The URC Grand Final will take place on Saturday at 5pm in Croke Park. Leinster will face South African side The Bulls in the final at GAA HQ. Both sides came through their respective semi-finals where Leinster beat Glasgow and the Bulls defeated the Sharks.
Leinster will feel that they can redress the balance after a number of losses in the play offs over the past few seasons since the last league crown was won in 2021. They have worked hard over the past few months to get to the league final after losing to Northampton in the Champions Cup semi-finals.
The loss of form over recent times was firmly put to bed on Saturday when beating Glasgow 37-19. They have lost some experience to injury but other players have stepped up to the plate and though the much vaunted squad depth has been seriously tested the younger players have stepped up and worked hard for the squad.
Saturday will bring another huge challenge and after the loss in March in league action to the Bulls, you can be sure Leinster will have that in the back of the mind once kick off approaches next Saturday evening. The Leinster set up has gone through a very tough and testing period losing key games but they still managed to make it back to a first URC Final in 4 years.
The Bulls will have their own hopes and aspirations this weekend. Having lost to Glasgow on home soil last season they will want to put their name on the trophy. It promises to be a good game. The Bulls will want to honour the memory of Cornel Hendricks who passed away a few weeks ago, he was a part of the Bulls team in recent seasons before ill health forced him to step away.
The venue of Croke Park has defiantly come in for criticism as the fact it is a South African side in opposition could have a major impact on the numbers that will attend as well as the fact we are reaching crunch time in the GAA season. The upper tiers will not be open as of now but that could change depending on demand.
Let’s hope the Bulls bring good traveling support with them and they can make the final a special, noisy affair. The game is between two sides that are looking to win a trophy for the first time in a while.
Leinster will feel that home advantage will help them in their quest for league honours and on the other hand, The Bulls can just look at what Munster did in 2023 by winning in South Africa as well as Glasgow turning the Bulls over on South African soil last year.
Winning away from home in the Grand Final has been done quite frequently in the past few years and The Bulls will look to that fact as inspiration to see can they turn Leinster over this weekend….
It should be a tight final but like the Champions Cup final, let’s just hope the rugby on the field is of a good standard and both sides go after each other in the hope of winning the 2025 URC title.
Leinster might be without a few men due to injury like Robbie Henshaw and Josh Van Der Flier but they are well catered for in terms of replacements with Jordie Barrett and Scott Penney filling in for them last weekend.
It will be a tight affair as you have two sides in particular Leinster who have a poor record in finals even though each defeat has been by small margins. The Bulls were beaten last year in the URC and will be as determined as Leinster to put their name on the trophy.
It certainly promises to be a fiery contest in Croker and hopefully the crowds will turn out to watch it. I’ll pin my colours to the mast and say Leinster will win a first league crown since 2021…..