Jamie Heaslip squeezed over for Leinster's second try, but needed confirmation from the TMO
© PA Photos

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Matches: Ulster 18 - 24 Leinster

Tournaments/Tours: RaboDirect PRO12

Teams: Ireland | Leinster | Ulster

Leinster put past disappointments behind them to scoop an elusive RaboDirect PRO12 title in head coach Joe Schmidt's final game in charge.

Jonathan Sexton signed off before the Lions tour with 14 points as his home province were crowned champions for the first time since 2008, ending a run of three successive league final losses.

New Zealander Schmidt, who will take over the Ireland job later this year, bowed out with a much-prized domestic and European double - eight days on from his side's Amlin Challenge Cup success.

A resilient Ulster certainly put it up to them in this all-Irish decider, with their South African star Ruan Pienaar kicking immaculately in an 18-point haul, but tries in each half from back rowers Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip, allied to some rock solid defending, got Leinster over the finish line.

Sexton booted three penalties after converting Jennings' early try as Leinster - without late withdrawal Rob Kearney, who had a tight hamstring - ended a hugely physical first half with a 16-6 lead.

Despite leaking a succession of penalties, particularly at the breakdown, the Ulstermen remained in the hunt thanks to Pienaar's opening two kicks.

The place-kicking battle continued after yellow cards for Robbie Diack and Isa Nacewa - in his final professional match - with Pienaar drawing Ulster back to within four points, however, Heaslip's try entering the final quarter proved to be enough to seal it in favour of the men in blue.

Table toppers Ulster designated the RDS as their home venue for the league final - with Ravenhill not meeting the minimum 18,000-capacity mark - and they wryly renamed the Dublin venue 'OurDS'.

Ulster leaked four penalties in the opening seven minutes as Leinster raced into an early 10-0 lead, Sexton converting man of the match Jennings' try and adding a straightforward penalty.

Mark Anscombe's men were too eager at the breakdown, the opening penalty offered Sexton a chance to find the right corner and from the ensuing line-out a well-supported Jennings was mauled over. Sexton slotted the conversion and then clipped over a penalty from just outside the 22, with Ulster growing increasingly frustrated by some of referee John Lacey's calls.

They showed their set-piece strength after Nacewa was charged down and Isaac Boss had to concede a five-metre scrum. Johann Muller's pack tried a penalty try, but Leinster just about survived.

Tommy Bowe hurtled through midfield soon after, linked with Paddy Jackson and a raid out to the right almost led to a Diack try - Sexton and company did just enough to hold him up . Ulster kept knocking on the door and deservedly got off the mark in the 24th minute when Pienaar curled a penalty over after a robust Nick Williams charge.

On the half hour, Ulster had a let-off when Sexton missed a kickable penalty awarded for Chris Henry interfering with Boss at a ruck.

It was wholehearted stuff, the derby nature of the final led to a suffocating breakdown area and some frantic spells of possession.

Pienaar's second three-pointer was sandwiched by two more Sexton strikes, the Racing Metro signing's final effort coming as the match officials missed a clear off-the-ball infringement on John Afoa. Worse followed for the vocal Ulster support when flanker Diack saw yellow for another ruck offence, the resulting penalty allowed Sexton to strengthen Leinster's advantage.

Ulster reacted smartly and made serious headway approaching the hour mark. A smashing break from Paddy Jackson led to Nacewa being sin-binned for pulling back the young Ireland international by his collar.

Pienaar took centre stage by, quickly adding three points to Ulster's tally and the Springbok converted two more penalties - the first after a great kick chase by Bowe - to make the score 19-15.

Leinster, though, struck a killer blow after Sexton found a terrific touch from a penalty. The ball was worked infield through patient phases and Heaslip, with the support of Devin Toner, powered over from close range.

Sexton was unable to convert and a monster effort from the talismanic Pienaar brought Ulster back to within a converted try with just 10 nervy minutes left, but unlike a year ago against the Ospreys, Leinster did not falter late on and a second piece of silverware for the season was theirs.

Leinster coach Schmidt signed off in the perfect manner with a RaboDirect PRO12 title to go with the Amlin Challenge Cup win from eight days ago. In total Schmidt has guided the Dubliners to their most successful period with Heineken Cup wins in 2011 and 2012 and will now leave to take charge of Ireland.

"It was a pretty nerve-racking way to go out," Schmidt said. "I don't think we managed the last quarter of the game. We gave them the ball back too many times. Ulster are too good a team to give the ball back to. Our defence was first rate today.

"We managed to hang in when they had a lot of pressure in the first half and in the last quarter we did pretty well. It's a massive credit to the team. It is three years on, six years older. It has been nerve-racking quite often, for example today was no different. The PRO12 is very, very tough. It is a super competition. Anyone of the top six teams could have won it."

For his opposite number Mark Anscombe, defeat to Leinster was hard to take as it comes 12 months after they lost to Schmidt's side in the Heineken Cup final, especially as they finished the regular season in first place in the league table.

"You want to get the start and things go your way," he said. "A couple of lazy penalties from us, they are metres from our line and they took their try really well (and went 10-0 up). Penalties really hurt us in the first half and when you get close to the goal-line it is about getting to the goal-line.

"(The season) has been long, endurable, cold, wet, but they're a good bunch of guys. We finished last year when I wasn't here. In the Heineken Cup final we got cleaned out, I think we showed today we are their equal now. I got a lot of heart of what I have seen and look forward to next year as a province."

Ruan Pienaar kept Ulster in the match with six penalties © PA Photos

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