So Chelsea are the new Premier League Champions after destroying a shockingly poor Wigan side. United meanwhile won 4-0 against Stoke but it proved a case of too little too late and they surrendered their title.
Edinburgh gave Leinster an early scare before going down by 37 to 28. Munster were beaten on the day by Cardiff, by a single point, and so claimed the bonus point needed to take them to the semi-finals. And who do they play? Arch rivals Munster of course. That’s all from me today on JOE Sports Sunday. Hope to see you here next week for live commentary on all the weekend’s biggest sporting events.
And there’s the final whistle! Leinster didn’t panic when they went down, and went on to a powerful finish. So it’s going to be Munster vs. Leinster in the semi-final!
Nacewa on target again! 37 points to 28! Sensational game of rugby.
Hines with a cracking kick on the break – Rob Kearney dives on it. It’s another try for Leinster!
And here comes Nacewa – and he converts! Leinster 30-28 Edinburgh. His kicking display has been key to this victory. Leinster go back to the top of the table.
It’s been a great comeback from Leinster. They had found themselves down by 14 points within the first few minutes.
Full time in Cardiff.
Leinster have levelled! It’s 28-28.
Gone past 80 minutes in Cardiff vs. Munster. And there’s the full-time whistle. Munster haven’t won on the day, but they’ve done enough to get the loosing bonus point. They will be playing in the semi finals.
Cardiff get a penalty – it goes over to put them ahead by one point! Could there be something in this game for them?
O’Gara picked up a nasty knock. Blood gushing out of a cut beside his right eye.
Munster meanwhile, running down the clock. Nearly 78 minutes gone at this stage, so job almost done.
As things stand, the Ospreys would go top with Leinster pushed into second.
Fogarty takes it at pace and fumbles it. Knock on.
Here come Leinster, pushing deep into Edinburgh’s half. The crowd urging them forward.
Jacobsen sent to the sin bin for Edinburgh. Only 10 minutes left to play in the RDS.
Just inside the post – five out of five.
Nacewa readies himself…
Leinster win a penalty – Cardiff player went over the top.
Edinburgh back in it! They’ve got their fourth try and converted – it’s 20-28 to the visitors!
Munster showing their quality. Grinding this one out, frustrating Cardiff in the process.
Taken well by Billy Holland.
Decision goes against Cardiff – Munster given a chance to ease some of the pressure they have been under for the last few minutes. O’Gara finds touch. Line out.
Major drop off in pace, which will suit Munster.
Last gasp defending inside the Leinster five-metre line! Punted into touch after great play from Rob Kearney.
Horgan does well to stop a rampaging Roberston before he breaks away.
O’Driscoll flies down the centre, beating two Edinburgh players as he does so. A brief flash of quality in what has been a quiet game for the Blackrock old boy.
Penalty for Leinster, just behind their own 22 metre line.
And he maintains it. Leister 20-14 Edinburgh.
Isa Nacewa standing over it. He has a 100 per cent record so far today.
Another penalty for Leinster…
Pushing and shoving match in Leinster vs Edinburgh. Just handbags though.
Nacewa converts! Leinster 17-14 Edinburgh.
Shane Horgan has scored a try!
Cardiff Blues enjoying some good possession here. Munster start to press and win a line-out.
This is the last 40 minutes of the season for one of these two teams.
Underway again in Cardiff.
Cian Healy showed a clean pair of heels to kick off the comeback by going over. Nacewa converts. Leinster 10-14 Edinburgh. Half time.
Leinster are on the scoreboard at last – with two minutes still to play in the first half. It’s 7-14.
The ball goes into touch in Cardiff vs. Munster. Half time at the Cardiff City Stadium.
O’Gara kicks another one. Munster lead 10-12.
Edinburgh defending well against the onslaught.
Leinster pressing hard inside the Edinburgh 22.
7 minutes to half time.
It’s Alan McDonald. Hopefully he’ll be up and about soon.
Looks like there might be a bad injury to one of the Munster men. The stretcher is out…
Leinster meanwhile, can still finish top and earn themselves a home fixture in the semi-finals.
Munster don’t need to win this one – a loss by anything up to seven points and they won’t be knocked out.
O’Gara catches a high one! Nearly gets snapped in half by the challenge that followed up.
O’Gara has got his third penalty for Munster. They are right back in this one. 10-9.
Edinburgh have got a second try against Leinster! Mark Robertson goes over – it’s another conversion to take it to 14-0.
It’s 10-6 in Cardiff vs. Munster.
And Jim Thompson converts after some deliberation.
