By Tom Harrington
After a 20-17 semi-final win back in May, Leinster booked their place in the Investec Champions Cup final beating the Saints by a narrow three points. However the Irish powerhouse shutdown any revenge plans with a dominant performance in a 26-54 victory at Cinch stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
Saints captain James Ramm opened the scoring with a classic Saints try, quick hands through his centres the straightening up and getting himself over the try-line.
Tempers flared on a warm and muggy afternoon in the east midlands with both sets of front rows disagreeing with a decision, sparking Gus McCarthy to grab his opposite number Curtis Langdon by the collar causing a small brawl resulting in a penalty against the eight-time URC champions.
Two tries in quick succession for the visitors from the same field position, utilising the use of the 50-22. Scott Penny found the smallest of holes in Saints’ defensive line while Gus McCarthy went to the blindside, Ross Bryne slotting home the second conversion after narrowly missing the first giving Leinster a 7-12 lead.
Last seasons Champions Cup finalists then turned up the heat, capitalising on a loose ball inside Northampton’s five metre line, Liam Turner falling over the line to give the Irish side their third try of the afternoon.
After four consecutive penalties in favour of the travelling side, the referee awarded Leinster a penalty try after sending prop Elliot Millar Mills to the bin three minutes before halftime, giving Leinster a commanding 19 point lead as both sides head down the tunnel.
Saints once again coming out of the blocks the fastest, with substitute Robbie Smith finishing off a nicely formed maul despite Saints’ forward pack being overpowered in the first half. However this momentum would not last long as Michael Milne scores from close range once again for Leinster, furthering their lead to 14-33.
Josh Kemeny burst through a collapsed scrum into green grass ahead of him getting inside five metres of Leinster’s try-line but falling just short, luckily for him Will Glister was ready for the pop pass and able to fall over the line. Glister’s efforts were cancelled by two Leinster tries within five minutes, with Alan Spicer finding a gap in Saints’ defensive line and Henry Merlean breaking through a gap after an exquisite offload from Andrew Osbourne.
The tries kept flowing as Sam Graham adds Saints’ fourth of the afternoon from a long driving maul and a one man army, Sam Prendergast, scores Leinster’s eighth gathering his own chip and chase, scoring and converting. A fairly even second period after a commanding first half from Leinster who show no signs of pre-season sloppiness in a 26-54 win over the current Premiership champions.
SAINTS: 26
TRIES: 4 (Ramm 3’, R. Smith 43’, Glister 56’, Graham 66’)
CONVERSIONS: 3 (Savala 4’, 44’, 57’)
PENALTIES: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 1 (Elliot Millar Mills 37’)
RED CARDS: 0
15. James Ramm © 14. Will Glister 13. Toby Thame 12. Rory Hutchinson 11. Tom Seabrook 10. Charlie Savala 9. Archie McParland 1. Emmanuel Iyogun 2. Curtis Langdon 3. Elliot Millar Mills 4. Callum Hunter-Hill 5. Chunya Munga 6. Josh Kemeny 7. Tom Pearson 8. Sam Graham
REPLACEMENTS
Robbie Smith, Craig Wright, Tarek Haffar, Tom West, Ed Prowse, Luke Green, Archie Benson, Reuben Logan, Angus Scott-Young, Henry Pollock, Jonny Weimann, Rafe Witheat, Toby Cousins, Sione Va’enuku*, Billy Pasco, Ewan Baker
LEINSTER: 54
TRIES: 8 (Penny 13’, McCarthy 16’, Turner 24’, Penalty Try 38’, Milne 48’, Spicer 59’, Merlean 63’, Prendergast 76’)
CONVERSIONS: 6 (R. Bryne 17’, 25’, 48’) (Prendergast 59’, 64’,76’)
PENALTIES: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 1 (John McKee 79’)
RED CARDS: 0
15. Andrew Osborne 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Liam Turner 12. Charlie Tector 11. Rob Russell 10. Ross Bryne 9. Luke McGrath 1. Jack Boyle 2. Gus McCarthy 3. Thomas Clarkson 4. Brian Deeny 5. Conor Tighearnaigh 6. Max Deegan 7. Scott Penny 8. Jack Conan ©
REPLACEMENTS
John McKee, Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Rabah Slimani, Rory McGuire, Alan Spicer, Alex Soroka, James Culhane, Will Connors, Cormac Foley, Fintan Gunne, Sam Prendergast, Harry Byrne, Hugh Cooney, Henry McErlean, Aitzol King.