Tommy O’Brien believes Leinster and the Vodacom Bulls earned the right to contest the URC final at Dublin’s Croke Park on Friday night.
With their large British & Irish Lions contingent rested, Leinster made a poor start to their URC title defence with defeats to the Stormers (35-0) in Cape Town and the Bulls (39-31) in Pretoria.
Three losses in their opening four games left them playing catch-up from the outset, but a run of seven consecutive wins saw them surge into playoff contention.
“We didn’t start very well,” O’Brien admitted on Monday. “So if you’d told us then that we’d have a home quarter-final, semi-final and final, we would have bitten your hand off.
“A lot of our wins have come by the skin of our teeth, but we’ve stayed in those fights and remained calm in the middle of tough games.”
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The Bulls faced an even more precarious route to the playoffs as a mid-season seven-match losing streak across competitions almost scuppered their hopes.
O’Brien acknowledged the similarities between the journeys of the two finalists, saying both teams found form when it mattered most.
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“I played down at Loftus back then [in October], so it shows just how long the season is. You have to keep evolving as a team.
“It’s all about peaking at the right time of the year. When you get to knockout rugby, that’s when it matters most.
“Both teams have managed to find their best form at the right time, which is why they’re in the final.”
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Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post O’Brien: Leinster, Bulls peaked at right time appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Tommy O’Brien believes Leinster and the Vodacom Bulls earned the right to contest the URC final at Dublin’s Croke Park on Friday night.
The post O’Brien: Leinster, Bulls peaked at right time appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
