MUNSTER 21-18 OSPREYS
HURLEY AND ZEBO PUT
MUNSTER IN FINAL
Josh Matavesi looked to have won it for the Ospreys in
injury-time but his try was ruled out for a Rhys Webb knock on.
Tries from Simon Zebo and Denis Hurley either side of
half-time had put Munster 16-3 ahead.
Webb's 46th-minute try gave the Ospreys hope and while Paddy
Butler added a third for Munster, Jeff Hassler's superb score ensured a frantic
finish.
Hassler ran through the Munster defence from the halfway
line to score his magnificent individual try in the 53rd minute and after Dan
Biggar added the conversion, another penalty from the fly-half brought the
Ospreys to within three points of Munster's 21-point haul, but they could not
make further headway.
Keatley, on two occasions, and his replacement JJ Hanrahan
squandered straightforward penalty chances which would have settled the nerves
of the home support.
And those misses appeared to have been punished in the first
few seconds of injury-time as Matavesi finished off an over-lap to run in what
the Ospreys thought was the winning score.
But referee Nigel Owens asked for a video replay and it
showed that Webb had knocked on at the base of a ruck earlier in the play.
MY VIEW
Munster was very lucky to win this game as they nearly lost it
at the death. Munster does have some sort of home advantage in the final. I
feel that Munster maybe did not deserve to reach this final but home advantage
did become a huge advantage
GLASGOW 16-14 ULSTER
VAN DER MERVE TRY
AND RUSSELL PENALTIES GLASGOW WIN
It was a semi-final of immense physicality, one that claimed
an early victim when Al Kellock, the Glasgow captain playing for the last time
in front of his home crowd, retired hurt after just 20 minutes.
By then, Ulster had established their dominance; in the
line-out and the scrum, in the collisions and the breakdown and on the
scoreboard. For so long they looked set for victory, but the indomitable spirit
of these Glasgow men was extraordinary.
Ulster was left completely shocked at the end. Ruan Pienaar's
penalty for the visitors after just 30 seconds was cancelled out soon after by
Russell - a powerful effort from just inside his own half - but when Henry
scored in the corner in the 19th minute it was only what Ulster's early play
deserved.
It was a clinical score, sparked by the visitors' grunt up
front and finished beautifully out wide when Paddy Jackson linked with Louis
Ludik, whose quick hands put Henry over.
There is much attacking nous in this Ulster backline, but
Henry can be a bit of a try-machine himself at times. It was his second try in
a week at Scotstoun, having scored their only one in last Saturday's 32-10
defeat by Glasgow.
The fact that Ulster was only two points clear at the break
was something of a lucky break for the home team, but two points became five
when Pienaar landed a second penalty just before 60 minutes had elapsed.
At last, Glasgow found something. Some phases, some urgency,
some power. It brought them three points from the boot of Russell and energised
the big crowd.
Gregor Townsend leapt off his bench in the hope of finding
gaps in a brutish Ulster defence, but for the longest time it looked like
Ulster's defence would not be breached.
Ulster scored again. If Stuart Hogg's stunning kick from the
tee in the first half was eye-catching then Pienaar's effort from a veritable
mile out was even better. It was a thumping kick that restored their five-point
lead and left Glasgow needing a try.
And what a try. One of Glasgow's all-time great passes, a
30-yard delivery off Russell's left hand, one of their all-time great run-ins
from their departing son, Van der Merwe, and one of the all-time great
conversions by Russell from so far out on the right side that he practically
had to clear a gap in the crowd in order to kick it.
MY VIEW
This angered me as Ulster had so much control of this match
for so long and to lose it at the death angered me in a big way. Also to lose
it due to one kick angered me as well
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