Reigning Heineken Cup champions Leinster Rugby successfully despatched a second rival for their European crown in the space of a week as they completed a PRO12 double over fellow semi-finalists Ulster Rugby at Ravenhill.
Having thumped Edinburgh Rugby at home last weekend, they became only the second side in 21 games to beat Ulster at Ravenhill as they emerged 16-8 victors a nine days before they travel to Bordeaux to meet ASM Clermont Auvergne in the second Heineken Cup semi-final on Sunday, 29 April.
Ulster, who had followed up their epic Heineken Cup quarter-final triumph over Munster at Thomond Park with a defeat against Connacht at Galway, welcomed back first-choice players Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave, Paddy Wallace, Craig Gilroy, Ruan Pienaar, Johann Muller and Pedrie Wannenburg and had Declan Fitzpatrick making a timely return at tight-head prop after a long lay-out through injury.
But in the last home game of Brian McLaughlin's reign as coach there was no fairy-tale ending as a seventh minute try by Kevin McLaughlan, coupled with 11 points from the boot of Jonny Sexton, allowed Leinster to become and the first Irish province to make a clean sweep of six wins over their Irish neighbours in the league.
Ulster's bitter disappointment at not getting a win to boost morale ahead of their Heineken Cup semi-final clash with Edinburgh at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, 28 April was compounded by the loss of three key players during the game through injury and illness.
Back row men Chris Henry and Pedrie Wannenburg both left the field with injuries, while Paddy Wallace was replaced through illness. On top of that, Pienaar's goalkicking compass went haywire and he missed four kicks.
Skipper Johann Muller notched his first try for the province and the return to action of Fitzpatrick couldn't have been better following the suspension handed to All Black prop John Afoa after the quarter-final.