Edinburgh have just went over for a try! 0-5 in their clash against Leinster.
And it’s all over! Chelsea are Champions.
Determined work from Joe Cole who chips the ball to Ashely Cole on the far side of the box. He volleys straight into the bottom corner. I’m not sure if Wigan will get any points from this game.
It’s over at Old Trafford – but Chelsea have got number eight!
There is a protest ongoing at Old Trafford today. The Glazers aren’t the most popular individuals in Manchester.
So United won’t get to go ahead of Liverpool in the league wins stakes. That said, it’s probably just a matter of time.
Easy header for Park. The Korean doesn’t look too excited about it.
4-0 United!
Pollitt fails to gather after a great save and it falls straight to an unmarked Drogba five yards out. Never going to miss that one. There are nine minutes left – can they make it eight?
Drogba has got his hat trick!
Park has come on for Rooney, who appears to have strained his groin.
Danny Pugh curls one from just outside the United box! Good save Van der Sar.
Wigan are chasing their own record today. They’ve conceeded just under 80 goals this season – the highest tally for a team that didn’t go on to get rellegated.
Ballack is off to a standing ovation. Serbian youngster Matic is coming on for the German.
Clatters it home off the inside of the post. Cracking penalty in fairness to him. Eegit that he is.
Lampard collects the ball and hands it to Drogba.
Penalty Chelsea!
Drogba connects with a ball in with a spectacular overhead which is parried by the keeper. It goes back out to Lampard who chips it back to the Ivorian. He nods it home to put him ahead of Rooney in the scoring stakes this season.
And Drogba has got his goal!
Cole bursts into the Wigan half – where are the defenders! He plays it to Drogba who shoots! Wide. Poor chap. My heart goes out to him.
Cole is on for Kalou. Ivanovic goes off for Belletti.
United have been matching Chelsea for goals today. It’s now over to Rooney and friends to see if they can make it four.
Anelka has slightly mis-hit his shot but does enough to send it into the bottom corner. This is turning into a rout!
4-0 Chelsea!
Kalou pulls his top off during his celebration. Nice six-pack mate, but that gets you a yellow card these days!
It’s Kalou and Lampard with a sensational one-two. Kalou out wide to Lampard, Lampard slots it into the box to the feet of Kalou. He places it into the bottom corner.
3-0 Chelsea!
Rooney glides around Huth and squares it – Higginbotham slides in and puts it into his own net. Good work from Rooney. He’s giggling away to himself after that one.
3-0 United!
Joe Cole is warming up at the touchline. Cole has struggled to break into the Chelsea squad at the business end of the season. That might cost him a place at the World Cup.
It’s all going right at Old Trafford, but that just doesn’t look like it will be enough.
Ball is whipped into the box and Lampard flicks it over the keeper. Anelka was also rising to meet it and he was offside. Flag goes up.
Chelsea almost get a third!
Ballack called the Chelsea players into a huddle in the middle of the pitch – he reckons they need to re-focus after Drogba’s appalling antics.
Back underway at the Bridge, and at Old Trafford.
Bolton 1-0 Birmingham, Burnley 1-2 Spurs, West Ham 1-1 Man City, Wolves 1-1 Sunderland and Everton 0-0 Portsmouth.
No goals at Villa vs. Blackburn nor in the Hull vs. Liverpool games.
Arsenal are beating Fulham 3-0.
Half time at the Bridge.
Chelsea still stroking it around. The crowd are enjoying themselves but the game has gone a bit flat.
And it’s half time at Old Trafford.
Fuller shoots from close range! Great save Edwin!
Rooney finds himself in possession inside the box after another good ball from Berbatov – cuts inside his man! Huth with the block.
It’s Ryan Giggs with the shot from just inside the box after Berbatov’s ball. Well taken.
Goal United!
Drogba has thrown his rattle out of the pram because he didn’t get to take the penalty! He’s thinking about the Golden Boot – he’s level on goals with Rooney. His team has just gone two up and are on course to win the title – and he has a face like a slapped arse!
Lampard has tucked it away! 2-0 Chelsea.
Caldwell has been sent off and Chelsea have a penalty!
Corner comes in, Vidic heads down, bounces off Rooney into the path of Fletcher! He slots it home from three yards out to give his team the lead.
Goal United!
Rooney plays it wide to Fletcher who crosses! Good ball, but played out for a corner.
Nani sends Giggs into the box! Can’t quite square it under pressure. Ran out for a corner.
