Following Leinster’s 20-17 win over Northampton Saints at Croke Park on Saturday, Planet Rugby has picked out five takeaways from the game.
Jamison Gibson Park teaches again
At 32 years old, he is in the twilight of his career, but the New Zealand-born scrum-half has stepped up with some great performances and is aging like fine wine, so it’s no surprise that he was sent off along with the officials. Player of the Match award after the match.
Gibson-Park showed his ability from the start against Northampton Saints. Few players would have the confidence that after Gibson-Park’s tap-and-go he passed wide to James Rowe, who crossed 10 minutes later to score the opening try.
He then made his mark again in the semi-finals by deftly offloading Lowe’s second try, and continued to have a huge impact on the rest of the match with his excellent game management right up until the end.
Although Saints came back strongly in the second half, Gibson Park continued to control Dublin’s tempo and his performance was a key reason Leinster came out on top.
Leinster forwards take the lead
As great as Gibson Park was, his forwards were also great, with his scrum-half and fellow backs making the most of the quality balls he received and creating a good foundation for his backline. Deserves much praise.
Despite being awarded a penalty in the first scrum, Leinster quickly took control of the play and Saints were outclassed on set pieces for most of the rest of the match, with Saints exploding with illegal scrums on several occasions. .
It was an even battle at the lineout, but the Irish province won all the balls (12 of 12) and were able to thwart Northampton on throw-ins (15 of 15). He had a slight edge in the division. 17).
Leinster player review: Jamison Gibson-Park and James Rowe star players qualify for Champions Cup final again
Northampton nerves won out.
Although they went into this game as underdogs, they had plenty of confidence in Northampton’s place, but despite this, nerves got the better of them and they struggled to gain momentum.
Phil Dawson’s charges made numerous handling errors and their decision-making also let down in crucial moments. Calmness was needed, especially in the first half, but what made matters worse was the fact that Leinster made them pay the price on several occasions.
One such moment was late in the opening period when James Lamb made a clear run in over the try line but dropped the ball after overrunning his pass. Although they came back strongly in the second half, mistakes like that ultimately cost them a place in the finals and will need to be taken out of the game if they want to win silver medals in the future.
Healy’s history
There’s a reason the veteran rushed onto the Croke Park field in the 71st minute. Today, Cian Healy made his 111th appearance at the age of 36, becoming the leading appearance maker in Champions Cup history. This feat saw him overtake Munster legend Ronan O’Gara and take him to the top alone. .
Healey’s longevity is something to be admired and he believes he will join O’Gara (110 years old), Gordon D’Arcy (104 years old), John Hayes and Peter Stringer (both 101 years old) at the top of the list of European greats. I would be incredibly proud. Top 5, all Irish.
The loosehead could go on to play 112 games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this month, and although he has no immediate plans to retire, that figure could rise even further next season.
Hats off to the amazing achievements of one of the greatest servants in Leinster history.
1️⃣1️⃣1️⃣ #InvestecChampionsCup Appearance
Cian Healy makes history as he becomes the player with the most appearances in the tournament 👏 pic.twitter.com/Rwnvm2Al12
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 4, 2024
not northampton
Saints will be psyching themselves up on the flight back to England and over the next few days. Because this is not the Northampton we saw and thoroughly enjoyed watching in 2024.
Under the guidance of Sam Bestie, they were known for their attacking brilliance, breaking through opposition defenses with smooth handling, angles and silky running, but Leinster’s devastating defense and high error rate overcame them all. I couldn’t participate in today’s race. The confidence that comes from them.
This was just a moment of little doubt, and it’s incredible that they stayed in the contest and almost snatched victory in the closing stages, but that’s how poorly they performed. But that would be frustrating for players, staff and fans. If they had participated from the start, a place in the much-anticipated final would have been theirs.
Northampton will be hoping he can get back to form quickly as his attention is solely focused on Premiership matters at the moment.
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