Leinster vs Ulster | PRO14 Final 2020

FINAL LEINSTER V ULSTER 

THE LINEUP 

CEO 

Martin Anayi 

Chairman 

Dominic McKay 

Tournament Director 

David Jordan 

Commercial Director 

Dermot Rigley 

Marketing Director 

Tom Lister 

Finance Director 

Dermot O’Sullivan 

Head of Operations 

Charl Crous 

Head of Broadcast & 

Communications 

Adam Redmond 

Head of Marketing 

Marc Fernandez 

Head of Insight 

Rob Balmer 

Tournament Manager 

Amy Monaghan 

Elite Referee Manager 

Greg Garner 

Events & Commercial 

Operations Manager 

Laura Ruhan 

Commercial Partnerships 

Manager 

Elma Beirne 

Social Media Channels 

Manager 

Matthew Thoma 

Brand Partnership Lead 

Christopher Best 

Communications 

Executive 

Anna Egan 

Marketing Executive 

Alex Patel 

Finance Executive 

Alba Sarrias 

Office Management 

Aine O’Malley 

PRO14 Editors: Adam Redmond & Anna Egan 

6 

Match Preview 

10 

Head to Head Statistics 

13 

Leinster Season Statistics 

14 

Andrew Porter 

20 

Leo Cullen 

24 

Leinster Squad Profiles 

32 

Today’s Teams 

38 

Munster Squad Profiles 

44 

Dan McFarland 

48 

Ian Madigan 

41 

Ulster Season Statistics 

56 

Awards Winners 

60 

Chamionship 

Final Trivia 

66 

Man in the Middle 

Photos: INPHO | Marketing: Mark Fernandez | Content: Beatmedia 

Special thanks: Marcus O’Buachalla (Leinster) and Robyn McMurray (Ulster). 

This programme was designed and on behalf of 

Guinness PRO14 by Ignition Sports Media. 

www.ignitionsportsmedia.com 

12|09|20 AVIVA STADIUM | DUBLIN 3

GUINNESS PRO14 FINAL 

4 

12|09|20 AVIVA STADIUM | DUBLIN


GUINNESS 

WELCOME 

As another thrilling season of epic 

tackles, running rugby and historymaking 

tries comes to its delayed 

climax, it is with huge pleasure that 

I welcome Leinster and Ulster to the 

hotly anticipated GUINNESS PRO14 

Final at AVIVA Stadium. This game 

is predicted to be a fantastic display 

of rugby, full of Irish passion, with 

both teams vying for a chance 

to become GUINNESS PRO14 

Champions. 

It goes without saying that 2020 has 

been a year unlike any other, one 

that none of us could have predicted 

and one that continues to challenge 

us all daily. Over the last number 

of months, the absence of sport 

left a gap in so many people’s lives. 

The return of rugby has been so 

welcome, as we reignite our passion 

and a hope for the future when we 

will all be able to be together again 

in the stands. 

This clash between interprovincial 

rivals Leinster and Ulster looks to 

have all the ingredients of a classic. 

Leo Cullen’s Leinster side come to 

the AVIVA looking to retain their 

GUINNESS PRO14 title. Over the 

last three weekends, Leinster have 

picked up right where they left off in 

February, continuing their unbeaten 

record with impressive victories over 

Ulster and Munster to book their 

THE RETURN 

OF RUGBY 

HAS BEEN SO 

WELCOME, AS 

WE REIGNITE 

OUR PASSION 

AND A HOPE 

FOR THE 

FUTURE WHEN 

WE WILL ALL 

BE ABLE TO 

BE TOGETHER 

AGAIN IN THE 

STANDS. 

place in the GUINNESS PRO14 final. 

Ulster found their form on Saturday 

to claim an impressive comeback 

victory against Edinburgh. We were 

all at the edge of our seats as Ian 

Madigan lined up that last second 

kick in BT Murrayfield last weekend. 

A thrilling conclusion to another 

epic display of rugby in this year’s 

GUINNESS PRO14. 

Wherever you may be viewing the 

action, we hope you enjoy what 

promises to be a fantastic Final. 

Good luck to both teams and thank 

you for the spirit-lifting performance 

you bring to every game. 

Hilary Quinn 

Marketing Director | DIAGEO IRELAND 



MATCH PREVIEW 

LEINSTER 

FOURTEEN 

TEAMS SET OUT 

IN PURSUIT 

OF GUINNESS 

PRO14 GLORY 

IN 2019/20 – 

AND JUST TWO 

REMAIN. 

[ By Paul Martin ] 

Will it be Leinster, seeking to finish an invincible 

season and in search of a remarkable hat-trick of 

titles? Or can their Irish rivals Ulster, appearing 

in their first Final since 2012/13, manage what 

no other side has done this season and stop the 

juggernaut in its tracks? 

Recent history sits with Leinster. Leo Cullen’s men 

have become a relentless winning machine and have 

beaten Ulster twice this season, including a 28-10 

triumph just a fortnight ago. 

A 13-3 victory over Munster in the last four booked 

their place in a third straight Final and Leinster’s 

6 



V ULSTER 

trophy-winning knowhow marks them out as 

favourites going into this showpiece occasion. 

Standing in their way, however, are an Ulster side 

whose never-say-die attitude came to the fore in 

their Semi-Final at BT Murrayfield. 

Trailing 12-0 and 19-7 against an Edinburgh outfit 

who had topped Conference B in the regular season, 

Dan McFarland’s men surged back to claim victory 

in the most dramatic of circumstances. 

Ian Madigan’s penalty with the last kick of the game 

kept Ulster’s dreams of a first title since 2006 alive 

and they will be determined to upset the odds on 

the big stage. 

Both sides love to attack. No-one has scored more 

tries than Leinster’s 75 this season, with Ulster’s 

tally of 53 putting them joint-second – December’s 

match between the two, which ended 54-42 in 

Leinster’s favour, was evidence of the threat carried 

by both line-ups. 

The battle of the back-rows will be crucial to 

deciding the outcome. Ulster’s Marcell Coetzee has 

made 63 successful carries this season and will be 

up against Leinster’s dynamic duo Caelan Doris, 

fresh from a man of the match performance in 

the Semi-Final, and the Guinness PRO14’s leading 

tackler Will Connors. 

Strap yourselves in – this should be a belter. 



PRO14 

WELCOME 

TONIGHT’S GAME ARRIVES AT A TIME AND FASHION 

THAT WASN’T WHAT ANY OF US EXPECTED, 

BUT SIX MONTHS ON FROM WHEN THE WORLD 

CHANGED I HOPE THE GUINNESS PRO14 FINAL IS 

A VERY WELCOME SIGN OF BETTER DAYS AHEAD. 

I hope you have the best 

spot on the sofa picked out, 

refreshments are at arms’ 

length and that family members 

have been warned not to 

obstruct the TV. After some 

great drama in our Semi-Finals 

we’re confident that Leinster 

and Ulster can serve up another 

helping of excitement and 

cutting-edge rugby. 

Certainly, Ulster will need to 

be at their very best to inflict a 

first defeat on Leinster in over 

a calendar year. Leo Cullen’s 

squad – emphasis on the wider 

group – is full of eye-watering 

talent while the former Leinster 

captain has shrewdly assembled 

a coaching team that draws from 

all walks of rugby life. 

Comparisons have been made 

by some with the Ajax team 

of the 1970s and 80s where 

their dominance was built by 

a conveyor-belt academy that 

delivered top-class players to 

the first team year after year. 

Leinster are arguably one of the 

best club sides in the world and 

that sets a high bar for everyone 

in the Guinness PRO14. 

