Match action - starts
LEINSTER won their fourth European title, equalling Toulouse’s record haul, but this was not the runaway victory predicted, and nor was it achieved in the grand manner in this arm-wrestle in Bilbao.
That will not matter to Leinster or the fans who made the costly trip to the San Mames stadium to watch them achieve this landmark against a Racing side that tested the Irish province’s character and composure to its limits.
Although there were no tries in this all-kicking final in the Basque drizzle it was Leinster who made the telling inroads as the match went into its final throes, taking the lead for the first time in the 78th minute when their captain, Isa Nacewa, crowned his last appearance for the province by kicking the decisive penalty from in front of the posts.
That it was a marginal offside call reflected the sheer intensity of the contest, and even then Racing put themselves in a position to level the account by winning the restart and going through the phases to set up a last gasp drop-goal attempt which was hooked wide by their replacement fly-half Remi Tales.
The final act reflected the closeness of an encounter in which, for the first time in a tournament in which overall Leinster were clearly the best side, they met an outfit that matched them for accuracy and power, and denied them the traction and territory they thrive off.
The linchpin in this hugely committed and tactically astute Racing gameplan was their reserve scrum-half Teddy Iribaren, who rose to the occasion magnificently to minimise the loss of their French international No.9 Maxime Machenaud.
Iribaren’s kicking game, whether long-range clearances or precision goal-kicking, gave Racing a firm foothold in a clash that was cup final rugby in the raw. It was tight, tense, and bruising, and although neither side found the lever to trigger free-flowing attack, the intensity of the contest was unrelenting.
It was always unlikely that an institution with Racing’s pedigree as the first French championship winners would be overawed by the occasion. The Parisian club revel in their reputation for panache on and off the field, and this time rather than coming onto the pitch wearing pink bow ties – as in one French championship final – they wore berets.
It was a savvy move because the beret is headgear that the French borrowed from the Basques, and immediately endeared them to the local contingent in the San Mames. If it was meant also to bestow on them a certain nonchalance despite big match nerves it worked a treat, especially when Iribaren – making only his second European Cup start – smashed his first clearance from his own 22 almost as far as Leinster’s.
The French side also required cool heads and composure because not only did they lose the services of Dan Carter, with the legendaryAll Black flyhalf forced to withdraw from the bench with hamstring trouble on the morning of the match, they also were soon without Patrick Lambie, the South African Test fly-half who beat him to the starting jersey.
Lambie’s only contribution was to make an impressive incision in the Leinster backline, only for his knee to buckle as he cut inside. With the Springbok having to be helped off with only two minutes played most teams would have been in trouble – but Racing have deep pockets and deep cover, and on came former France 10 Tales.
After Iribaren struck a nerveless early penalty to give Racing a 3-0 lead and then pegged Leinster back in their own half the favourites were looking for inspiration – and as so often is the case it was their backline brains trust of Johnny Sexton and Nacewa that provided it.
With Leinster using decoy runners a Sexton wrap-around saw him send Nacewa racing down the left touchline, and when he was stopped a few metres short Dan Leavy was on hand to ram the ball forward.
With Racing rocking after a couple more trademark Leinster pick-anddrives, Teddy Thomas raced in from an offside position to make an interception which scotched the attack, and also conceded a penalty which Sexton kicked to level the account at 3-3 with 16 minutes played.
However, a combination of brutal pressure defence and Iribaren’s siege-gun clearances saw the French side steal ahead 6-3 with the wiry scrum-half kicking his second penalty midway through the half.
Leinster did themselves no favours just after the half-hour when, rather than kick for the corner and set up a driving maul, Leavy opted for a tap-and-go only to be turned-over by the nuggety Camille Chat. They persevered, tightening the screw on racing, and just before the interval were rewarded when a deliberate knock-on by Leone
Nakarawa – which should have earned him a yellow card – was punished by Sexton to tie it at 6-6 going into the second half.
Immediately after the break racing used their forward artillery, and with Gomes Sa and Bernard Le Roux at the forefront of a pounding 20 phase attack, they eventually created a half chance when Henry Chavancy found Thomas. When he was bundled into touch just short, a Leinster offside earlier in the move saw Iribaren’s kick give Racing a 9-6 advantage.
The war of attrition continued with Sexton missing with one attempt from halfway before levelling the score at 9-9 with another long-range attempt. The nerves began to tell as the Irish fly –half and Iribaren shaved the posts with further attempts from distance, but with 13 minutes remaining it was Racing who appeared to have the fuller fuel tank.
With Yannick Nyanga, their captain for the day, in the vanguard they mounted another punishing 13-phase assault, only to lose control close to the line and allowing Leavy to steal the ball. The pressure was eventually rewarded with Iribaren kicking his fourth penalty to give the Parisian club a 12-9 lead with ten minutes left on the clock.
It did not last long because Nacewa – who took over the kicking duties from the bruised Sexton – levelled the account as Leinster got a late second wind, and also a bit of luck when Thomas squandered a Nakarawa line-out steal by allowing himself to be shunted into touch.
With the Irish side attacking strongly up the middle through Garry Ringrose the tiring Racing defence crept up offside, and Nacewa did the honours to spark Leinster celebrations destined to last long into the Bilbao night.