MacArthur, 1 Ryan Grant.
Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Jon Welsh, 18 Moray Low, 19 Tom Ryder, 20 Henry Pyrgos, 21 Johnnie Beattie, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Peter Murchie.
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey, Leo Colgan (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Tom McCormack (IRFU)
TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)
Comments
jontheref says...
Just read this on another site, shows I have the correct version,
Chemster said
That said, I laughed hardest at the ruck 2 mins from the end of the match;
Leo Cullen dives over the top and grabs the ball, preventing the Glasgow player from releasing it and thus quick ball and a certain try. Clancy looks at this situation and cries "Hands out Blue! Leave it! Leave it Blue!" Two seconds later when Cullen still has his hands all over the ball whilst in no way supporting his own weight, completely disregarding his instructions from the ref, Clancy is heard to cry "That's a maul!" and promptly gives possession to Leinster.... WTF?!
Laughable!
Says it all.
No come back?
Posted 23:39 27th May 2012
jontheref says...
@crunchfit
"I can't remember the other specific incidents you remember, but this one didn't happen the way you described it. I wonder about your other examples. "
I did my analysis from the video after the game, so sorry, your comment about it not happening that way is incorrect.
But nice to see we can agree about truly neutral officials!
It will happen, as you may remember, we never used to get neutrals for Lions or other tests in the SH.
yet, when any of the 4N teams palyed up here, there was always a neutral.
Cost is used as the excuse, but some control over the officials for the final stages of all multi national competitions may be the answer.
Nigels owens to have a great game, and the result is not down to him!
(I hope!)
Posted 14:00 19th May 2012
crunchfit says...
@jontheref
Nah, I'm pretty relaxed about it. It doesn't come across in written text. I'm just pointing out that you making a simple decision, as part of your most basic duties, is not a display of neutrality. I felt it was relevant given that we're discussing that area now regarding Clancy.
Can't really be bothered to be honest. I can list minor / technical fouls that could have gone against Glasgow, but I think I'd be wasting my time. I think his failure to referee the breakdown and offside line (not being offside at the breakdown, the defensive line being offside) greatly affected Leinster's ability to score had a much greater affect on the game than technical fouls or one off penalties, given that similar technical / minor offenses were let go for Glasgow. He was consistently poor in those areas.
Seeing as I specifically remember the ruck / maul incident you are referring to, I'll at least respond to that. The player with the ball was held up, Clancy said this and that it was not a ruck, but a maul. I can't remember the other specific incidents you remember, but this one didn't happen the way you described it. I wonder about your other examples.
Anyway. I can't really be bothered getting into more detail and checking individual incidents. That's your opinion. I'm going to stick to mine as well. I do agree that I'd prefer completely neutral referees so this wouldn't be an issue. The arguments would simply be about the referee being bad in that case...
Posted 14:42 17th May 2012
jontheref says...
crunchfit
You need to lighten up, it was said tongue in cheek.
If you read my first posting, I said it was tough on Clancy, as if he was whiter than white, perception was that being part of an all irish team, for a home game, he could influence the result.
IMO, he did.
Too many decisions went leinsters way, to give me any other opinion.
It took until the 73 rd minute for him to PK leinster for binding on the arm, it had been the same at the previous scrums, so why so long to spot it.
Others have commented on Glasgow being offside, when Cullen came on, he was immediately on the wrong side, not getting away, and he is ignored.
Then he tellas Cullen to leave it, he doesn't, yet no PK.
At a rucl, he then decides it is a maul, since when can you turn a ruck into a maul?
If a neutral had been used, the most you could say was incompetant, but the bias word is considered at this.
I'm glad you are so passionate to continue bleating for a narrow win, at my own admission, leinster were below par, and I believe Clancy assisted in their win.
I was also at the Ospreys Munster game, and I believe, Rolland was harsher on Munster, particuarly early on, when the game was in the balance, than Munster.
Maybe playing to the home crowd subconsciously?
I do wish they would use neutral officials, so this perception would be a thing of the past.
Go on, have the last word!
Posted 10:24 16th May 2012
crunchfit says...
@jontheref
It wasn't a lesson. You seemed to think that Owens did a particularly good job with this call and so, showed that he is neutral. I was just pointing out that it is a basic duty of a linesman, not to mention it was an easy call to make. Anyway, please lighten up with the whining about referees or at least do a better job of judging their performance / neutrality.