We see our league as one where 

youth is given a chance to 

flourish around the established 

stars of the world game as 

dozens of new internationals 

emerge each year. Our clubs 

invest smartly in sharp coaching 

talent to produce attractive 

rugby that so often sees our 

teams outperform the others on 

the European battlefields. 

Dan McFarland is such a great 

example of this. Ulster haven’t 

reached the final by accident, 

their incredible second-half 

display against Edinburgh saw 

them become only the second 

team to win away from home in 

the Guinness PRO14 Semi-Finals. 

His team are so well coached 

which is evidenced by their 

great link play between forwards 

and backs and their good record 

when it comes to discipline – 

I’m told they’re one of the least 

penalised teams in the league. 

They also have a differencemaker 

in Marcell Coetzee and 

his combination with Stuart 

McCloskey last week created 

that incredible score by Rob 

Lyttle. Just like Leinster they 

have bright young talent, 

established international players 

and a couple of overseas gems 

– not to mention their ice-cold 

kicker Ian Madigan waiting to 

strike from the bench. 

This game has all the aspects 

of a classic although it will 

not be played out in front of 

a familiar backdrop. Over the 

past four years we have set new 

attendance records at our Finals 

and now due to the pandemic 

the stadium doors must be shut. 

So, we put you in the very 

capable hands of our 

broadcasters, eir Sport, Premier 

Sports, TG4, DAZN, S4C and 

Super Sport. They will give you 

the best insights, draw out the 

emotion of the magic moments 

and hard-earned yards while 

bringing you the thoughts of the 

players and coaches in Dublin. 

In times where we have all had 

to rethink our game plans, I 

would like to pay huge thanks to 

our title partners Guinness and 

our broadcasters who have been 

hugely supportive in our drive 

to get back on the pitch. I also 

wish to thank Ronseal, Big Red 

Cloud, Gilbert and Macron for 

their commitment as we work 

hard to make sure your teams 

can emerge from this period in a 

good place. 

Now, chill the drinks, fill the 

snack bowls and turn up 

the volume. Let our finalists 

entertain you. 

Enjoy the game, 

Martin Anayi 

CEO | Pro Rugby Championship 

8 





PLAYED WON LOST DRAW 

16 16 0 0 

POINTS FOR 

POINTS AGAINST 

544 219 

(34 PER GAME) (13.6) 

TRIES FOR 

TRIES AGAINST 

75 28 

(4.7) (1.75) 

BIGGEST WIN THIS SEASON 

BIGGEST LOSS THIS SEASON 

53-5 

(ROUND 2 v OSPREYS) 

0- 

MOST POINTS SCORED THIS SEASON 

55 

(ROUND 13 v GLASGOW) 

MOST POINTS AGAINST THIS SEASON 

42 

(ROUND 8 V ULSTER) 

TRY-SCORING 

BONUS POINTS 

9 LOSING 

BONUS POINTS 0 

10 



PLAYED WON LOST DRAW 

16 9 6 1 

POINTS FOR 

POINTS AGAINST 

407 325 

(25.4 PER GAME) (20.3) 

TRIES FOR 

TRIES AGAINST 

53 43 

(3.3) (2.6) 

BIGGEST WIN THIS SEASON 

BIGGEST LOSS THIS SEASON 

35-3 63-26 

(ROUND 9 v CONNACHT) 

(ROUND 2 v TOYOTA CHEETAHS) 

MOST POINTS SCORED THIS SEASON 

42 

(ROUND 3 V SOUTHERN KINGS AND 

ROUND 8 V LEINSTER) 

MOST POINTS AGAINST THIS SEASON 

63 

(ROUND 2 v TOYOTA CHEETAHS) 

TRY-SCORING 

7 BONUS POINTS LOSING 

3 

BONUS POINTS 


#ONECONSTANT 

WWW.GILBERTRUGBY.COM


2019/20 

STATISTICS 

TACKLE 

SUCCESS 

88.15 

PENALTIES 

CONCEDED 

150 

(9.3 per game) 

YELLOW CARDS 

[%] 

TURNOVERS 

WON 

6RED 

CARDS 

0 

67 


CARRIES 

2176 

METRES GAINED 

6320 

(136 per game) 




ANDREW 

PORTER 

SUCCESS IS OFTEN SAID 

TO BREED COMPLACENCY 

– BUT THAT’S NOT THE 

CASE AT LEINSTER. 

[ By Andy Baber ] 

14 



“ 

IT’S A NEW 

GAME AND 

EVERYTHING IS 

TO PLAY FOR, 

SO WE’LL BE 

LOOKING AT 

THEIR THREATS 

AND HOW TO 

DEAL WITH 

THEM. 


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In fact, as far as Andrew Porter is 

concerned, Leinster’s unbeaten run 

to the Guinness PRO14 Final will 

mean absolutely nothing unless they 

get the job done in Dublin. 

A showdown with Ulster is all that 

stands in the way of the reigning 

champions winning their third 

consecutive title, having won 22 

games in a row in all competitions 

this season. 

But despite beating their 

interprovincial rivals convincingly 

in their final game of the regular 

season, Porter insists the men in blue 

are not taking anything for granted. 

“We’re looking at the many threats 

that Ulster are going to bring and we 

know they are definitely not going 

to be the same team we played two 

weeks ago,” he said. 

“We’re not going to be complacent 

or benchmark ourselves on that, it’s 

a new game and everything is to play 

for, so we’ll be looking at their threats 

and how to deal with them. 

“We will definitely be reflecting on 

past experiences playing against 

them and what kind of threats they 

will bring and I’m sure they’ll also 

be looking back at how they’ve 

exploited us.” 

He added: “It’s sink or swim really. 

You know the short space of time 

you have to prepare for this but 

you still have to do it – and that’s 

“ WE’RE 

NEVER 

GOING TO BE 

SATISFIED 

NO MATTER 

WHAT. 

been one of the biggest things to 

overcome. 

“Now these are the games that mean 

something, it’s make-or-break for the 

season. All our unbeaten run would 

be worthless if this weekend didn’t 

result in anything but a win.” 

Leinster finished at the summit of 

Conference A at the end of the 

regular season, with 15 wins from 15, 

before overcoming Munster in the 

last four for the third year in a row. 

And while Leo Cullen’s men were far 

from their best in that 13-3 Semi-Final 

triumph, Porter is confident Leinster’s 

insatiable appetite for improvement 

will right any wrongs. 

“It was great for us to win against 

Munster. The main thing was we 

came into that game ‘win at all costs’ 

so it didn’t matter who it was, we 

only had one outcome in mind,” he 

said. 

“We felt we could have done better 

in some areas, there is always going 

to be room for improvement, but 



that’s the great thing 

about the squad. 

“We’re always looking 

for those areas to 

improve, even if we 

had played better 

against Munster 

we’d be looking for 

those extra small 

percentages here 

and there. 

“That’s the great 

thing about this 

team, we’re never 

going to be satisfied no matter 

what but we got the result and 

we’ll have to step it up coming into 

the final this week.” 

Leinster are on the brink of a 

second domestic and European 

double in three years, with a 

Champions Cup quarter-final with 

Saracens following the Guinness 

PRO14 Final. 

But despite the games coming thick 

and fast, Porter believes the strength 

in depth in the Irish province’s 

ranks and competition for 

places could prove to be the 

difference. 

“We’ve used 53 players I 

think in the whole course 

of the season and that’s 

something we’re really big 

on, it’s great in driving the 

performance in this team,” 

added the 24-year-old. 

“Competition is so high and 

no position is secure really. 

Lads are fighting for positions 

all week in training and it’s that 

matchday 23 who get to represent 

the entire squad. 

“So for the guys who aren’t selected, 

they are still pushing the matchday 

23 in terms of preparation and that’s 

huge – not just now, but throughout 

the season. 

“That’s something that has been 

really good for us, the competition 

driving performance.” 



