JOHANN VAN GRAAN wasn’t in a mood to give much away as he took on press duties ahead of Saturday’s Pro14 final against Leinster (kick-off 5pm, eir Sport).

The Munster head coach wouldn’t be drawn on how much his first final in charge of the southern province mean to him personally. Nor how he intends to use his international contingent –  though, as they face the the tightest of seven-day turnarounds as they switch focus from international to inter-pro, it may well be too early to tell.

Perhaps inspired by a few dead-batted answers, Van Graan is asked if he is concealing any tricks up his sleeve, a key to breaking a losing run against Leinster and near-decade-long wait for a trophy in Thomond Park.

“I don’t think finals are about trick plays,” says the former Springbok forwards coach.

“Every team has something up their sleeve on both sides of the ball, but it’s about doing your basics well.

“Whether that’s to the opponents, the weather, the referee or the scoreboard. We’ll be looking to execute our basics exceptionally well and then adapt on the day.”

The adaptation of Munster’s attack has been particularly eye-catching of late and while he highlights the importance of the basics against a ‘well-oiled machine’ of a Leinster side with ‘no weaknesses,’ Van Graan also notes some of the more free-flowing scores in Munster’s highlight reel. Mike Haley, Shane Daly and Ben Healy finishes represent the fruits of labour from a coaching ticket who have had time and space to make their mark.

“We said we need to get better in all areas, that’s what you look for in a season and I believe we have. Now it’s about producing on a day that matters most, that’s in a final.

“We’re coming up against possibly the best team in Europe, certainly in the Pro14 over the last few seasons and they’re playing at their home ground. We’re under no illusions we’ll have to be at our best to beat them.

“It’s a great challenge in front of us, we believe we’v improved through the season and  that will be put to the test on Saturday afternoon.”

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ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER title for Leinster. That’s four in a row now and if truth be told, this one never looked in doubt.

They didn’t get it easy but nor did they ever trail against old rivals, Munster. In the end, the 16-6 scoreline was just about right.

Afterwards Devin Toner, who became Leinster’s record caps holder tonight, said: “It is unbelievable for us, especially as we did it here in the RDS, which is a pretty special place for us to play. We knew it was not going to be easy – it never is against Munster.

“To get the win, we knew we needed to match their intensity. The thing is that once we get our gameplan right, we are hard to beat.

“It is a very special day for me personally. All the letters, texts and tweets I have got is unbelievable. I am going in to train with lads who were born when I was in fourth year and it is invigorating to be around those young guys. It is a really good place to be at the moment.

Toner speaks to the media after tonight’s game. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO

“There are more years left in me.”

As there are for man of the match, Jack Conan.

ULSTER NUMBER EIGHT Marcell Coetzee has been voted the Pro14 Players’ Player of the Season for 2020/21. 

The 29-year-old Springbok won the award — voted on by each club’s captain and vice-captain — thanks to his outstanding displays in this year’s competition. 

Coetzee was joint-top try-scorer (9), first for offloads (20) and in the top five for successful carries (67), while also recording a 95% success rate in 105 tackles.

Previous winners of the award are Duhan van der Merwe, Bill Mata, Tadhg Beirne, Charles Piutau and Bundee Aki.

Having joined Ulster in 2016, Coetzee, who has 30 caps for South Africa, will return to his homeland at the end of the season after agreeing a move to the Bulls. 

“It’s a great honour and privilege to accept this award given the talent in this year’s Guinness Pro14,” Coetzee said.

“As we all know, rugby is a team sport so I want to thank my coaches and team-mates for always investing time and energy to help me grow as a player.

“Every time I get to go out there is always special.”

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Ricochet on his chemistry against Velveteen Dream: “As far as NXT and WWE both, I would say, honestly, it would be the Dream. The stuff that Dream and I did… because before our TakeOver match, our whole buildup was just story stuff… I don’t even think — well we wrestled once but Lars came out there and he beat us up, but other than that little bitty interaction, we didn’t have a match the whole time until TakeOver so the buildup was all… just coming off of us and our story and stuff and I thought…. That for me was like the first time really in my career where fans were this excited about a match but I didn’t even wrestle the guy yet. It was all just build up, so that for me was one of the first times that has happened in my entire career so that’s one that just sticks out there for me and I think we’re just naturally good. Back and forth. He worked off me and I worked off him.”
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Harlequins 21Ulster 57

Richard Mulligan reports from The Stoop

ULSTER PROGRESSED TO the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a powerful display, scoring eight tries as they eased past Harlequins at The Stoop.

