BLUES WAY OUT IN FRONT
Cullen’s gifted side set sights on European crown after rolling over Saracens with blitz of tries
NOW we know why this was the game Leinster had been looking for. Speaking in the depths of Clermont’s Stade de Gerland after crashing out in last season’s semi-finals, Johnny Sexton was the first to state that the squad felt an opportunity had been lost.
Leo Cullen’s men were confident that they were ready for a shot at Saracens, and, at Lansdowne Road yesterday, they finally got an opportunity to back up that fighting talk.
The back-to-back European champions looked a shadow of the team that have ruled this competition for the past two seasons, but that won’t sour an impressive victory for a Leinster side which will now deem anything other that winning this competition a failure.
Mark McCall’s men arrived in Dublin without the influential Billy Vunipola and had questions over the condition of key men Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje, while the London club’s form had also been an issue ahead of this quarter-final clash.
Not that Leinster were without their own problems, as Cullen came into the biggest game of his managerial career without Robbie Henshaw, Sean O’Brien, Josh van der Flier or Jack Conan.
That is a devastating list of injuries for most sides, but such are the riches available to Leinster that they were still able to field a starting XV that contained 11 Grand Slam winners.
There are few surprises with this Saracens team, who tend to stick to their wellestablished game plan — get Farrell to put some early points on the board and make the opposition chase the game. It is a simple yet effective formula, but one that Leinster turned on its head in less than four minutes here.
A gap in the Saracens’ defence saw James Lowe break free. The wing fed captain Isa Nacewa, who in turn found centre partner Garry Ringrose, the Ireland star sprinting over the line unchallenged.
Before even breaking a sweat, it was the champions who found themselves on the ropes.
Leinster had their dream start and saw an opportunity to lay down a marker. The confidence and efficiency of this team is quite stunning, and a sizable portion of the squad still don’t know what it is like to taste defeat at Lansdowne Road.
For young players like Dan Leavy and James Ryan, Grand Slam winners in their early 20s, big occasions in Dublin 4 only have one outcome, and once again they delivered yesterday. Farrell kept the English side in touch with a string of first-half penalties, but Saracens never really threatened the Leinster line in a flat first-half performance. That was partially down to a lack of English inventiveness, but also a result of a doggedly stubborn Leinster defence. At half-time, Leinster led 16-12 and, when play resumed, they again went for the jugular from the off.
This time it was man of the match Leavy who crossed following a carry by Sean Cronin, the flanker exchanging a one-two with Ryan before running in under the posts, Sexton adding the extras.
When in the mood, Leinster have been one of the more exciting teams to watch this season, but this was winning in a different way. This was all about grit, sweat and work-rate, outmuscling their opponents in a way we don’t often see, a development that will hugely please Cullen moving into the business end of the season.
Leavy had another exceptional evening but he was joined by a strong supporting cast in a makeshift back-row, with Ulster-bound Jordi Murphy putting in a solid shift alongside Scott Fardy, the Australian relocated having been primarily used as a lock in blue.
Even more impressive was the relatively untested centre partnership of Ringrose and Nacewa, a combination that had only played a total of 44 minutes together, against the Kings, this season.
Captain Nacewa was at the heart of the move that saw Lowe dot down Leinster’s third try as the clock approached the hour mark, a score forged by pure aggression as the Kiwi was hauled over the line by his teammates.
Sexton, who shipped the customary late hits throughout the evening, stepped aside to allow Fergus McFadden kick the conversion.
Shortly afterwards Saracens managed a try of their own, Blair Cowan bundling over after a lineout maul and, for the final 10 minutes, Cullen emptied his bench as Leinster fended off a late rally.
The replacements held the line well and it was a remarkably comfortable conclusion to the game as Saracens seemed to accept their fate. The Blues will again enjoy home advantage in the semi-finals,
with a high-flying Scarlets lying in wait after their impressive defeat of La Rochelle on Friday.
The Welsh will present an altogether different challenge but, having seen off the champions in such impressive fashion Leinster know that they are now being viewed as the team to beat.
Watching them strangle Saracens yesterday, you get the sense that this squad have felt that way all season.
LEINSTER: R Kearney; F McFadden, G Ringrose, I Nacewa (R O’Loughlin 79), J Lowe; J Sexton (J Carbery 68), L McGrath (N McCarthy 65); C Healy (J McGrath 53), S Cronin (J Tracy 60), T Furlong (A Porter 65); D Toner, J Ryan, S Fardy (R Ruddock 65); D Leavy, J Murphy (M Deegan 79).
Yellow card: Toner 75. SARACENS: A Goode, L Williams (C Wyles 63), M Bosch (A Lozowski 60), B Barritt, S Maitland; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth (B Spencer 60); M Vunipola (R Barrington 77), J George (S Brits 52), J Figallo (T Lamositele 65); M Itoje, G Kruis (D Day 77); N Isiekwe, S Burger (B Cowan 59), J Wray.
Referee: J Garces (France).