20 



LEO 

CULLEN 

AS THE ENGINEER BEHIND THE LEINSTER 

RUGBY MACHINE, LEO CULLEN NEVER 

SETTLES FOR SECOND BEST. 

The club’s relentless march towards 

silverware season after season says 

all you need to know about the 

standards he expects from his players 

every time they pull on the jersey. 

It’s why the Irish province stand on the 

brink of a third consecutive Guinness 

PRO14 title and a perfect season, 

having won all 16 of their games in the 

2019/20 campaign to date. 

Unbeaten in 24 games in all 

competitions overall, Leinster have not 

experienced defeat since losing the 

final of the European Champions Cup 

to Saracens in May 2019. 

Since then, Cullen’s blue army have 

conquered every single team in their 

path and are on the cusp of going 

down in history as ‘The Invincibles’ of 

European club rugby. 

This all-encompassing drive for 

success would not be possible without 

the brains of Cullen, though, whose 

tendency to avoid the limelight often 

belies his influence. 

Cullen may possess an unassuming 

nature but make no doubt about it, he 

is also a winner – a characteristic he 

has imbued in the fabric of Leinster 

since taking over the top job. 

In fact, you only have to look at his 

list of achievements at Leinster as a 

player, and then head coach, to see 

why supporters of the Irish province 

worship the ground he walks on. 

The 42-year-old was already a threetime 

European Champions Cup 

winning captain with the club before 

he was somewhat thrust into the role 

of coach in 2015. 

And despite a turbulent start to his 

reign, he created history in 2018 by 

guiding Leinster to an unprecedented 

Guinness PRO14 and European double 

in just his third season in charge. 



By doing so, he also became the first 

man to lift the Champions Cup both as 

a player and as a coach when Leinster 

edged out Racing 92 in Bilbao for their 

fourth European crown. 

But while his transition to head coach 

has proved to be a masterstroke, Cullen 

was initially wary about being suddenly 

parachuted into the role following the 

sacking of Matt O’Connor. 

Cullen was Leinster’s forwards coach at 

the time O’Connor was shown the door 

and it was far from smooth sailing for 

the Wicklow native after he was chosen 

as the club’s saviour. 

In his first season, Leinster lost five of 

six European pool games – including a 

humbling 33-6 defeat by Wasps at the 

RDS Arena – and looked unlikely to add 

to the three stars on their shirt. 

He went on to lead Leinster to a 

Guinness PRO12 final defeat to 

Connacht in that first season, before 

turning his attention to transforming 

the club in a bid for future success. 

Cullen’s impact began to bear fruit in 

his second season in charge with two 

semi-finals and the selfless decision to 

appoint former England head coach 

Stuart Lancaster to his coaching staff. 

Lancaster’s recruitment, along with 

Cullen’s faith in the province’s young 

talent, proved to be the final pieces 

of the jigsaw as Leinster completed a 

remarkable double in his third season. 

He followed up that success by guiding 

Leinster to back-to-back Guinness 

PRO14 titles – the club’s sixth overall 

- last year with victory over Glasgow 

Warriors in the Final. 

And despite missing out on the doubledouble 

after losing to Saracens in 

Europe’s showpiece, Cullen’s men are 

once again knocking on the door in 

both competitions this season. 

Only Ulster stand in their way of a 

hat-trick of Guinness PRO14 titles 

while a rematch against Saracens in 

the Champions Cup quarter-finals also 

awaits the Irish province. 

Whether or not they achieve a second 

double in three years, as long as Cullen 

is at the helm keeping the engine 

purring, Leinster will remain a dominant 

force in club rugby. 

“ 

LANCASTER’S 

RECRUITMENT, 

ALONG WITH 

CULLEN’S FAITH IN 

THE PROVINCE’S 

YOUNG TALENT, 

PROVED TO BE 

THE FINAL PIECES 

OF THE JIGSAW 

AS LEINSTER 

COMPLETED A 

REMARKABLE 

DOUBLE IN HIS 

THIRD SEASON. 



LEINSTER 

RUGBY 

[ 2019|20 SQUAD PROFILES ] 

Please note: appearances and points are PRO14 only. 

24 



ABDALADZE, VAKH PROP 

DOB: 06-Feb-96 

HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 

WEIGHT: 116kg/18st 3lb 

APPS ST REP MINS T C PG DG PTS 

4 - 4 120 - - - - - 

BAIRD, RYAN LOCK 

DOB: 26-Jul-99 

HEIGHT: 1.98m/6’6” 



8 3 5 384 3 - - - 15 

BENT, MICHAEL PROP 

DOB: 25-Apr-86 

HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



13 10 3 638 3 - - - 15 

HOUNOURS: Ireland [4] 

BYRNE, ADAM WING | FULL BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.9m/6’3” 



5 5 - 375 1 - - - 5 

HONOURS: Ireland [1] 

BYRNE, ED PROP 

BYRNE, HARRY FLY HALF 

BYRNE, ROSS FLY HALF 

CLARKSON, TOM PROP 

DOB: 09-Sep-93 

HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11 



4 - 4 95 - - - - - 


HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



10 3 7 335 3 20 1 - 58 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



10 8 2 605 1 21 12 - 83 



HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



1 - 1 22 - - - - - 

CONAN, JACK NO 8 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



2 2 - 160 - - - - - 


CONNORS, WILL BACK ROW 


WEIGHT: 1.95m/6’5” 

100kg/5st 10lb 


13 11 2 788 2 - - - 10 

CRONIN, SÉAN HOOKER 

DOB: 06-May-86 

HEIGHT: 1.78m/5’10” 



9 4 5 320 - - - - - 


DEEGAN, MAX NO 8 

DOB: 01-Oct-96 

HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 

WEIGHT: 108kg/17st 0lb8 


12 10 2 812 5 - - - 25 


DOOLEY, PETER PROP 

DOB: 04-Aug-94 

HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



12 11 1 642 - - - - - 

DORIS, CAELAN BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



10 8 2 637 1 - - - 5 


DUNNE, JACK LOCK 

DOB: 1-Nov-98 

HEIGHT: 2.03m/6’8” 



2 - 2 16 - - - - - 

FARDY, SCOTT LOCK 


HEIGHT: 1.98m/6’6” 



11 11 - 758 1 - - - 5 

HONOURS: Australia [39] 



FRAWLEY, CIARÁN FLY HALF 

DOB: 04-Dec-97 

HEIGHT: 1.9m/6’3” 



9 4 5 356 1 14 1 - 36 

FURLONG, TADHG PROP 

DOB: 14-Nov-92 

HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



1 1 - 64 - - - - - 


GIBSON-PARK, JAMISON SCRUM HALF 


HEIGHT: 1.75m/5’9” 



15 9 6 701 1 - - - 5 

HEALY, CIAN PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



4 3 1 194 1 - - - 5 


HENSHAW, ROBBIE CENTRE | FULL BACK 

DOB: 12-Jun-93 

HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



3 3 - 222 1 - - - 5 


KEARNEY, DAVE WING | FULL BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



7 7 - 482 9 - - - 45 


KEARNEY, ROB FULL BACK | WING 

DOB: 26-Mar-86 

HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



4 3 1 259 1 - - - 5 


KEENAN, HUGO FULL BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



11 10 1 785 - - - - - 

KELLEHER, CIAN WING | FULL BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



8 5 3 455 4 - - - 20 

KELLEHER, RÓNAN HOOKER 

DOB: 24-Jan-98 

HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



8 8 - 451 8 - - - 40 


LARMOUR, JORDAN WING 


HEIGHT: 1.78m/5’10” 



3 3 - 206 - - - - - 


LEAVY, DAN FLANKER 


HEIGHT: 1.9m/6’3” 



