Leinster v Northampton player ratings: 'Big Joe' set the tone
Leinster's Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan after the game Pic ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
A solid deputy again for the injured Hugo Keenan at full-back and had a pivotal role in the third try when catching a dropping ball and delivering the final pass for James Lowe.
Had a quiet time of it initially while Lowe made hay but came into the game more and was unlucky not to stop the Hendy try that re-energised the contest on the hour due to a mic-up with Andrew Porter.
Huge shift from the experienced centre, not least in setting the agenda in that dominant first-half. A consistently effective player with a huge work ethic and flashes of brilliance, as with an early half-break.
So inexperienced at this level but you wouldn’t know it given how seamlessly he has slipped in during the absence of Garry Ringrose. There were a couple of errors in there but this was a mature and effective effort in attack and defence.
A man-of-the-match effort in the quarter-final win over La Rochelle, the out-half wasn’t nearly as influential here. Capable as always in general play but his three missed kicks, amounting to seven points left behind, could have been costly.
Superbly creative in setting up James Lowe’s two early tries, Gibson-Park was at his usual orchestrator-in-chief stuff for most of the game and he made a crucial covering run to prevent a try during Northampton’s late surge.
Some big moments from the world-class loosehead, not least in the scrum, and his nuisance value at the ruck produced one penalty in the second half and two turnovers in total.
Pitch perfect with his lineouts, something that was all the more apparent after he departed with 26 minutes still to play. Played a delicious pop pass for Lowe’s third try while under severe pressure.
Part of a pack that enjoyed some big moments on a day where scrums came thick and fast, Furlong still has some of the softest hands in the game bar none and he carried big and often until replaced on the hour.
Off to start a new life in Bath after this season, Molony continues to play a huge role for the province. Another important shift in the lineout where he took three catches. He made way for Jason Jenkins 14 minutes into the second half.
‘Big Joe’ was another of the forwards to set the tone with ball in hand early on and he was still tucking the ball under his arm into the second half. Enjoyed some big wins in defence as well and chipped in with a pair of turnovers.
A man who always produces big, big moments and there a few of them again here with a gut-bursting chase on the last restart in the first half and a big break on the restart, but Baird put in a huge shift when it came to the dirty stuff too.
That red cap was never far from the action as Leinster tested the Northampton defence in the first-half before being called ashore with just 54 minutes played.
Huge effort on both sides of the ball in the first-half as Leinster held the whip hand but the captain showed real leadership in the closing act with his scavenging at a last, critical ruck alongside Jack Conan fending off the nightmare result.
Some eyebrows were raised when Leinster started making changes as early as the 54th minute. Jenkins and Conan in particular made big impacts in the nervy closing stages. Ronan Kelleher wasn’t as steady from touch as Sheehan but put in six tackles in his short stint.
Rated by Brendan O'Brien
Had the chance to put his right-wing Ramm in for a first-half try with his side trailing 15-0 but sent the final pass behind his team-mate. Otherwise saw little of the ball in attack until that late second-half comeback.
Starved of ball in attack, a difficult evening against James Lowe in defence and lucky to escape the referee’s attention with what looked like an illegal ruck cleanout of Ross Molony
Little chance to shine in midfield for the England international wing as Saints were pressured into mistakes by an aggressive Leinster defence. Not alone in being denied the freedom to express himself .
After a frustrating first half began to unpick the Leinster defences but it was ultimately a losing battle for the inside centre and his team.
In for the injured Ollie Sleightholme, lively and eager for work off his touchline but failure to deal with an innocuous Gibson-Park chip led to Leinster’s opening try. Redeemed himself with Saints first try on 58 minutes
Given little opportunity to showcase a slick Saints attack and denied goal-kicking attempts by a disciplined Leinster performance, restricted to a single penalty and two conversions.
Classy scrum-half with a killer pass but overshadowed by his opposite number as the Saints backline was unable to find its groove.
Part of a resilient Saints front row that held its own in the set-piece but did concede a first-half scrum penalty to Tadhg Furlong. Replaced on 55 minutes.
No quarter-given in a front-row battle with Dan Sheehan and looked tidy throughout his 58 minutes of action.
Tighthead prop was involved in a rare old scrum battle with Andrew Porter, with each taking a penalty off the other, honours just about even
Part of a second-row partnership earning rave reviews in the English Premiership but somewhat nullified as a breakdown threat in this company and saw little of the ball
Like fellow lock Moon, was eclipsed by his opposite number but kept taking the fight to Leinster and epitomized Saints’ never-say-die attitude
The Saints captain on a last lap with his hometown club was a warrior to the end, and though swimming against the tide secured a try-saving ruck turnover on his five-metre line.
Another industrious individual Saints performance simply bettered by his opposite number, in the openside’s case by Josh van der Flier
Hard-running and tireless effort from the Northampton No.8 who was relentless in his work-rate in a tough day at the breakdown.
Northampton’s bench had a positive impact in lifting Saints for their second-half fightback, with Tom Seabrook scoring the 74th minute try that gave Leinster some nervous moments in the dying minutes.
Rated by Simon Lewis
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