Defending champions, the DHL Stormers will host a second Vodacom United Rugby Championship final and face Munster in Cape Town in two weeks’ time.
The Stormers battled to a 43-25 victory over a Connacht side that went down swinging in front of a record crowd at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, and another packed house is expected for the 27 May showpiece at Cape Town Stadium (kick-off 6.30pm).
Trailing Leinster 10-6 at half time of the second semi-final, Munster won 16-15 in the Irish capital on Saturday night to book a place in the finale, and set up a titanic rematch after they beat the URC title-holders in the league stages to end the Stormers’ 19-game unbeaten run in the shadow of Table Mountain.
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Inside centre Jack Crowley’s 77th-minute drop goal clinched the win for Munster on Saturday in an epic URC semi-final between the Irish giants.
This is the moment when Jack Crowley wrote himself into the @Vodacom #URC history books… ✍️?#UnitedWeRise | #LEIvMUN | @MunsterRugby pic.twitter.com/jxqrvX5g87
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 13, 2023
South African-born lock Jason Jenkins scored against his former employers just before the interval to give Leinster a four-point lead at the break.
However, the hosts, who had rested most of their frontliners ahead of next week’s Champions Cup final against La Rochelle, trailed soon after the restart as a converted 45th-minute score from Tadhg Beirne put the visitors back ahead.
⚠️ Attention: The rumours are true… @LeinsterRugby‘s defence has been finally breached ?@MunsterRugby‘s Tadhg Beirne bashes his way over the line ?@Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise | #LEIvMUN pic.twitter.com/8Emz1ZVaYZ
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 13, 2023
The lead continued to change hands as Leinster replacement Joe McCarthy touched down but Ciaran Frawley’s missed conversion left the advantage at just 15-13, and Munster’s persistence was rewarded with Crowley’s coolly-struck winner.
Photo: Nic Bothma/BackpagePix