Defensive frailty gave Leinster a mountain to climb
Leinster came into this semi-final topping most of the attacking stats for the four remaining teams in the competition.
However after 16 minutes, Leo Cullen’s side found themselves having to question their defensive prowess, as Clermont pair, Peceli Yato and David Strettle, sliced through them with ease.
This was the start Clermont must have dreamed, of given their history of collapses in big domestic and European games.
Leinster will certainly be kicking themselves but credit must also go to Morgan Parra who has become something of a forgotten man of French rugby.
His fingerprints were all over both tries, while his kicking game was outstanding also.
Not alone did the scores give Leinster a mountain to climb, the margin gave the hosts a massive shot of badly-needed confidence.
To win a game of this magnitude you need a rock solid set piece both in terms of scrum and lineouts.
Saracens had put the squeeze on Munster’s scrum on Saturday afternoon but it was Leinster’s lineout which was their undoing in the first half yesterday, with Clermont winning four balls from Richardt Strauss’s throw before Sean Cronin was introduced after the interval.
That weakness starved Leinster of possession in the first 35 minutes and then in the second half — when Leinster had all the momentum — their highly rated scrum started to fold and Clermont were able to push their Irish visitors off two hugely important put ins.
Apart from the set piece the other area of concern for Leinster was their breakdown work in the first-half with Clermont content to put numbers into the defensive ruck to both slow the ball down and win turnovers.
The Leinster back row of Jack Conan, Rhys Ruddock and Dan Leavy all had strong games individually but as a unit they were outshone by the Clermont trio at the ruck.
Leinster regrouped on the restart and thereafter none of their ball carriers was left isolated and the cleanouts were much more aggressive.
In fact, Nigel Owens started to penalise Clermont for infringing at the ruck and that gave Johnny Sexton the opportunities to kick the penalties which brought Leinster back into the game.
While Joey Carbery had some nice touches there was a world of difference between the quarter-final and this semi in terms of the time and space he was allowed on the ball.
Parra and Camille Lopez really tested his positioning at every opportunity and he will have learned some valuable lessons from the experience. Fergus McFadden worked hard but had one terrible kick out on the full at a moment when Leinster needed a clear head.
Isa Nacewa, so often Leinster’s Mr Dependable, will regret his yellow card which allowed Clermont take an early foothold while he also conceded a soft penalty for contact in the air.
Zane Kirchner, who came off the bench, had no real impact but cost his side when he ran too laterally and was tackled into touch on a Leinster attack that was starting to stretch the French defence.
This win (and the manner of it) could be hugely significant for the victors. Before the game, their players spoke about the importance of defeating Toulon in the quarter-final given how they had struggled for so long to come out on top against their nemesis in domestic and European competitions.
When Leinster fought back to within three points the Clermont of old would probably have folded and lost the tie.
But instead they put their heads down, dug deep and grafted out a win. They played classic ‘Cup Rugby’ in the last 20 minutes and Camille Lopez showed that he has the mental strength in a pressure situation with two brilliant drop goals to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Leinster also had leaders all over the pitch when thing were looking bleak. Sexton’s passing and goal kicking where top class and Gary Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw never gave up the battle.
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