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Leinster v Northampton: How the players rated at Croke Park

Jamison Gibson-Park, Caelan Doris and James Lowe the standout players as Leinster make final

Leinster's Jamison Gibson-Park makes a pass. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho

Johnny Watterson at Croke Park
Sat May 4 2024 - 19:47

Ciarán Frawley – All action from a scratchy first half into a more imposing second where good tackling and high ball contesting showed. 7

Jordan Larmour – Quiet first half when the ball just stayed away. But more action in the second half and some more flashing feet to see too. 7

Robbie Henshaw – Sometimes moved to the 12 position to take on hard ball in attacking mode. Ferocious breaking tackles and in defence. 8

Jamie Osborne – Very good outing and a mature performance for a young player. Ran good lines, worked and straightened into hard tackles. 8

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James Lowe of Leinster Rugby runs in to score his team's third try, to complete his hat-trick. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

James Lowe – Three tries following two tries against La Rochelle. He knows where to be and when to be there. Excellent finishing. Fabulous timing. 9

Ross Byrne – Mixed day from the tee and straight penalty miss but kept clearance kicking strong, held poise and almost intercepted to score first half. 7

Jamison Gibson-Park – Vision for a quick tap penalty and throw an audacious long pass to Lowe for the first try, then his fist back for the second. Class. 9

Andrew Porter – A mix-up with Larmour for Hendy try shouldn’t take from a powerhouse of a shift. Strength and power as well as a great engine. 8

Dan Sheehan – A bit of everything in carries, tackles and in the attacking line. Did it all with the usual dynamism and edge he brings to a match. 8

Tadhg Furlong – A workhorse start to finish. A high-tempo prop involved in all the hard, tough yards and did it with the aggression and effectiveness. 8

Northampton's Sam Graham tackles Leinster's lock Ross Molony. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty

Ross Molony – Excellent lineout option and some important tackles from the lock, not least of all on Mitchell midway through the second half 7

Joe McCarthy – Made so many hard runs in the first half and punched into Northampton space. Was always up for more too. Strong carry option. 8

Ryan Baird – Fast up on tackles and one glorious sprint of 40 metres which triggered the play for Lowe’s third try. Athleticism shows every outing. 8

Josh van der Flier – He was involved in everything during the first half. Support, carries and tackling. A high-tempo game from the openside. 8

Caelan Doris – Excellent ball carrying. Threw it in the air for Gibson-Park to whack over to Lowe for try. Played with superb authority and effectiveness. 9

Replacements: Their job is to finish and although Northampton made a real match out of it at the end, Leinster held it together and maybe Jack Conan sneaked it as the pick of the bench players. 7

Leo Cullen: Some will say he judged it to perfection, others that Leinster allowed Northampton back into the match. Either way Leinster are set for Tottenham Hotspur’s ground in London later this month. 8

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times

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