- - - - - - - - - 


LOWE, JAMES WING | FULL BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



9 9 - 706 6 - - - 30 

McGRATH, LUKE SCRUM HALF 


HEIGHT: 1.75m/5’9” 



6 6 - 370 1 - - - 5 


MILNE, MICHAEL PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



9 - 9 186 2 - - - 10 

MOLONY, ROSS LOCK 


HEIGHT: 1.98m/6’6” 



12 7 5 624 - - - - - 


2 

10 YEAR 

WOODSTAIN 

1 

22 10 50 

DECKING 

RESCUE PAINT 

4 

DECKING 

PROTECTOR 

5 

3 

SHED & FENCE 

PRESERVER 

22 

HIGH PERFORMANCE 

WOOD FILLER 

10 

50 

10 

10 

6 

GARDEN 

PAINT 

7 

DECKING 

STAIN 

22 

8 

FENCE LIFE 

PLUS+ 

DOES EXACTLY 

WHAT IT SAYS ON 

THE TIN 

22


O’LOUGHLIN, RORY CENTRE 

OSBORNE, ROWAN SCRUM HALF 

O’SULLIVAN, HUGH SCRUM HALF 

PENNY, SCOTT FLANKER 

MURPHY, JOSH FLANKER 

O’BRIEN, CONOR CENTRE 

O’BRIEN, JIMMY CENTRE 

O’BRIEN, TOMMY CENTRE 


HEIGHT: 1.98m/6’6” 



11 9 2 596 1 - - - 5 


HEIGHT: 1.9m/6’3” 



6 4 2 247 - - - - - 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



11 8 3 678 - - - - - 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



3 1 2 130 1 - - - 5 


HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



7 6 1 482 - - - - - 



HEIGHT: 1.68m/5’6” 



5 1 4 123 1 - - - 5 

DOB: 4-Feb-98 

HEIGHT: 1.78m/5’10” 



6 - 6 92 1 - - - 5 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



8 5 3 423 4 - - - 20 

PORTER, ANDREW PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



5 5 - 306 2 - - - 10 


RINGROSE, GARRY CENTRE 


HEIGHT: 1.9m/6’3” 



3 3 - 240 3 - - - 15 


RUDDOCK, RHYS BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.9m/6’3” 



6 3 3 313 1 - - - 5 


RYAN, JAMES LOCK 


HEIGHT: 2.03m/6’8” 



1 1 - 24 - - - - - 


SEXTON, JOHNNY FLY HALF 


HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



2 2 - 127 - 4 3 - 17 


TONER, DEVIN LOCK 


HEIGHT: 2.11m/6’11” 

WEIGHT: 127kg19st 13lb 


10 9 1 699 - - - - - 


TRACY, JAMES HOOKER 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



11 4 7 414 - - - - - 


VAN DER FLIER, JOSH FLANKER 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



3 1 2 74 - - - - 




Friday, Sep 04 2020 

GUINNESS PRO14 SEMI-FINAL 

LEINSTER VS MUNSTER 

Leinster’s Johnny Sexton converts a penalty 

Image ©INPHO | Dan Sheridan 

30 





LEINSTER 

RUGBY 

JORDAN 

LARMOUR 

15 

HUGO 

KEENAN 

14 

GARRY 

RINGROSE [C] 

13 

Match Officials 

ROBBIE 

HENSHAW 

12 

JAMES 

LOWE 

11 

ROSS 

BYRNE 

10 

REFEREE: 

ANDREW BRACE (IRFU) 

ASSISTANT REFEREE 1: 

FRANK MURPHY (IRFU) 

ASSISTANT REFEREE 2: 

GEORGE CLANCY (IRFU) 

TMO: 

BRIAN MACNEICE (IRFU) 

JAMISON 

GIBSON-PARK 

09 

CIAN 

HEALY 

01 

RÓNAN 

KELLEHER 

02 

Replacements 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

JAMES TRACY 

ED BYRNE 

MICHAEL BENT 

SCOTT FARDY 

WILL CONNORS 

LUKE McGRATH 

JOHNNY SEXTON 

RORY O’LOUGHLIN 

ANDREW 

PORTER 

CAELAN 

DORIS 

03 

06 

DEVIN 

TONER 

04 

07 

JOSH VAN DER 

FLIER 

JAMES 

RYAN 

JACK 

CONAN 

05 

08 

32 



MIKE 

LOWRY 

15 

ROB 

LYTTLE 

14 

JAMES 

HUME 

13 

ULSTER 

RUGBY 

STUART 

McCLOSKEY 

12 

JACOB 

STOCKDALE 

11 

BILLY 

BURNS 

10 

ALBY 

MATHEWSON 

09 

ERIC 

O’SULLIVAN 

01 

ROB 

HERRING 

02 

TOM 

O’TOOLE 

MATTHEW 

REA 

03 

06 

ALAN 

O’CONNOR 

SEAN 

REIDY 

04 

07 

MARCELL 

COETZEE 

05 

IAIN 

HENDERSON [C] 

08 

Replacements 

JOHN ANDREW 16 

JACK McGRATH 17 

MARTY MOORE 18 

SAM CARTER 19 

JORDI MURPHY 20 

JOHN COONEY 21 

IAN MADIGAN 22 

NICK TIMONEY 23 



Saturday, Sep 05 2020 

GUINNESS PRO14 SEMI-FINAL 

EDINBURGH VS ULSTER 

Ulster’s Ian Madigan celebrates after converting 

the final kick of the game to win 

Image ©INPHO | Ian Rutherford 

34 





ULSTER 

RUGBY 

[ 2019|20 SQUAD PROFILES ] 

Please note: appearances and points are PRO14 only. 

38 



ADDISON, WILL UTILITY BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



4 4 - 257 - - - - - 


ALLISON, AZUR BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



1 - 1 28 - - - - - 

ANDREW, JOHN HOOKER 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



10 1 9 219 1 - - - 5 

BALOUCOUNE, ROBERT WING 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



6 5 1 409 5 - - - 25 

BURNS, BILLY FLY HALF 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



8 8 - 509 2 3 1 - 19 

CARTER, SAM LOCK 


HEIGHT: 2.01m/6’7” 



9 6 3 472 1 - - - 5 

HONOURS: Australia [16] 

COETZEE, MARCELL BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



10 10 - 669 - - - - - 

HONOURS: South Africa [30] 

COONEY, JOHN SCRUM HALF 


HEIGHT: 1.78m/5’10” 



12 11 1 701 4 26 11 - 105 


CURTIS, ANGUS FLY HALF | CENTRE 


HEIGHT: 1.78m/5’10” 



5 2 3 176 - - - - - 

FADDES, MATT CENTRE | WING 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



10 9 1 705 6 - - - 30 

GILROY, CRAIG WING 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



12 7 5 713 4 - - - 20 


HERRING, ROB HOOKER 

HENDERSON, IAIN LOCK 


HEIGHT: 1.98m/6’6” 



1 1 - 80 - - - - - 


HUME, JAMES CENTRE 

JOHNSTON, BILL FLY HALF 

JONES, GREG BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



10 10 - 627 5 - - - 25 



HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



8 7 1 484 1 - - - 5 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



9 5 4 451 - 14 3 - 37 


HEIGHT: 1.95m/6’5” 



5 3 2 254 3 - - - 15 



KANE, ROSS PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



6 - 6 114 - - - - - 

LOWRY, MICHAEL FLY HALF | FULL BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.7m/5’7” 



5 1 4 169 - - - - - 

LUDIK, LOUIS FULL BACK 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



12 9 3 632 - - - - - 

LYTTLE, ROB WING 


HEIGHT: 1.75m/5’9” 



7 7 - 495 2 - - - 10 

MADIGAN, IAN FLY HALF 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11” 



