Sensational Saints put the choke on Leinster

MATCH REPORT: Northampton Saints advance to the Champions Cup Final with a sensational 37-34 win over favourites Leinster in Dublin on Saturday.

It is the first Final for Saints since 2011, with the English team set to feature in the Grand Finale in Cardiff on May 24.

The teams scored five tries each, including a first-half hat-trick by Saints wing Tommy Freeman.

It is yet another season of agony for Europe’s serial chokers, Leinster.

Having won 62-0 (in the Round of 16) and 52-0 (in the quarterfinal), Leinster’s play-off demons returned, having won at Europe’s biggest stage since the last of their four titles in 2018.

It is also sweet revenge for the Saints, who lost in a similarly dramatic fashion at last season’s semifinal.

On Saturday, their brutal defence and the boot of England flyhalf Fin Smith proved the difference, despite receiving three yellow cards in a brutal encounter.

* To recap all the drama, CLICK HERE!

* Article continues below …

While they would’ve been aware of Saints’ pace on the breakaway, Leinster may not have been ready for the English side to come out of the blocks so quickly.

But that’s exactly the start Fin Smith gifted the Northampton side within the first seven minutes.

After dancing through defenders, the flyhalf’s poked kick bobbled perfectly into Tommy Freeman’s path on the wing. Gratefully collecting, all that remained was the simplest of tasks of going over, much to a scrambling Jamison Gibson-Park’s dismay.

Irritated, Leinster’s bullish pack started edging the Saints’ line back. Their attacks soon bore fruit too when a Tommy O’Brien in space collected a ball over the top before crossing.

The Leinster fans had yet more reason to get out of their seats just eight minutes later, thanks to Josh van der Flier. The Irish back row forward received a lofty offload to restore what had been a brief Leinster lead.

But their advantage was yet to change hands soon after in what was an end-to-end first half.

Keen to live up to all the pre-match hype, it was none other than 20-year-old Henry Pollock who got yet another score to add to this season’s collection. Reaching fifth gear to see off a straggling Sam Prendergast, the youngster soared into touch before treating the Leinster fans to a cheeky yet trademark celebration.

And he had a key role to play in the next one too. Linking up with fellow English star Fin Smith, a solid Northampton line fed the ball to a charging Freeman on the right, who stormed home for his brace.

It wasn’t long before the wing sealed the hat-trick either, this time switching to the left to wriggle home for a dominant first-half lead.

Riled up from conceding four first half tries, Leo Cullen’s team talk hit just the right notes.

Coming out for the second 40 on the front foot, the home crowd didn’t have to wait long.

A James Lowe 50-22 paved the way for Leinster’s first after the break, Caelan Doris barged his way over on 46 minutes.

While they maintained the front foot, a promisingly solid Saints backline remained firm.

The English defence was pierced, however, on the hour mark when Van der Flier finished off a driving maul for his brace.

Saints soon had their moment to shine, though, putting a pause on the fairytale comeback.

Fullback James Ramm got away from his marker down the right to collect and breeze home, reestablishing the distance between the two.

With 10 points to recoup in the final 13 minutes, Leinster had to get into their groove soon.

And Lowe soon purred into the limelight just when his side needed, with him bursting free down the left to finish acrobatically.

They say the best form of defence is attack, and Northampton certainly opted for that philosophy following the Leinster score.

While they offered promise going forward, the Irish side made sure to finish on the front foot.

And having impressed all day up front, the final 10 minutes were the time to shine for the Saints’ defence.

Appearing unfazed by the Irish onslaught, the English side was unbreakable despite wave after wave of Leinster attacks.

Cullen’s men lived the final minutes just metres from the Northampton in-goal, but Saints’ defensive heroics will go down in Champions Cup history.

The scores

For Leinster
Tries: O’Brien, Van der Flier 2, Doris, Lowe
Cons: Prendergast 3
Pen: Prendergast

For Northampton Saints
Tries: Freeman 3, Pollock, Ramm
Cons: Smith 3
Pens: Smith 2

Yellow card: Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints, 24 – repeated infringements, killing the ball in the tackle), Josh Kemeny (Northampton Saints, 68 – foul play, high tackle), Alex Coles (Northampton Saint, 79 – cynical foul, playing the ball in the tackle)

Teams

Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris (captain), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Max Deegan, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Ryan Baird, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Jordie Barrett.

Northampton Saints: 15 James Ramm, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Fraser Dingwall (captain), 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Tom Litchfield, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Henry Pollock, 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Temo Mayanavanua, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 Curtis Langdon, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun.
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Tom West, 18 Elliot Millar-Mills, 19 Tom Lockett, 20 Chunya Munga, 21 Angus Scott-Young, 22 Tom James, 23 Tom Seabrook.

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant referees: Luc Ramos (France), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)

Source: @ChampionsCup