Posted 17:16 14th May 2012
jontheref says...
crunchfit
"Also, Nigel Owens is a touch judge. One of his basic duties is to check if a player puts his foot on or over the line with the ball in his posession"
Thanks for the 101 lesson on assistant referees!
staph just continue in this vein, you'll go far
Posted 12:31 14th May 2012
staph_glorious says...
"and your point is?"
You try so very hard to embarrass yourself.
Posted 13:49 13th May 2012
crunchfit says...
@jontheref
What is it with you and whining about the referee? Clancy was reasonably consistent, he was even probably harsher with Leinster, particularly at the breakdown and he was very lenient with the offside line when it came to Glasgow's defense. I don't think they were penalised a single time for being offside. Anyway, I'm happy with the result and the referee wasn't bad but he wasn't particularly inconsistent and he certainly didn't stop Glasgow from getting a historic win. It was an even enough match, but Leinster were dominant overall, had more try scoring opportunities and spent more time in the opponents half than Glasgow did.
Also, Nigel Owens is a touch judge. One of his basic duties is to check if a player puts his foot on or over the line with the ball in his posession. Williams obviously did put his foot out of touch and Owens called it. If you consider fulfilling one of your most basic duties by making an easy decision a display of neutrality, then I'm not sure how good a judge of neutrality you are...
Posted 12:54 13th May 2012
leinster_goy says...
@jontheref
i like the way you structure your posts, it calls to my mind a wistful shakespearean sonnet
Posted 11:45 13th May 2012
jontheref says...
papachinzo
I agree about Leinster only being at 60%, they were below par.
Some of that was down to Glasgow playing better than they have before, but they did get to 4th in the league, so do have some dog to play games.
The other 40% was given by Clancy, who was inconsistent to the extreme, this was a game that with neutral ref we probably would have seen an historic Glasgow win.
Yes, owens was on the line at the Munster game, and he showed his neutrality, by giving that foot in touch when Shane Williams brushed the line early on.
So please don't bleat about him showing bias towards Welsh teams.
staph
been to both North and South Carolina, and your point is?
Posted 11:23 13th May 2012
papachinzo says...
Leinster won that game pretty easy, I'd say they only reached about 60% as well...
@jontheref ...Owens was on the Line for the Ospreys Munster game.
If anything, Clancy was more in favour of Glasgow, as he was always going to be. So I don't know what your problem is ?
Posted 23:10 12th May 2012
staph_glorious says...
"Good try Leinster, but you should not have been sofar ahead at that point."
Thank you very much, South Carolina.
Posted 23:00 12th May 2012
J_HDK says...
Hard grind of a game between the two most stubborn defences in the Pro12
@jontheref I don't think you are fair on Clancy
Posted 22:54 12th May 2012
tombomb says...
Glasgow and there puke rugby they should have been whistled off the park do they not care about the spectators paying there salary's ffs. but then again you have to admire just how much they can slow the opposition's ball down virtually ruining the game as a spectacle
Posted 22:21 12th May 2012
leinster_goy says...
reminds me a little of the semi-final win over ulster last year: a workmanlike but lacklustre performance, never getting out of first gear, with key players hobbling off injured...i'd be much more worried about DJ Church than Darce at this point
i came to the conclusion halfway through the first half that the offside rules didn't apply to glasgow. at almost every ruck they were half a metre ahead of the last foot. bbc alba commentators praised it as "impressive rush defence"...makes the aussie commentators sound like paragons of impartiality
we should all know by this stage that these leinster players will have little trouble raising their game a few notches ahead of next saturday. the final against ospreys is a tough one to call though - a week after what will be a bruising Heineken final, ospreys will be fresher and confident having already won in the RDS, plus they are quite possibly the jammiest team in the league. i much preferred them when they were the Fake Tan Brigade...who are those peroxide blondes in the backline though
Posted 21:50 12th May 2012
jontheref says...
Well, last night it was not about the referee.
Sorry, tonight it was.
I really feel for the guy,
Painted into a corner, all Irish set of officials, for a HOME game?
We all seem toagree, the Scottish refs are not up to it, though some of the younger ones seem to be developing.
But where were the Welsh refs?
nuetral?
One of them is doing the H Cup next week, so why was he doing a lower game today?
Anyway, George Clancy has to live in treland, so you can see where he is coming from, or at least going to!
Not really satisfactory to the nuetral.
Bad taste?
Good try Leinster, but you should not have been sofar ahead at that point.
Posted 21:43 12th May 2012