3 1 2 100 - 2 1 - 7 


MARSHALL, LUKE CENTRE 


HEIGHT: 1.8m/5’11 



10 10 - 766 2 - - - 10 


MATHEWSON, ALBY SCRUM HALF 

DOB: 13-Dec-85 

HEIGHT: 1.73m/5’8” 



2 - 2 80 - - - - - 

HONOURS: New Zealand [4] 

McBURNEY, ADAM HOOKER 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



10 4 6 351 - - - - - 

McCALL, KYLE PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.75m/5’9” 



7 - 7 142 - - - - - 

McCLOSKEY, STUART CENTRE 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



9 9 - 680 2 - - - 10 


McGRATH, JACK PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



9 7 2 461 - - - - - 

Ireland [56] 

MOORE, MARTY PROP 

McILROY, ETHAN WING 


HEIGHT: 

WEIGHT: 


1 - 1 56 - - - - - 

MOORE, STEWART CENTRE 

MURPHY, JORDI BACK ROW 

O’CONNOR, ALAN LOCK 


HEIGHT: 1.78m/5’10” 



9 7 2 363 - - - - - 



HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



2 - 2 42 - - - - - 


HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



6 5 1 337 - - - - - 



HEIGHT: 1.95m/6’5” 



14 12 2 862 1 - - - 5 



O’CONNOR, DAVID LOCK | BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



7 1 6 196 - - - - - 

O’SULLIVAN, ERIC PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



11 7 4 526 - - - - - 

O’TOOLE, TOM PROP 


HEIGHT: 1.85m/6’1” 



15 8 7 723 1 - - - 5 

REA, MARCUS BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



- - - - - - - - - 

REA, MATTY NO 8 


HEIGHT: 1.93m/6’4” 



14 12 2 960 2 - - - 10 

REIDY, SEAN BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.83m/6’0” 



12 9 3 751 1 - - - 5 


SHANAHAN, DAVE SCRUM HALF 


HEIGHT: 1.75m/5’9” 



12 4 8 410 2 - - - 10 

STOCKDALE, JACOB WING 


HEIGHT: 1.9m/6’3” 



5 5 - 375 2 - - - 10 


TIMONEY, NICK BACK ROW 


HEIGHT: 1.88m/6’2” 



10 6 4 575 2 - - - 10 

TREADWELL, KIERAN LOCK 


HEIGHT: 1.98m/6’6” 



13 10 3 788 - - - - - 


WARWICK, ANDREW PROP 

DOB: 2-Mar-91 

HEIGHT: 1.78m/5’10” 



2 1 1 70 - - - - - 



DAN 

McFARLAND 

IN JUST TWO YEARS AT THE HELM, 

DAN MCFARLAND HAS BROUGHT GOOD 

VIBES BACK TO ULSTER, SO MUCH SO 

THAT THEY JUST MIGHT END A 

14-YEAR TROPHY DROUGHT. 

When the Englishman started his role 

as the province’s new head coach in 

August 2018, Ulster had just come off 

a season in which they failed to reach 

the Guinness PRO14 Final Series, 

crashed out of the European Rugby 

Champions Cup at the group stage 

and off-field issues had clouded any 

rugby progress they were making. 

“The ‘annus horribilis’ that was the 

year before [I arrived] was a lot to 

do with off-field stuff,” explained the 

48-year-old McFarland this week. 

“There was a perception, because of 

the context that happened in that 

year that (people working for the 

club) didn’t care. The perception was 

wrong. But the key thing was that 

everybody had to perceive. 

“They had to look in and say ‘do you 

know what, I know that they care. 

I know that every inch on the pitch 

matters to these guys. That they’re 

working non-stop to get there’.” 

Now, nobody can accuse McFarland’s 

Ulster of not caring and they 

demonstrated that willingness to 

fight for every inch last week as they 

overturned a 12-point deficit to beat 

Edinburgh thanks to Ian Madigan’s 

last-gasp kick in a high-stakes Semi- 

Final. 

In his first season as head coach, 

McFarland steered the Ulstermen 

back into the Final Series after a 

two-year absence, before they lost to 

Glasgow Warriors in the last-four, and 

this time they have already gone one 

better. 

Not bad for a man in his first senior 

head coaching position. 

44 




2019/20 

SPONSORS 

& PARTNERS 

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McFarland was born and raised in 

Oxfordshire, yet his rugby loyalties have 

always laid with the green of Ireland. 

His rugby-playing grandfather was from 

Belfast and moved to England to work 

as a chief engineer at a nuclear power 

station. 

As a youngster, McFarland shunned 

the opportunity to study for a PGCE in 

favour of signing with Richmond, but 

the skills he had shown as a prospective 

teacher later became evident as he 

would go on to establish himself as a 

leader in the rugby world. 

Following three years in London, 

McFarland enjoyed a brief spell at Stade 

Francais, before moving to Connacht 

where he spent six years as a player 

before retiring to take up the forwards 

coach role in 2006. 

He then became assistant coach at the 

Sportsground four years later, working 

alongside Michael Bradley and Pat Lam. 

During his 15-year association with 

Connacht, McFarland also worked with 

the Ireland youth teams, assisting Eric 

Elwood as they clinched the Under-20s 

Six Nations Grand Slam in 2007. 

In 2015, he departed for Guinness 

PRO14 rivals Glasgow Warriors – linking 

up with Gregor Townsend as forwards 

coach – and followed Townsend into the 

international game. 

He played a pivotal role as Scotland 

finished third in the 2018 Six Nations 

and reclaimed the Calcutta Cup for the 

first time in a decade. 

Soon after the competition, McFarland 

announced his new role as Ulster head 

coach and while he may have faced 

something of a baptism of fire at the 

Kingspan, his sense of challenge and 

strong familial ties to Belfast clearly 

played their part in persuading him to 

take the job. 

At the time of his appointment, 

McFarland said: “I always wanted to be 

a head coach. You have to be ready and 

the opportunity has to be right. Those 

two things married up in this situation.” 

The improvement since his arrival has 

been clear for all to see and if he gets 

things right today, then Ulster could 

well be celebrating with the PRO14 

trophy for the first time since 2006. 

“ 

HE PLAYED A 

PIVOTAL ROLE 

AS SCOTLAND 

FINISHED THIRD 

IN THE 2018 SIX 

NATIONS AND 

RECLAIMED 

THE CALCUTTA 

CUP FOR THE 

FIRST TIME IN A 

DECADE. 



“ 

I’VE BEEN 

TRUE TO 

MYSELF IN 

HOW I’VE 

GONE ABOUT 

MY TRAINING 

AND GETTING 

MY MIND AND 

MY BODY 

RIGHT TO HIT 

THE GROUND 

RUNNING 

WITH ULSTER. 

48 



IAN 

MADIGAN 

AS IAN MADIGAN SHAPED UP 

FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST 

KICKS OF HIS CAREER, 

ULSTER’S CAPTAIN ALAN 

O’CONNOR THOUGHT IT WISE 

TO OFFER SOME WORDS OF 

ENCOURAGEMENT. 

[ By Charlie Bennett ] 


EVERY FIXTURE 

EVERY TRY 

EVERY TACKLE 

ALL IN 

ONE APP


Madigan, a talented fly-half who 

has played in Ireland, France and 

England, won two Six Nations titles 

and 30 international caps, admits 

his mouth went dry and his palms a 

little sweaty. 

There may have been no fans at 

BT Murrayfield, but that probably 

made it worse. So, stand-in skipper 

O’Connor, like all intuitive captains, 

stepped in. 

“He told me he loved me which was a 

nice touch,” Madigan said. 

“I’ve only known him a couple of 

weeks but for him to be expressing 

his love for me, it gave me a boost of 

confidence. 