The impressive display brings Ulster back to England on Saturday for the last eight tie against Northampton Saints as Dan McFarland continues in his quest to deliver silverware for the Irish Province after several barren years.

Quins, fielding a much changed side from that which had narrowly lost to Bristol Bears in the Premiership seven days previously, were no match for an Ulster side who came to London fully focused on the job to hand and delivered it in style with four tries either side of the break.

The home side showed some early positivity with centre Paul Lasike and backrow Jack Kenningham, punching little holes. However, it was to be Ulster who opened the scoring having forced a penalty.

Outhalf Billy Burns put the visitors in a good spot with a good touch find. Play initially moved left but came back right, Burns putting winger Robert Balacoune into some space and he surged forward before being tackled.

Sean Reidy scores a try. Source: James Crombie/INPHO

Quick ruck ball though saw John Cooney put the pass into the grateful arms of Stuart McCloskey who capitalised on the stretched Quins defence to dive over for the try – Cooney making it 7-0 with the extras after seven minutes.

Four minutes later Quins hooker, Elia Elia, strayed offside and the penalty chance from 30-odd yards was stroked over by Cooney for a 10-0 advantage.

The Ulster pack were getting the better in the scrum, the Quins props struggling against Marty Moore and Eric O’Sullivan and that kept the visitors on the front foot.

The backline wanted to attack and they asked much of the home defence but when Baloucoune was high tackled by scrumhalf, Scott Steele, it presented the chance back to the forwards.

The driving maul off the lineout soon gathered pace and Irish hooker, Robert Herring crossed. With Cooney converting Ulster were 17-0 ahead after 23 minutes.

Three minutes later after, Quins’ discipline was to let them down again and that gave Ulster the chance from the driving maul once again, this time Sean Reidy opting not to slip the ball back to Herring and going over himself.

Cooney made it four from four off the tee and Ulster were coasting at 24-0.

Herring celebrates his try. Source: James Crombie/INPHO

Quins ensured it was not all one way traffic with a sortie into Ulster territory. The visiting defence held firm, but when captain Jordi Murphy foolishly dived through at the back of a ruck, he was off to the sin bin.

The visitors kept on the squeeze and although Nick Timoney denied winger Luke Northmore, at the next phase captain, and number eight, Tom Lawday crashed over for a try. Former Ulster scrum half, Brett Herron, in his first start at flyhalf for the London club, added the extras.

Ulster’s response was swift. Steele’s box kick was gathered by fullback Michael Lowry just inside the Quins half. His acceleration was amazing as he powered past all in front of him and over for an unconverted try with four minutes to the break.

As in the first-half Harlequins started brightly, but it their discipline was to let them down and Burns popped it into the corner, but the driving maul of the lineout was halted illegally by Elia and at the second time of asking obstruction by Timoney in the lineout saw Quins breathe a big sigh of relief.

Quins tested Ulster as they pressed with some continuity into the visiting ‘22’ but the Irish province kept their shape and the defensive line held effectively.

When another penalty went to touch in the corner, there was only one real result, Herring getting his second try and then Burns intercepted an attempted Herron pass and raced in from 40 yards to dot down under the posts. At 43-7 after an hour, this contest was over.

As the benches were emptied, it was Quins who continued to plug away and eventually found a way through the water tight Ulster defence, Kenningham going over from close range and Herron converting.

Ulster were to hit the half-century on 66 minutes with replacement scrumhalf Alby Mathewson crossing and replacement outhalf Ian Madigan converting and within four minutes Madigan added the extras to a second from Reidy from open play.

Quins had the final say with a try through replacement prop Jordan Els, converted by Herron – merely consolation at that stage.

Harlequins scorers

Tries: Lawday, Kenningham, Els

ROBBIE HENSHAW WAS named man of the match but it could have gone to several other Leinster players.

Only nine minutes into yesterday’s Champions Cup quarter-final in Sandy Park, the smart money was on an Exeter player walking away with the award for the best individual performance. 14-0 up, the defending champions had a massive early advantage.

But Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster’s Leinster steadied themselves rapidly after the poor start and they were soon wrestling momentum back onto their side, as Exeter boss Rob Baxter noted during his in-game interview on BT Sport.

