When wishes are being made to the Guinness PRO14 fairy they surely must include Leinster getting beaten – just to cause a ripple on the surface.
In this instance the tournament organisers, frequently battling to put some glamour on the competition, needed a near full strength Ulster to reflect their selection. Instead they got a final pairing – Leinster versus Munster – sorted with a couple of rounds to play before the final. At least it holds out the prospect of another fine game.
In the meantime what they got here was a Big Brother affair where every conversation was tapped and acted on, with cards flashing like traffic lights. When an exhausted Frank Murphy called time he had shown five cards.