“That could have been the 

difference.” 

Seconds later, Madigan booted 

the penalty through the posts to 

complete a remarkable comeback 

and send Ulster to the Guinness 

PRO14 Final at Edinburgh’s expense. 

For such a big club, it is perhaps 

surprising to learn it is their first 

PRO14 final in seven years. They 

played Leinster that day too, losing 

24-18. 

“ I’M VERY 

LUCKY 

BECAUSE I 

HAVE GREAT 

PEOPLE 

AROUND ME. 

None of the Ulster XV that started 

that day are still at the club. However, 

Madigan remembers it well. He was in 

the No.12 jersey. For Leinster. 

Then aged 24, things were looking 

up. He’d forced his way into the 

Leinster team at inside centre, with 

head coach Joe Schmidt recognising 

he needed to find a place for such a 

talent. 

That win was his first of two PRO14 

titles, while he already has two 

European Champions Cup medals 

– including one from 2012 that also 

came against Ulster. 

Ireland soon made him a key player, 

a back-up to Johnny Sexton and the 

man they brought on to finish games. 

In 2015, he played in all five matches 

as Ireland won the title. 

However, playing back-up to Sexton 

only appealed for so long and in 

2016 Madigan packed his bags and 

headed east to France for a year at 



Bordeaux before Bristol Bears 

came calling. 

He spent three seasons at 

Ashton Gate but his career 

fizzled out in the last 18 months, 

restricted to a season on the 

bench. 

Now 31, he’s back in the 

Guinness PRO14. And 

though Billy Burns has a 

tight hold on the No.10 

jersey, Madigan is Ulster’s 

not-so-secret weapon 

hoping to tear down 

Leinster’s perfect 

campaign. 

“I don’t really have any 

demons from the last 18 

months because I still 

think I’ve been true to 

myself in how I’ve gone 

about my training and 

getting my mind and my 

body right to hit the ground 

running with Ulster,” he said. 

“At the same time, it was a 

period that went quite slowly 

for me. I’m very lucky because 

I have great people around me 

- my fiancée Anna, my parents, 

my friends - and just being able to 

draw on them and being around 

them throughout the last few months 

built up my confidence again. 

“Even with the club, Dan (McFarland) 

is big on the psychological side 

and he’s been great at building my 

confidence up and ensuring I fit into 

the squad really quickly. 

“It’s happened thick and fast but I’d 

have it no other way.” 

Ulster are aware of how tall their 

task is on Saturday night. Leinster 

are chasing history, attempting 

to win every game en route to 

the title. 

Few expect them to stumble 

but then few expected Japan 

to beat South Africa, Greece 

to win the Euros or the 

Giants to beat the Patriots. 

Ulster have hope. And 

they also have Madigan. 

“A big part of it is 

what is going on in 

your head, filling 

your head with 

positive thoughts.” 



2019/20 

STATISTICS 

TACKLE 

SUCCESS 

88.92 

PENALTIES 

CONCEDED 

139 


YELLOW CARDS 

[%] 

TURNOVERS 

WON 

6RED 

CARDS 

0 

79 


CARRIES 

1980 

METRES GAINED 

5460 





GUINNESS PRO14 2019|20 

AWARDS WINNERS 

Leinster, Munster and Ulster are 

familiar faces when it comes to 

the Guinness PRO14 Final Series 

but Edinburgh’s arrival as a major 

force was one of the stories of 

the 2019/20 season. 

The Scottish outfit topped 

Conference B with 11 wins, 

finishing ahead of Munster, and 

that success has led Richard 

Cockerill to be named the 

Guinness PRO14 Coach of the 

Season. 

Edinburgh’s evolution from 

sleeping giant to major players 

has been gradual but since 

Cockerill’s arrival, they have 

travelled in just one direction. 

The Englishman joined Edinburgh 

in 2017 after a 12-year spell 

coaching at Leicester Tigers, 

including seven as head coach. 

There he won three English 

Premiership titles and made 

it to the final of the European 

Champions Cup, while as a player 

he won 27 England caps. 

Yet while Cockerill was forging 

a reputation as one of English 

rugby’s brightest young coaches, 

Edinburgh were drifting in the 

bottom half of the then-PRO12. 

Between 2010-2017, they failed to 

finish higher than eighth. When 

Cockerill arrived and the 14 clubs 

56 

COACH OF THE 

SEASON 

Richard 

COCKERILL 

(EDINBURGH) 

were split into two conferences, 

things changed. 

In his first season, Cockerill led 

Edinburgh to the Quarter-Finals, 

where they narrowly lost 20-16 to 

Munster, before they took a slight 

step backwards last season by 

finishing fifth in Conference B. 

However, under Cockerill’s watch, 

Edinburgh have developed some 

of the league’s finest players. 

Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, 

Magnus Bradbury, Darcy Graham 

and Blair Kinghorn are all regulars 

in the Scotland squad and so it 

is no surprise Edinburgh have 

emerged this season. 

Head-turning wins against 

Scarlets (46-7), Munster (18-16) 

and Connacht (41-14) steered 

them to the Semi-Finals while 

they also secured a third 

successive 1872 Cup on the way, 

with two wins against rivals 

Glasgow Warriors. 

Ulster’s BT Murrayfield miracle 

may have denied them a place 

in the Final but they dominated 

their opponents for large portions 

of the game. 

Edinburgh may have been a 

surprise package this season but 

everyone is aware of them now. 

Richard Cockerill has played a 

massive part in that. 

DREAM TEAM 

They may have narrowly missed 

out on a place in the Final 

but Edinburgh can take some 

comfort from the fact that six 

of their players made it in the 

Guinness PRO14 Dream Team. 

Richard Cockerill’s side topped 

Conference B after winning 11 

of their 15 matches and that 

impressive campaign has been 

recognised in the end-of-season 

awards. 

Edinburgh fill two of the back 

three spots, with winger Duhan 

van der Merwe an obvious pick 

on the left after he bagged seven 

tries and made more metres 

(971), more clean breaks (32) and 

beat more defenders (80) than 

anyone else in the PRO14. 

Scotland international Blair 

Kinghorn fills in at full-back, 

while Benetton’s Monty Ioane is 

the only player from an Italian 

club and gets the nod at No.14. 

Pace and power make up the 

centre combination of Ulster’s 

Ireland international Stuart 

McCloskey and the electric 

Cardiff Blues ace Rey Lee-Lo, 

while Jaco van der Walt – 

another Edinburgh player – and 

Ulster’s John Cooney get in at 

half-back. 

Cooney’s has followed in the 

footsteps of predecessor Ruan 

Pienaar to become a talismanic 

Ulster No.9 and he was also the 

league’s second-highest points 

scorer (105) behind only JJ 

Hanrahan. 

The pack is jammed full of talent 

and the front row combination 

of Edinburgh’s Pierre Schoeman, 

Toyota Cheetahs’ Joseph Dweba 

and Dragons’ Leon Brown is as 

fierce as it comes. 



Leinster -who are targeting a 

Guinness PRO14 clean sweep 

in the Final – have their first 

player in at No.4, with imperious 

Australian Scott Fardy joining 

Edinburgh’s Grant Gilchrist in the 

engine room. 

1 

And two of Leinster’s glut of 

incredibly talented back-row 

players – blindside flanker Max 

Deegan and openside Will 

Connors – make up two thirds of 

that unit, alongside the everimpressive 

Bill Mata. 

