Leicester v Leinster: Big match talking points
Leinster's Jamison Gibson Park with Tommy Reffell of Leicester Tigers
Leinster set up a mouthwatering Heineken Champions Cup semi-final at the Aviva Stadium against French giants Toulouse next weekend. Leo Cullen’s side were sensational in the first 40 minutes racing into an unassailable 20-0 half-time lead. Leicester came back strongly after the break, but Leinster were able to weather the storm to record an impressive 23-14 victory and remain on course for a fifth European title.
There’s been so much hype surrounding Leicester Tigers this season, but as soon as they came up against a serious side they were found wanting. They’ve been excellent in the Gallagher Premiership where they’ve led the way all season, but they were ruthlessly taken to the cleaners in the first-half at Welford Road. The Premiership is an enthralling league on a week-to-week basis, but if you added the likes of Leinster, Munster, Ulster, and the South African franchises into the competition the English would struggle to compete. You must go to another level if you want to emerge victorious at the business end of the Champions Cup, and Leinster were just too good for the Tigers. To their credit Leicester refused to throw in the towel and threw the kitchen sink at Leo Cullen’s side in the second-half after trailing 20-0 at the interval, but they never came close to winning this game. Dropping the Premiership salary cap to £5m has also damaged the chances of English clubs competing against the best, and England’s premier side are a long way off Leinster's level.
This is a contentious statement but apart from French genius Antoine Dupont it’s hard to think of a better scrum-half in the Northern Hemisphere now. Throughout most of his career the 30-year-old has taken on the role of an understudy first in New Zealand and then Ireland. But he has developed into a player who is integral to both Leinster and Ireland’s chances of winning whenever they take the field. Gibson-Park is the brains of this side with his game management, tactical kicking, and his ability to control the tempo an important part of Leinster’s success. Rewind the clock a couple of years and you would have been laughed at for suggesting Conor Murray’s spot in the Ireland side was in doubt, but Gibson-Park is now Ireland’s undisputed first choice scrum-half. In fact, if the British & Irish Lions were playing a test match tomorrow, he’d wear the number nine jersey. He was sensational at Welford Road, and thoroughly deserved his player of the match award.
The knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup have been nothing short of sensational. The quarter-finals have been pure theatre with the two Irish provinces involved on Saturday experiencing the best and worst of emotions. Munster were denied by defending champions Toulouse in a cruel penalty shootout but there’s no doubt it will go down as one of the greatest games of rugby ever played in this competition. The Coronavirus lockdowns over the past couple of years have robbed European rugby of these great occasions, but the encounters in Dublin and Leicester reminded us of what we’ve been missing. Next weekend’s semi-final between Leinster and Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium has written all over it, with the winner of the competition likely to emerge from that side of the draw. Sport is at its best when the stakes are highest, and Champions Cup knockout rugby is as good, if not better, than anything on offer in the international arena.
This was the Ireland second-rows first appearance since March 12 following a spell on the sidelines with concussion. Whereas most players would require a couple of games to get back to their best Ryan was outstanding from the first whistle. The 25-year-old was a thorn in Leicester’s side throughout with his powerful ball carrying, work in the lineout, and all-round physicality one of the main reason’s Leinster were able to come out on top. Ryan was a menace in the lineouts, pinching Julian Montoya’s throw just five metres out from his own line which knocked the wind out of Leicester’s sails. Leicester threw the kitchen sink at Leinster in the second-half and tried their very best to force their way over the line, often turning to their driving lineout. But Ryan had their number, using his experience to stop Leicester’s driving game. Ireland head coach Andy Farrell would have been delighted to see Ryan back on duty because he will need all his world class players for this summer’s daunting three-test tour of New Zealand.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
