Leinster flex their muscles in impressive win over Bulls

If you needed any reminder that we're into the business end of the BKT United Rugby Championship regular season, Leinster have fired out the first warning shot.

Leo Cullen's side have cemented their place at the top of the URC table after passing a strong test against the second-place Bulls.

A blistering third quarter in which they scored three tries without reply proved the difference for the home side, who flexed their muscles in a 47-14 victory.

The visitors had looked well on course to repeat their shock URC semi-final win from 2022, when they brought a 14-12 lead into the break, with a dominant scrum seeing them overpower the hosts early on. Three Johan Goosen penalties were supplemented by a try from the electric Kurt-Lee Arendse to give them the mid-way lead.

Leinster had been living off scraps at times in the first half, but took their chances clinically, with Josh van der Flier and Ronan Kelleher marking their return with a try each, and Harry Byrne kicking one conversion.

But it was in the third quarter that they cemented this win. James Lowe and Michael Milne’s tries early in the second half brought up the bonus-point, and although the Bulls briefly threatened to strike back around the hour mark, Leinster killed the game off in style.

Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan added further tries to give them breathing room, before Liam Turner landed the final blow on 74 minutes, as the home side warmed up for next week’s Champions Cup last-16 meeting with the Leicester Tigers in impressive fashion.

The Bulls came to Dublin fully loaded, with Jake White selecting a first-choice starting XV, and the beefy South African pack made their presence felt early on, winning two scrum penalties in the opening six minutes, the second of which