WAS THIS THE BEST RESULT YET?

THE Scarlets’ win in Dublin has been hailed as one of the best in the history of regional rugby. Rob Lloyd looks at where the backs-to-the-wall triumph at the RDS sits among the other memorable days involving our professional sides. TOULOUSE 34 SCARLETS 41 (December 2006: Heineken Cup pool match, Stade Ernest Wallon) PHIL Davies’s side were unbeaten in the pool when they headed to France, but looked dead and buried just before half-time as a rampant home side racked up a 21-point lead.

Few inside the Stade Ernest Wallon, including a vocal Scarlets support, would have anticipated what was to follow.

With Kiwi centre Regan King weaving his magic, the visitors mesmerised the then kings of Europe with a stunning five-try comeback, with wing Darren Daniel crossing twice and replacement Nathan Thomas touching down for the try that sealed arguably the greatest win by a Welsh side in European competition. LEINSTER 30 OSPREYS 31 (May, 2012: RaboDirect Pro12 final, RDS, Dublin) SHANE Williams must have written the script himself, ending his Ospreys career with a last-gasp try in the corner to help the Ospreys to a thrilling triumph at the RDS.

Dan Biggar still had to hold his nerve to nail the touchline conversion, but he did just that, securing a fourth cross-border title for the Liberty men.

Leinster looked on course for a domestic and European double thanks to tries from Isa Nacewa and Sean Cronin, but they were unable to shake off an Ospreys side who brought a huge physical presence and plenty of endeavour to the Dublin battle.

Ashley Beck and Williams, with his first, gave the visitors hope, until Wales’s record try-scorer produced another moment of brilliance. TOULOUSE 21 CARDIFF BLUES 28 (May 2010: Amlin Challenge Cup final, Stade Velodrome, Marseilles) FINALLY, a European trophy was heading back to Welsh soil and it was achieved in some style in the sunshine of the Cote d’Azur.

Toulon may not have yet arrived as the all-conquering force that claimed three top-tier European crowns, but they were still a formidable outfit boasting world stars such as Jonny Wilkinson and Sonny Bill Williams in their ranks.

Trailing 13-6 at half-time, the Blues countered through tries from Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny and Bradley Davies, stunning the hosts and the 48,990 crowd at Marseilles’ Stade Velodrome before digging deep to hold on in a tense finale. GLOUCESTER 10 CARDIFF BLUES 50 (April 2009: EDF Energy Cup final, Twickenham) FINALS are meant to be tense, edgy affairs, but clearly nobody had told Dai Young and his free-running Blues.

Full-back Leigh Halfpenny set his side on the way, finishing off two outstanding tries and the capital region never looked back after that.

With fly-half Nicky Robinson running the show against his future employers, the Blues put Gloucester to the sword, crossing for seven tries in all and it meant the trophy returned across the Severn for a second successive year. SCARLETS 24 MUNSTER 15 (March 2007: Heineken Cup quarter-final, Stradey Park) STRADEY Park was rocking. The Scarlets were on a roll and the defending champions were in town.

Playing with ambition and desire from an unbeaten pool campaign, the Scarlets produced some dazzling rugby with wing Dafydd James, flanker Gavin Thomas and full-back Barry Davies touching down.

Munster, as they so often do, threatened a comeback, but Phil Davies’s men were not to be denied, setting up a semi-final against Leicester at the Walker’s Stadium. LEINSTER 12 OSPREYS 17 (May 2010: Magners League Grand Final, RDS, Dublin) LEINSTER had finished the regular season as top dogs, the Ospreys second, both sides were gunning for their third league titles, while the Irish province were hoping to send departing coach Michael Chieka on his way with another piece of silverware.The Ospreys, a side brimming with international talent and dubbed the Galacticos by the media, were in the mood to play party poopers.

A try by Ireland wing Tommy Bowe, set up by a break from the outstanding Andrew Bishop, gave the visitors early momentum with James Hook racing down the touchline for a second to put the Liberty men into a healthy 14-3 lead. Leinster responded in the second half, but all they had to show for their efforts were 12 points from the boot of fly-half Johnny Sexton.

For the Ospreys it was a memorable finale, easing the pain of their gut-wrenching European quarter-final defeat to Biarritz. LEINSTER 15 SCARLETS 27 (May 2017: Guinness PRO12 semi-final, RDS, Dublin) ONE bookmaker had already offered odds on the outcome of a LeinsterMunster final and, to be honest, he wasn’t the only one not to see this result coming.

The Scarlets had arrived in Dublin in a rich vein of form, but no side had won an away semi-final in the history of the PRO12 play-offs, while Leinster had never lost at home since the league introduced knockout ties.

Three quick tries and a heroic second-half defensive effort ensured they sealed a first Grand Final on a night to remember.