The RaboDirect Pro12 Final between Heineken Cup winners and table toppers Leinster and the Ospreys proved a fitting finally for Shane Williams as his second try and a conversion from Dan Biggar saw Ospreys take a last gasp win by one point in this frantic and close encounter.
Leinster looked to be coasting as they went in at half time with a 17-9 lead thanks to tries from Isa Nacewa and Sean Cronin. As Leinster always come out strongly in the second period it seemed a forgone conclusion that this was to be their year for the double. Ospreys had not read the script though and Ashley Beck and Shane Williams scored to take us into the final minutes with Leinster leading 30-24.
So then we had the drama of the last few minutes of Shane William’s career and blow me he does it again roaring in for the try which Biggar converted to give us the final score of:
Leinsater 30-31 Ospreys
Scorers
Leinster
Tries: Cronin, Nacewa 2
Cons: Sexton 3
Pens: Sexton 3
Ospreys
Tries: Beck, S Williams 2
Cons: Biggar 2
Pens: Biggar 4
Teams
Leinster: Rob Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Isa Nacewa, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Heinke van der Merwe, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen (C), Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Richardt Strauss for Cronin (52), Nathan White for Ross (14), Brad Thorn for Cullen (45), Dominic Ryan for Jennings (74).
Not Used: Healy, Cooney, Madigan, D Kearney.
Ospreys: Richard Fussell, Hanno Dirksen, Andrew Bishop, Ashley Beck, Shane Williams, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb, Paul James, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones (C), Ian Evans, Ryan Jones, Justin Tipuric, Joe Bearman.
Replacements: Kahn Fotuali’i for Webb (55), Ryan Bevington for James (66), Scott Baldwin for Hibbard (74), Aaron Jarvis for Adam Jones (74), James King for Evans (66).
Not Used: Tom Smith, Matthew Morgan, Tom Isaacs.
Att: 18,500
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant Referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Neil Paterson (Scotland)
TMO: Giulio de Santis (Italy)