On Saturday, the Irish giants knocked out the defending champions, Glasgow Warriors, in the semi-finals, while the Bulls overcame three yellow cards to defeat their South African counterparts, the Sharks, in Pretoria.

At Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls beat the Sharks 25-13, having led 13-3 at half-time, to book their spot in the final for a second consecutive year – and a third time overall.

Loftus Versfeld crowd. Photo: Morgan Piek

In front of a near-capacity crowd, the Bulls capitalised on their scoring opportunities and showcased solid defence. At the same time, the Sharks struggled with execution, missing crucial kicks and conceding costly penalties.

Sebastian de Klerk opened the scoring early for the Bulls, followed by a try from Canan Moodie, pushing their lead to 12-0. Jordan Hendrikse slotted a penalty goal for the Sharks but missed two others. The Bulls added another penalty to go into half-time with a 12-point advantage, despite being briefly reduced to 13 men due to three yellow cards.

After the break, the Sharks took advantage of the Bulls’ reduced numbers, scoring quick tries through Makazole Mapimpi and Ethan Hooker to narrow the deficit to 15-13. However, missed conversions continued to cost them.

A penalty from Keagan Johannes and a late try by David Kriel extended the Bulls’ lead to 25-13. The Sharks failed to mount a comeback, and the Bulls’ defence held firm. The win marked the Bulls' first victory over the Sharks this season and earned them a place in their third URC final.

Earlier in the day, Leinster reached the Grand Final for the first time in the competition’s history as the URC by eliminating Franco Smith’s Scottish side.

Leinster ran in six tries to beat Glasgow 38-19 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Dan Sheehan and Jamie Osborne each scored a brace of tries, while Thomas Clarkson and Ciaran Frawley also crossed the whitewash. Flyhalf Sam Prendergast added two conversions and a penalty.

Leinster vs. Glasgow Warriors. Photo: URC

For Glasgow, George Horne, Jamie Dobie, and Sione Tuipulotu each scored a try, with Tom Jordan converting the latter two.

While this is Leinster’s first URC final appearance, before the URC era, they won the tournament on eight occasions and were particularly dominant in the PRO14 era, securing four consecutive titles between the 2017/18 and 2020/21 seasons.

The 2024/25 URC Grand Final will be played on Saturday at Croke Park in Dublin, with kick-off set for 18:00.

Scores:

Leinster: Tries - Dan Sheehan 2, Jamie Osborne 2, Thomas Clarkson, Ciaran Frawley Conv. - Sam Prendergast 2 Conv. - Sam Prendergast

Glasgow Warriors: Tries - George Horne, Jamie Dobie, Sione Tuipulotu Conv. - Tom Jordan

Bulls: Tries - Sebastian de Klerk, Canan Moodie, David Kriel Conv. - Johan Goosen, Keagan Johannes Pen. - Goosen, Johannes

Sharks: Tries - Makazole Mapimpi, Ethan Hooker Pen. - Jordan Hendrikse

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg