13 hours ago
10
Investec Champions Cup semi-final
Leinster: (15) 34
Tries: O'Brien, Van der Flier 2, Doris, Lowe Cons: Prendergast 3 Pens: Prendergast
Northampton Saints: (27) 37
Tries: Freeman 3, Pollock, Ramm Cons: Smith 3 Pens: Smith 2
A Tommy Freeman hat-trick helped Northampton Saints to a memorable 37-34 triumph over Leinster to reach the Investec Champions Cup final.
The incredible semi-final featured 10 tries and three Saints yellow cards, with the game ending only after the visitors turned Leinster over a metre from their own line.
The hosts in Dublin had only conceded seven tries in reaching the semi-finals but the Saints crossed for five on the day, with Henry Pollock and James Ramm also scoring.
Despite those scores and a 12-point advantage at half-time, it all came down to the final seconds, with the Premiership champions producing a stirring last defensive stand with only 14 men.
Phil Dowson's side will play the winner of Sunday's all-French semi-final between Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles in Cardiff on 24 May.
Seeking their fourth final in a row and a first title since 2018, the difference in this year's Leinster's team had been their dominant defence.
Having kept both Glasgow Warriors and Harlequins to nil in their two previous knockout games, they were caught on their heels by the Saints' quick start.
While the hosts had chosen to heavily rotate for their United Rugby Championship fixture against Scarlets last time out, Northampton's front-liners looked sharper for seeing match action against Bristol last weekend, nobody more so than Freeman.
Just as his opposite wing James Lowe did in this fixture a year ago, the England international provided a first-half hat-trick.
After the visitors offered some superb maul defence to thwart Leinster's first attack, it was Freeman on the end of Fin Smith's delicate nudge to open the scoring after seven minutes.
Sam Prendergast reduced the arrears with a penalty before threading an excellent pass out wide for Tommy O'Brien to score the first of Leinster's five tires.
A quarter of an hour before the interval, Leinster had their second when Josh van der Flier took the ball on the charge, after it was popped up by Max Deegan, and crashed over.
If it seemed like the score that would settle Leo Cullen's side, the final 15 minutes of the half was all Northampton.
Just three minutes after his opposite number's score, Henry Pollock crossed for a try after taking a flat pass across the gain-line and showing an impressive turn of pace to race around Prendergast.
Two further tries from Freeman in the space of two minutes gave his side a 27-15 lead at the turn.
Both featured sharp attacking play from the Saints in the build-up, with Juarno Augustus providing a fine offload for the second, and the English Premiership side were well worth their interval advantage.
Leinster's response was not immediate with the early minutes of the second half featuring a number of handling errors.
A 50:22 from Lowe, however, helped to temporarily turn the tide. The Saints again held firm against the maul but after illegal defence, Leinster were able to score through Caelan Doris off a tap penalty.
The Leinster and Ireland skipper followed his try with a 50:22 of his own soon after but again his side could not execute the line-out maul.
Smith's second penalty pushed his side out to an eight-point lead but, with 20 minutes remaining, replacement Ryan Baird won the penalty and line-out that preceded Van der Flier's second score.
Again, though, the Saints produced a stout response. Only two minutes later, full-back James Ramm picked a brilliant line and was over in the corner.
The Saints' efforts to see out the victory were hampered when blind-side flanker Josh Kemeny was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Rabah Slimani.
With 10 minutes to go, James Lowe halved the deficit as Leinster scored their second of the day from a well-worked tap penalty and Prendergast added the extras to bring his side within three.
The Saints again relied upon their stout maul defence but, as the clock showed 79 minutes, Leinster were awarded a penalty with Alex Coles sent to the sin-bin just as time expired on Kemeny's yellow.
Leinster again went for the tap but the 14 men of Northampton turned them over on the line to complete a famous win.
Leinster: Keenan; O'Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Healy, Sheehan, Furlong, Snyman, McCarthy, Deegan, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Slimani, Baird, Conan, McGrath, R Byrne, Barrett.
Northampton Saints: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Litchfield; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock, Augustus.
Replacements: Walker, West, Millar Mills, Lockett, Munga, Scott-Young, James, Seabrook.
Yellow cards: Langdon, Kemeny, Coles
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