6 – EDINBURGH 

3 – LEINSTER 

2 – ULSTER 

1 – DRAGONS 

1 – CARDIFF BLUES 

1 – BENETTON RUGBY 

1 – TOYOTA CHEETAHS 

DREAM TEAM 2019|20 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Pierre 

SCHOEMAN 

Joseph 

DWEBA 

Leon 

BROWN 

Scott 

FARDY 

Grant 

GILCHRIST 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Max 

DEEGAN 

Will 

CONNORS 

Bill 

MATA 

John 

COONEY 

Jaco van der 

WALT 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

Duhan van der 

MERWE 

Stuart 

McCLOSKEY 

Rey 

LEE-LO 

Monty 

IOANE 

Blair 

KINGHORN 

GILBERT GOLDEN BOOT 

JJ HANRAHAN 

(MUNSTER) 

Munster’s JJ Hanrahan has been a crucial performer 

in his team’s path to the Guinness PRO14 Semi-Finals 

with his place-kicking coming to the fore. Hanrahan’s 

accuracy off the tee was 90.91% as he converted 50 

kicks from 55 attempts. The Munster out-half has 

scored 121 points in 14 appearances this season. 



GUINNESS PLAYERS’ 

PLAYER OF THE 

SEASON 

Duhan van der 

MERWE 

(EDINBURGH) 

No player has been more 

dangerous with the ball in 

hand in the 2019/20 Guinness 

PRO14 season than electrifying 

Edinburgh winger Duhan van der 

Merwe. 

The mere sight of the 25-year-old 

has struck fear in the opposition 

– and he has now been named 

the Guinness Players’ Player 

of the Season for his standout 

campaign. 

Earning the recognition of his 

fellow players is just reward for 

the South African-born flyer, who 

carried his regular season form 

into Edinburgh’s Semi-Final clash 

with Ulster. 

While his efforts ultimately 

proved to be in vain as Scotland’s 

capital team were beaten 22-19 in 

a dramatic finale, Van der Merwe 

was once again one of the best 

players on the pitch. 

He finished the game with eight 

successful carries, three clean 

breaks and 13 defenders beaten 

for a total of 101 metres, with 

Ulster’s Rob Lyttle his nearest 

rival with 78 metres. 

It was a performance that 

appeared to have guided 

Edinburgh to their first Guinness 

PRO14 Final before Ulster 

mounted a late comeback, sealing 

victory in the 80th minute. 

But Van der Merwe’s display at 

BT Murrayfield was nothing out of 

the ordinary for a player who has 

consistently brought his A-game 

week-in, week-out throughout 

this season. 

In fact, he finished the regular 

campaign top of the stats charts 

in several different categories, 

with the most clean breaks (32), 

defenders beaten (80) and 

metres gained (971). 

To hammer home just how good 

he has been, you only have to 

look at the stats of his nearest 

rival in each table, Rhyno Smith, 

who is a distant second in all 

three categories. 

Smith gained 229m less, beat 31 

fewer defenders and made 14 

fewer clean breaks than his fellow 

back-three star. 

With such a potent weapon 

on the wing, it is no surprise 

Edinburgh have enjoyed such a 

magnificent season as Richard 

Cockerill’s side finished top of 

Conference B. 

One of the highlights of Van der 

Merwe’s campaign came in Round 

4 when he scored a hat-trick 

in a 46-7 victory over Scarlets, 

including two tries in the opening 

ten minutes. 

That was by no means the end of 

his try-scoring exploits though, 

with another coming against 

Dragons in a 20-7 triumph at BT 

Murrayfield in Round 6. 

He scored one of eight tries 

against Isuzu Southern Kings 

when Edinburgh romped to a 

61-13 success before also crossing 

the whitewash against Scarlets 

again and Connacht. 

Finishing with seven tries in total, 

fifth in the leading try scorer 

table, there is no doubt that van 

der Merwe will continue to light 

up the Guinness PRO14 for many 

years to come. 

TOP TRY-SCORER 

RHYNO SMITH 

(TOYOTA CHEETAHS) 

Toyota Cheetahs full-back 

Rhyno Smith was key to 

the South African team’s 

remarkable home form where 

they scored 196 points across 

four games. But it was not just 

home comforts that worked for 

the Free State speedster, who 

scored four of his 10 tries away 

from home. 

BIG RED CLOUD TURNOVER KING 

JOSH MacLEOD 

(SCARLETS) 

The West Wales region have a strong 

pedigree for snaffling the ball away 

from the opposition at the breakdown 

with James Davies and ex-Scarlet 

Tadhg Beirne appearing high in the 

turnover charts in the past couple of 

seasons. In the absence of Davies during this 

campaign, MacLeod has performed strongly 

at openside picking 23 turnovers to earn the 

Big Red Cloud Turnover King award. 

58 



NEXT-GEN STAR OF 

THE SEASON 

Caelan 

DORIS 

(LEINSTER) 

A man of the match display 

in Leinster’s Guinness PRO14 

Semi-Final victory over Munster 

further cemented Caelan Doris’ 

status as one of the brightest 

young talents in European 

rugby. 

And the 22-year-old’s superb 

performances throughout 

2019/20 have not gone 

unnoticed, as he has been named 

the Guinness PRO14 Next-Gen 

Star of the Season. 

The back-rower has been a 

key part of Leinster’s so-far 

unbeaten campaign, making 10 

appearances for Leo Cullen’s 

side – nine of which came in the 

regular season as they swept all 

before them to top Conference A. 

Doris’ tackling has been a 

particularly impressive aspect 

of his game. The 6ft 4in star has 

made 113 tackles in 2019/20 and 

has a tackle success rate of 98%, 

the fourth highest across the 

Guinness PRO14. 

With his fellow Leinster backrow 

Will Connors leading the 

way for tackles made (191), the 

pair have been integral in laying 

the foundations on which the 

province have built their success. 

He has also consistently made 

yards with ball in hand – 

producing 59 successful carries 

this term, joint third most in the 

PRO14. 

Doris has been one to watch 

for several years now. He came 

through the ranks at Blackrock 

College and shone for Ireland 

Under-20s while playing a year 

up in 2017, captaining the side 

the following year at the World 

Rugby Under-20 Championship. 

He was handed his first Leinster 

start against Cardiff Blues in 

August 2018 and has gone from 

strength to strength since with 

performances that have not 

escaped the attention of Ireland 

head coach Andy Farrell. 

Doris’ displays led to a first senior 

Ireland call-up ahead of the 2020 

Guinness Six Nations and he was 

selected to start against Scotland 

on the opening weekend. 

Farrell was impressed with what 

he had seen from the youngster 

in the build-up, saying: “I like the 

fact that he is just himself, he is 

not fazed by anything. His first 

time in an international scene and 

he’s himself. 

“Training has been competitive 

and physical and you can see his 

attributes all over that, he doesn’t 

want to come second best in 

contact.” 

Doris announced his arrival on the 

international stage by winning a 

turnover within 90 seconds but 

injury cut short his debut shortly 

afterwards. He recovered to come 

off the bench against England 

later in the Championship and 

looks set for a sustained career at 

international level. 

Lockdown didn’t stop his 

momentum as it might have done. 

Doris continued to train hard in 

rural surroundings back in his 

native County Mayo and he has 

picked up from where he left off 

since the restart. 

Now all his focus will be on 

helping Leinster secure their third 

straight Guinness PRO14 title as 

Doris looks to add collective glory 

to his individual accolades. 

RONSEAL TACKLE MACHINE 

PAUL BOYLE 

(CONNACHT) 

Connacht’s young back rower is becoming well 

known around the Guinness PRO14 and should be 

in contention for the Next-Gen Star of the Season 

award. Providing strength and reliability from No 

8, Boyle has been fearsome in 

defence with a remarkable 98.3% 

tackle completion rate from his 

179 tackles attempted to earn 

him the title of Ronseal Tackle 

Machine. 

