2020-21 Pro 14 season was different. Pandemic dictated, only twelve teams were involved, all regrouped in Europe - without South Africa. And it kind of brought back old memories. After a hat-trick last season with a victory over Ulster, Leinster hadn’t yet satisfy their appetite for more success. They managed to do something even more incredible that we could have imagined.
A title for the ages
Sensational. Something that had never been done before. Historic.
By winning an 8th United Rugby Championship title - a fourth one in a row - the 2021 version of Leinster has made history once again, securing a spot as one of the greatest club in the league history.
This kind of superiority is likely to remain unmatched for a very long time. It is, indeed, quite hard to defend your title in URC: the only team to succeed in such a challenge was… Leinster, back in 2013 and 2014.
And they meet again…
It was a close season for Leinster and Ulster, being neck and neck in Conference A (14 wins, 2 losses each). But thanks to a display of tries in the previous games and 13 bonus points earned, the defending champion was ahead in the ranking table.
One more victory over their fellow rivals in the round 14 (38-19) and Leinster had secured a top spot advancing to a 13th championship final.
A 13th championship final against their best rival: Munster (recording a 14W-2L this season as well). The two Irish teams have played each other twice in a final, winning one each (Leinster in 2002 (24-20) and Munster in 2022 (19-9)). It was time to find out which one was going to take the lead.
But this season’s final game didn’t take the expected take-off. Was it due to Covid-19 restriction and the empty crowd? Probably. But Porter, Keenan, Hanshaw and Cie kept up the good defensive work until Jack Conan found a breach. The only try of the match to secure a 16-6 win over Munster and an 8th championship title.
Not the expected show, but a memorable time for the Irish team, fans and followers all around the globe.