The Premiership side did get on top again early in the second half but Leinster were in control for far longer periods of the quarter-final to deservedly advance into this evening’s semi-final draw, which will take place after the Clermont v Toulouse quarter-final.

Cullen and co. would love a home draw in Dublin for the weekend of 30 April/1/2 May but they did it on the road against Exeter yesterday, with a host of top-class performances helping them to success.

Henshaw continued his superb form in midfield, combining excellent defensive decision-making with sharp handling and his usual impact in the carry and tackle. A Lions Test jersey awaits if he keeps this up into the summer.

Leinster’s back row was very important, right from the moment Jack Conan’s huge carry from a free-kick gave them the impetus that led all the way to Hugo Keenan offloading for James Lowe’s try, the first Leinster score.

Openside flanker Josh van der Flier had another excellent game, delivering impact with his team-leading 22 tackles, earning two breaking turnovers, and also continuing his impactful ball-carrying form. The 27-year-old is timing his venomous runs onto the ball to perfection these days.

James Lowe and Hugo Keenan. Source: James Crombie/INPHO

As ever, Rhys Ruddock was a grizzly presence from the blindside as Leinster managed to limit the usually outstanding Sam Simmonds’ influence from Exeter’s number eight shirt.

In the front row, Rónan Kelleher was the standout for Leinster as he provided consistent dynamism in what were brutal collisions. His two breakdown turnovers were crucial, the second allowing Ross Byrne to kick three points off the tee, while Kelleher was part of a strong set-piece showing.

Replacement out-half Byrne excelled after coming on for captain Johnny Sexton, whose 28th-minute departure with a head injury had seemed like an obvious big blow for Leinster. Instead, Byrne was all composure.

His first touch was a superb pass that allowed Keenan to put Jordan Larmour away for his first try, then Byrne nailed his touchline conversion from wide on the right and soon added the aforementioned three points.

Even while shipping high tackles from Jonny Hill and Jannes Kirsten, Byrne looked unflappable in a performance that underlined how vital it is for Leinster to have a back-up out-half of his quality.

Byrne was aided by the leadership of scrum-half Luke McGrath, who is having a brilliant season in the number nine shirt and must be testing Andy Farrell’s thoughts on the Ireland pecking order. 

Larmour took his two tries very well, the second a particularly excellent finish in the right corner, while James Lowe bounced back to something much closer to his best after his recent disappointment with Ireland in the Six Nations.

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LEINSTER’S SCOTT FARDY has announced that he will retire from professional rugby at the end of the current season.

The 36-year-old will hope to help the province to another Heineken Champions Cup success, as well as the Rainbow Cup, before hanging his boots up.

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Fardy joined Leinster in 2017 and set about making himself one of the best-ever foreign signings into Irish rugby with consistently excellent performances in the second row and at blindside flanker.

Fardy previously won 39 caps for the Wallabies and played a key role in their progress into the 2015 World Cup final.

Having spent three seasons playing Japanese club rugby with the Kamaishi Seawaves, he was a central figure for the Brumbies in Super Rugby from 2012 until 2017 when he signed for Leinster.

Fardy helped the province to a Pro14 and Champions Cup double in his first season, starting the European decider against Racing 92 at blindside. 

He also started the 2019 and 2021 Pro14 final successes for Leinster in the second row, coming off the bench in their 2020 victory.

This season will be his last in the professional game.

“I’ve loved every minute of this adventure, not only the last few years with Leinster but all of it and of course there is still a lot of rugby to be played this season,” said Fardy.

“We are still on a high after the weekend and we’ve a massive few weeks ahead and that is our focus right now.

“We’ve a week off at the moment and then we’ll begin our build up with a game against Munster Rugby and then the massive challenge of facing La Rochelle away in France.

“There will be time to sit back, reflect and to thank the clubs and the people that have played a part in my playing career when the season is done and maybe even in person.

“It’s been a hard year for everyone in society and playing without our fans has been difficult but hopefully off the back of Monday’s news, I might be able to say thank you and goodbye at the RDS in front of our supporters which would be special.

“Until then all my energy and focus is on finishing the season strongly with Leinster.”

Fardy joined Devin Toner and Michael Bent in lifting the Pro14 trophy for the province after their most recent title success.

He has played for the province 76 times so far. Leinster boss Leo Cullen paid tribute to Fardy.