2 weeks ago
Investec Champions Cup: Leinster v Northampton Saints
Leinster (15) (20)
Tries: Lowe 3 Cons: Byrne Pens: Byrne
Northampton (3) (17)
Tries: Hendy, Seabrook Cons: Smith 2 Pens: Smith
Leinster precocious to nan Investec Champions Cup last pinch a nervy 20-17 triumph complete Northampton Saints successful Dublin.
Beaten finalists successful nan past 2 seasons, Leinster took an early lead done a brace of James Lowe tries and had looked successful a commanding position.
The Ireland world winger would complete his hat-trick 3 minutes into nan 2nd half but Northampton scored nan game's last 14 points arsenic Leinster ended nan crippled holding on.
The Irish state will now play nan victor of Sunday's semi-final betwixt Toulouse and Harlequins successful Tottenham Hotspur Stadium connected 25 May.
The crippled was played successful beforehand of a Champions Cup grounds crowd of 82,300 spectators successful Dublin's Croke Park, nan Gaelic Athletic Association [GAA] crushed holding a nine rugby fixture for nan first clip since Leinster hit Munster astatine this shape of nan Heineken Cup backmost successful 2009.
Cian Healy, who came disconnected Leinster's chair to group a caller Champions Cup quality record, was nan only personnel of nan location side's squad from that time still coming here, but nan four-time winners looked correct astatine location early on.
It will beryllium to Northampton's sizeable vexation that they played specified a manus successful allowing nan hosts to summation an early foothold.
Both of Lowe's tries successful nan opening 4th of an hr were nan merchandise of mistakes from nan Saints.
George Hendy's fumble of a Leinster footwear gave nan guidance nan shot earlier nan Saints grounded to respond to Jamison Gibson-Park's speedy pat and nan Irish scrum-half placed his walk betwixt 2 Northampton defenders for Lowe to return connected nan complaint and score.
Northampton were arsenic complicit successful nan winger's second, this clip nan turnover coming from an intercepted walk successful midfield.
Ross Byrne didn't person nan gait to return nan shot each nan measurement for nan people but erstwhile Caelan Doris was stopped short, nan shot was popped up and batted retired to Lowe to spell complete again successful nan aforesaid corner.
Against Springbok World Cup victor Jacques Nienaber's unreserved defence, handling accuracy is paramount but nan Saints spilled excessively overmuch shot to get a foothold successful nan first half.
Leo Cullen's broadside were without Test players Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose and James Ryan, but Northampton missed their absentees, Ollie Sleightholme and Lewis Ludlum, much keenly, astir particularly successful position of their carrying.
The Saints, who hit Leinster's Irish rivals Munster astatine nan last-16 stage, could not prolong possession and were punished disconnected their turnovers.
The scrum had been a backmost and distant tussle but it was disconnected a punishment location connected nan half hr that Byrne nudged Leinster 15-0 ahead.
Things could person been worse for Northampton but skipper Courtney Lawes' good turnover 5 metres retired halted a further attack.
When nan Saints did yet hit nan blitz, moving nan shot brilliantly beyond nan extracurricular cover, nan last walk was down James Ramm and nan helping couldn't stitchery it in.
Playing pinch punishment advantage, Fin Smith astatine slightest kicked their first 3 points of nan time conscionable earlier nan turn.
Leinster were connected nan beforehand ft from nan restart pinch nan shot worked patiently crossed for Lowe to people erstwhile again successful nan 43rd minute.
Northampton responded pinch their astir accordant spell of possession but were undone by timely interventions, first from Joe McCarthy and past from Andrew Porter.
This fixture has already featured 1 celebrated comeback, pinch Leinster having travel from 22-6 down to triumph nan 2011 last 33-22, and hopes of a akin turnaround were sparked by Northampton forcing a brace of scores precocious on.
In nan 58th minute, erstwhile Leinster mislaid a line-out successful their ain half, Hendy took advantage of nan surgery play to footwear up and stitchery to springiness his broadside a lifeline.
Still 10 points ahead, Leinster looked to respond quickly only for Byrne's punishment to drift wide. Croke Park's partisan crowd incongruously shouted arsenic nan shot sailed disconnected line, greeting nan show of Ireland caput coach Andy Farrell connected nan large screens.
Northampton would bring nan crippled wrong a people erstwhile Tom Seabrook went complete successful nan 74th minute, doing truthful aft nan Saints had fought backmost to triumph a scrum penalty.
Smith's conversion trim Leinster's lead to conscionable 3 and nan Saints threated 1 of nan awesome comebacks successful nan last minutes only for replacement back-rower Jack Conan's turnover pinch 40 seconds remaining to bring 1 past Croke Park roar.
Still apical of nan Premiership, Northampton will return plentifulness from their last 4th backmost into home action.
Leinster, meanwhile, will hole for their 3rd Champions Cup last successful a row.
Leinster: Frawley; Larmour, Henshaw, Osborne, Lowe; R Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong; Molony, McCarthy; Baird, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Kelleher, Healy, Ala'alatoa, Jenkins, Conan, McGrath, H Byrne, O'Brien.
Northampton: Furbank; Ramm, Freeman, Dingwall, Hendy; Smith, Mitchell; Waller, Langdon, Davison; Moon, Coles; Lawes (capt), Graham, Augustus.
Replacements: Matavesi, Iyogun, Millar-Mills, Mayanavanua, Scott-Young, James, Litchfield, Seabrook.
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
