DEFENDING CHAMPION RONNIE O’Sullivan is looking to become just the fifth player to trail going into the final session in a World Snooker Championship final and emerge victorious as he trails Mark Selby after a dramatic afternoon at the Crucible.
Selby, who had trailed 10-7 overnight, took five of the afternoon’s six frames as nerves seemed to impact both players in Sheffield.
The 30-year old from Leicester rattled off breaks of 55, 52 and 74 in the first three frames to level the game and took the lead for the first time in the 21st frame despite O’Sullivan having chances of his own.
After a mid-session break in which the defending champion is reported to have consulted with sports psychologist Steve Peters, O’Sullivan won his first frame in seven attempts despite a number of uncharacteristic errors.
Those mistakes were to prove more costly in the afternoon’s final frame – which lasted 50 minutes – when the five-time champion missed the most routine of pinks to gift Selby a 12-11 lead.
If O’Sullivan is to lift a sixth world crown this year, he must join Shaun Murphy (2005), Mark Williams (2000), Stephen Hendry (1992) and Denis Taylor (1985) in coming from behind in the final session to do so.
4 and 1/2 games, already qualified. Record breaking and relentless. The forerunners of Irish rugby for the last decade and showing no sign of slowing down
Ye Leinster are pretty good
Leinster are just so bloody good. They’re halfway to a bonus point against the premiership leaders after seven minutes! Incredible team
That’s the ticket. Push on and show a ruthless side for the second half. 1/4 final spot with 2games in hand at the moment. Pure Blue class.
Will they ever give contepomi a chair to sit on?
Quality start to the game from Leinster. Few teams can live with them when they turn on the power.
What’s with all the booing though!!
@Eddie Hekenui: it was against the ref for allowing the second Northampton try because it looked like blatant obstruction to me. Some idiots were booing when biggar came off which was not cool. The problem with these games is you get a lot of people out for a Christmas do, mouldy drunk and with no actual interest in the game.
Leinster are barely out of third gear and Northampton make them look like world beaters. Competition rugby standards is poor this year. Shocking from Saints. Tom Wood a shadow of himself.
When did BO’D get the Union Jack tattooed on his butt? Seems to have forsaken his blue eyes for red white and blue?
He who pays the piper?
@Sean Malone: damned if he do damned if he don’t.