Teams for Leinster V Ulster 13.05.2011

LEINSTER
15: Isa Nacewa
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss
1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Nathan Hines
6: Sean O'Brien
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: Jason Harris-Wright, Heinke van der Merwe, Stan Wright, Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, David Kearney

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ULSTER
15: A D'Arcy
14: C Gilroy
13: D Cave
12: N Spence
11: S Danielli
10: I Humphreys
9: R Pienaar
1: T Court
2: R Best (capt)
3: D Fitzpatrick
4: J Muller
5: T Barker
6: P Wannenburg
7: C Henry
8: R Diack;

Replacements: A Kyriacou, P McAllister, J Cronin, N McComb, T Anderson, P Marshall, I Whitten, C Gaston.

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OFFICIALS
REFEREE: George Clancy (IRFU)
ASSISTANT REFEREES: John Lacey, Ollie Hodges (both IRFU)
4th OFFICIAL: John Carvill (IRFU)
5th OFFICIAL: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
TMO: Dermot Moloney (IRFU)

Strong Leinster team. I wonder if ospreylian is as confident of an Ulster victory with Leinster at full strength.

Just can't see past a Leinster victory with that squad out.

Sorry guys but I still can't see past an ulster victory.

We know from too many painful episodes that having a strong team on paper is no pathway to winning.

The thing though is that Leinster have a good team spirit, which (presuming ospreylian's reference to painful episodes is to the Ospreys) should allow them to play fairly well. Leinster won't want to go into the HC final on the back of a defeat, so I don't think Ulster will have it easy. If they do win, it will be a tight game I suspect, which wouldn't suit Leinster, who might not be as committed to the collisions as usual.

Well, now that ospreylian's prediction of an Ulster victory didn't come true, here's hoping that he called the other game correctly (although I bet he doesn't!)

Cat

Here I am, the worlds worst pundit and I'm forecasting a Munster victory, both today and in the final.

Congrats to Leinster, with the Heineken looming large they did well to keep control of this game to win.

More lessons to follow on "How to look the complete fool"

ospreylian - I can't knock you for predicting the underdogs to win because that's a brave call. I think you are right about Munster winning today, but I wouldn't be so confident about the final.

I'm devastated to be honest. Again, we didn't really perform against Leinster; even if our defence was thankfully improved, we made far too many errors and it was just very disappointing. People don't realise what a key player Wallace is for Ulster- with him absent, our centres suffer a lot in the more competitive games. Spence is great at 12 if you let him on the front foot but his game is too incomplete in that position, in truth. He should take criticism from no-one after the debut season he's had but he still has a lot of developing to do as a player.

A long trip back to Dublin for myself and the other few hundred Ulster fans at the RDS

Watching Munster and Leinster contest the Final is going to hurt- a lot- but this team has made great progress and hopefully the time will come soon when we catch them up.

Notch - I think that Ulster have had a great season and are definitely on an upwards trajectory. If the young players deliver on their promise they will be a force to be reckoned with in a couple of years.

I hope so, Schrodinger! I should add I'm excited and confident about where this side is heading.