Leinster winger James Rowe has admitted his team almost fell victim to an upset in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints.
Lowe raced in for a hat-trick of tries as Leinster took a 20-3 lead against Croke Park on Saturday, but tries from George Hendy and Tom Seabrook helped Saints turn the tables and seal their place in the final. Almost confirmed.
However, Leinster secured a place in the final with a 20-17 win and will face either Toulouse or Harlequins.
Leinster thwart Northampton Saints
“Something almost scary happened!” Ireland winger Lowe told TNT Sports after the tense match.
“We were able to build up the score, but we know Northampton are a great attacking force and we gave them too many chances.
“Personally, I don’t think we kicked very well and we let those boys run riot. We were very lucky with them for pushing us all the way to the end. did.
James Rowe’s hat-trick takes Leinster to the Champions Cup final for the third year in a row, but a mistake-filled Northampton are eliminated
“Croke Park is a very special place, the history associated with it is second to none and there is no other stadium like it in the world.
“We were given the opportunity and privilege to play a club game here…we were able to put in a satisfying performance, but there are things we need to sort out if we are to go all the way in this competition.
“But we kick on and there is still no final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium!
“I’m looking forward to the beer, I’m not going to lie. We worked hard to be in the driver’s seat, so I hope we do better in the final than we have in the last few years.”
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slow start
Meanwhile, Northampton manager Phil Dawson lamented his side’s slow start ahead of the semi-final in Dublin.
“I’m very proud of the players’ effort, especially defensively. It’s frustrating that we made so many mistakes and still came so close,” Dowson said. .
“Fair play, Leinster are a good team and we chased them down. We were much better in the second half and it reflected on the scoreboard.”
read more: Leinster player review: Jamison Gibson-Park and James Rowe star players qualify for Champions Cup final again