Stoke are really struggling to break through United’s midfield on the rare occassions that they are enjoying possession. It looks like a matter of time before United go 1-0 up.
Good footwork from Nani who whips it in with the outsideof his right boot! Berbatov rises – his header clips the bar and goes over! United should be 1-0 up!
Nani really does look like a pre-skin bleach Michael Jackson. I bet he gets stick over it in the dressing room.
Cech left stranded when Figueroa whips one in! Chelsea clear from the far post. Better from Wigan.
Chance for United! Evra played in, cuts into the box but Etherington makes a last-gasp challenge as the Frenchman pulls the trigger. Great tackle. Danger averted.
The smile is gone from Ferguson’s face. He’s obviously been given the news.
Nani has a crack from the edge of the box! Blazes over. Should have done better.
Dealt with comfortably by Chelsea’s rear gaurd. Terry et al have looked solid so far today.
Tidy move from Wigan forces Ballack to put the ball out for a corner.
Replay shows that it was offside. I wouldn’t like to be in the room when Fergie sees that one.
There was a whiff of offside there – Malouda could have been marginal. Goal stands all the same.
Poor free kick bounces off the wall to Lampard. He knockes it back into the box, Malouda chests down to Anelka and he buries it!
And there it is! Goal Chelsea!
Wigan are getting time on the ball early on. Rodallega almost gets his shot off, but it blocked down.
Anelka showing his class – strolls through Wigan’s central midfield, beating three players before picking out a team mate.
Alex Ferguson is looking relaxed. Joking and laughing.
And we’re underway!
Teams are on their way out. There is a lot of excitment and tension floating around ahead of these two crucial games. Chelsea will be looking for an early goal to calm the nerves.
If you fancy a punt, you can get odds of 56/1 on both United and Chelsea drawing.
Chelsea are very much in the driving seat, although Wigan might prove worthy opposition. They did more than that last time the two teams met – Wigan beat Chelsea at home earlier this season.
Notable absences from the Stoke side – Abdoulaye Faye and Thomas Sorensen are still injured, nursing groin and elbow complaints respectively, although Faye has made the bench.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Ballack, Malouda, Kalou, Drogba and Anelka. Subs: Hilario, Joe Cole, Zhirkov, Paulo Ferreira, Sturridge, Matic and Belletti.
Wigan: Pollitt, Melchiot, Gohouri, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McCarthy, Watson, Diame, N’Zogbia, Rodallega. Subs: Stojkovic, Thomas, Scharner, Scotland, Moses, Cywka, Mostoe.
Stoke is as follows: Asmir Begovic, Andy Wilkinson, Ryan Shawcross, Robert Huth, Danny Higginbotham, Rory Delap, Dean Whitehead, Glenn Whelan, Matthew Etherington, Mamady Sidibe and Ricardo Fuller. Subs: Â Abdoulaye Faye, Â Tuncay, Salif Diao, Steve Simonsen, Danny Pugh, Liam Lawrence and Danny Collins.
Team line ups have been announced. United: Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs, Berbatov and Rooney. Subs: Foster, Park, Carrick, O’Shea, Evans, Macheda and Gibson.
We will also be keeping you up-to-date with the action in the rest of the Premiership clashes. It’s last day of the season, so we’re looking at 4pm kick offs across the board. Fixture list is as follows:
Arsenal vs. Fulham
Aston Villa vs. Blackburn
Bolton vs. Birmingham
Burnley vs. Spurs
Chelsea vs. Wigan
Everton vs. Portsmouth
Hull City vs. Liverpool
Man United vs. Stoke
West Ham vs. Man City
Wolves vs. Sunderland
Welcome to JOE Sports Sunday with your host Robert Carry. All eyes will be on the Premiership this weekend in what is the final day of action this season. Manchester United managed to bring the title race down to the wire last week, although it’s very much a must-win clash for Fergie’s men as they go up against Stoke. Rooney and Co need Chelsea to slip up in their home game against Wigan if they are to have any chance of retaining their Premiership crown – and taking a record fourth consecutive title in the process.
Later today, we will be picking up the two big games for the Irish in the Magners League. Munster travel to Cardiff in what will be a major test of morale coming as it does on the back of the Munster mens’ Heineken Cup exit to Biarritz. Will the prospect of earning some silverware be enough to spark them back into form?
Leinster are in a strong position despite having lost their last two Magners League games to Connacht and Glasgow. However, heads are likely to be down following events in Toulouse last Saturday so Edinburgh might pose a stronger threat than they otherwise might. Catch updates from the RDS right here on JOE Sports Sunday.