IRONMAN AWARD 

MATTHEW SCREECH 

(DRAGONS) 

Playing in all 15 of Dragons’ Guinness 

PRO14 fixtures wasn’t enough for second 

row Matthew Screech who was on the 

pitch 1,161 minutes out of a possible 

1,200. Director of Rugby Dean Ryan has 

brought a feel-good factor to Dragons 

who have just had their place in the 

Champions Cup confirmed and the 

reliability of Screech will add to their 

options for the new campaign. 




CHAMIONSHIP 

FINAL TRIVIA 

[ 2003 & 2013 ] 

47,128 

[ 2019 ] 

JOHNNY McNICHOLL 

1ST PLAYER TO SCORE 

A HAT-TRICK IN FINAL 

[ 2018 ] 

SEAN CRONIN 

FIRST PLAYER 

TO SCORE IN 

THREE FINALS 

[ 2012, 2016 & 2018 ] 

JORDAN LARMOUR 

YOUNGEST EVER 

TRY SCORER 

[ 2018 ] 

[ 2018 ] 

NIGEL OWENS 

MOST FINALS 

REFEREED 

[ 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2019 ] 

[ 2013 ] 

SHANE 

JENNINGS 

QUICKEST TRY 

3 MINUTES 

60 



JOHNNY SEXTON 

MOST TIME PLAYED 

ALUN WYN JONES 

YOUNGEST 

CAPTAIN 

[ 2012 ] 

HIGHEST SCORE 

SCARLETS 46 v MUNSTER 22 

[ 2017 ] 

76 

JOHNNY 

SEXTON 

MOST 

POINTS 

CLOSEST MATCH [1] 

[ 2012 ] 

OSPREYS LEINSTER 

31 

30 

MAN OF THE MATCH 

IN THE FINAL 

2001/02 

SHANE HORGAN 

(LEINSTER) 

2002/03 

ALAN QUINLAN 

(MUNSTER) 

2009/10 

LEE BYRNE 

(OSPREYS) 

2010/11 

DAVID WALLACE 

(MUNSTER) 

2011/12 

ISA NACEWA 

(LEINSTER) 

2012/13 

SHANE JENNINGS 

(LEINSTER) 

2013/14 

SEAN CRONIN 

(LEINSTER) 

2014/15 

LEONE NAKARAWA 

(GLASGOW) 

2015/16 

JOHN MULDOON 

(CONNACHT) 

2016/17 

AARON SHINGLER 

(SCARLETS) 

2017/18 

JOHNNY SEXTON 

(LEINSTER) 

2018/19 

CIAN HEALY 

(LEINSTER) 



SHANE 

WILLIAMS 

OLDEST POINTS 

& TRY SCORER 

[ 2012 ] 

35YRS 

90 DAYS 

FILO TIATIA 

OLDEST 

FINALIST 

38yrs 360days 

[ 2012 ] 

8 

LEE JARVIS 

MOST DROP 

GOALS 

JOHNNY 

SEXTON 

MOST 

CONVERSIONS 

[ 2010 ] 

MOST POINTS 

PER HALF 

1ST HALF 

2ND HALF 

29 22 

[ 2017 ] [ 2012 ] 

[ 2013 ] 

JOHNNY SEXTON 

MOST PENALTY 

GOALS [20] 

LEINSTER 40 + SCARLETS 32 

[ 2018 ] 

BROTHERS 

IN THE FINAL 

DAVE & ROB KEARNEY 

(LEINSTER 2012 & 2016) 

JAMES & JONATHAN DAVIES 

(SCARLETS 2017) 

RORY & NIALL SCANNELL 

(MUNSTER 2017) 

GEORGE & PETE HORNE 

(GLASGOW 2019) 

MATT & ZANDER FAGERSON 

(GLASGOW 2019) 

ED & BRYAN BYRNE 

(TWINS) (LEINSTER 2019) 

62 



JOHNNY SEXTON 

MOST PENALTY GOALS 

SCARLETS 

TEAM TO 

SCORE THE 

MOST TRIES 

IN THE 

FINAL 

[20] 

[ 2017 ] [ 2011 ] 

SCARLETS 46, MUNSTER 22 

[ 2017 ] 

JACK McGRATH 

MOST APPEARANCES 

AS A REPLACEMENT 

MATTHEW MORGAN 

YOUNGEST EVER 

FINALIST 

[ 2012 ] 

[ 2017 ] 

FINAL FOR TWO 

SEPARATE TEAMS 

TOMMY BOWE 

(OSPREYS 2010* AND ULSTER 2013) 

JOHN COONEY 

(LEINSTER 2012 & 2013*, AND 

CONNACHT 2016*) 

DTH VAN DER MERWE 

(GLASGOW 2015* 

AND SCARLETS 2017*) 

ANDREW CONWAY 

(LEINSTER 2013* & MUNSTER 2017) 

* WINNER 



MOMENT IN TIME 

64 


MAY 25, 2013 

After losing three finals in a row, Fergus McFadden (centre), Brian O’Driscoll and 

Johnny Sexton (centre left) celebrate Leinster’s triumph after beating Ulster in 

Dublin. Seven years later Ian Madigan (behind McFadden) is expected face his 

own team by lining out for Ulster today. Picture: James Crombie / INPHO.ie 




REFEREE: 

ANDREW BRACE 

(IRFU) 

MAN 

IN THE 

MIDDLE 

Andrew Brace has been appointed as the match referee for this 

weekend’s Guinness PRO14 Final between Leinster and Ulster at 

Aviva Stadium (KO 19:35). 

The 32-year-old is in line to make his 55th Championship 

appearance and his first in the title decider. It caps an impressive 

season for the the Irish official who was chosen as an assistant 

referee for the Rugby World Cup in Japan, received his first 

Guinness Six Nations appointment in February and follows up his 

first knock-out appearance in the PRO14 Championship with this 

selection. 

Brace, a full-time professional referee, made his Guinness PRO14 

debut in 2015 and earned further recognition at the Junior World 

Championships and Under 20 Six Nations the following year. 

Having taken charge of the Leinster v Munster semi-final the 

Cardiff-born match official is in line to make his ninth appearance 

of the season. 

Frank Murphy and George Clancy have been appointed as 

assistant referees with Brian MacNiece fulfilling the role of 

Television Match Official. All of the appointments are IRFU match 

officials. 

66 

IN CASE 

OF A TIE 

EXTRA TIME AND PLACE 

KICKING COMPETITION 

(ABBREVIATED RULES) 

In the event of a tie at full time 

in a Guinness PRO14 Semi- 

Final Qualifier, Semi-Final or 

the Guinness PRO14 Final 

then extra-time will be played, 

consisting of two periods, each 

of 10 minutes. If the score is still 

tied after extra-time, the Team 

that has scored the most tries 

in the match will be deemed 

the winner. 

If the Teams are still tied on 

points and tries at the end of 

extra-time then the winner 

will be determined by a Place 

Kick Competition. In the event 

that a Place Kick Competition 

is required, each Team will 

nominate three goal kickers 

who will take six place kicks 

between them from different 

positions along the 22 metre 

and 10 metre lines. 

The Team with the most place 

kicks scored will be the winner. 

If the Teams are tied at the end 

of their six kicks, then sudden 

death will apply. Only players 

in the playing area at the final 

whistle of extra-time may be 

nominated for the Place Kick 

Competition. No substituted 

players or players who have 

been shown a red card may 

take part at any time including 

any player who has received a 

yellow card and who remains 

in the sin bin at the time of the 

final whistle of extra-time. 

The above sets out a summary 

of certain provisions of the 

Guinness PRO14 Rules for 

information purposes only. 

As such these provisions may 

not be relied upon and for a 

full and proper understanding 

of the provisions and rules of 

the Guinness PRO14, reference 

must be made to the Guinness 

PRO14 Rules in their existing 

and entire form. 


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Leinster vs Ulster | PRO14 Final 2020

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