Leinster player ratings vs Northampton | 2025 Investec Champions Cup SF

Leinster player ratings: An error-strewn Leinster will be left to lick their wounds after exiting Europe with a 37-34 defeat at the hands of a game Northampton Saints.

We rate the Leinster players:

1. Cian Healy – NA
Pinged for an early engage and was removed after just 20 minutes with an injury.

2. Dan Sheehan – 5.5
Carried hard in tight channels and stuck to his task defensively. Lineout largely functioned well under pressure but there was none of his usual carnage in the carry. Leinster needed more from him.

3. Tadhg Furlong – 6
Scrummaged okay for the most part and even well on occasion. Offered himself in attack to little effect.

Fixture

Investec Champions Cup

Leinster

34 - 37

Full-time

Northampton

All Stats and Data

4. RG Snyman – 5
A towering presence at the lineout for Leinster but Saints were ready for him in contact. Worked hard on the ball but was forced into errors.

5. Joe McCarthy – 4.5
A worryingly slow first half from Big Joe. He wasn’t the only one. Didn’t bring his usual edge in contact and struggled to play himself into the game. Fell off far too many tackles.

6. Max Deegan – 6.5
Got through plenty of defensive work and remained disciplined at the breakdown, and a crafty offload off the deck set Josh van der Flier.

7. Josh van der Flier – 8.5
Exploded onto the ball to bag Leinster’s second try to calm things down at the Aviva and bagged another before the end. Covered ground efficiently and maintained line speed when Saints looked to find space wide. Never stopped fighting and came within a whisper of a hat-trick.

8. Caelan Doris – 6
A tale of two halves. Quiet by his usual standards in the first 40 as Northampton closed down his space effectively. Struggled to impose himself and was forced into a couple of uncharacteristic errors under pressure. Burst into life for his try after half-time and even pulled off a splendid touchfinder.

9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 7
Didn’t force anything when others might have panicked. His quick thinking and slick service kept Leinster in the fight, not least his blindside break for Tommy O’Brien’s try.

10. Sam Prendergast – 5
Had a nightmare start. Got caught napping by Saints in the sixth minute, and two minutes later a poor kick led to Northampton’s opening try. Harried by the Saints back row, who gave him no time. Fought back bravely, putting Tommy O’Brien away with an inch-perfect pass but was far too easily rounded for Henry Pollock’s try. Missed kicks at goal too, which was possibly why Leinster went for the lineout instead of the penalty that would have drawn the sides at 37-37 had three minutes from time.

11. James Lowe – 6.5
Limited opportunities with ball in hand but chased kicks like a golden retriever. No lack of effort, but it just didn’t happen for him in the first half. Far better in the second, with a great touchfinder and a late try pulling Leinster right back into it.

12. Robbie Henshaw – 5
Offered a bit of direction in the tight phases but struggled to make a dent in Northampton’s snarling defensive wall.

13. Garry Ringrose – 6
Tackled like a South African back-rower and had plenty of work cleaning up other players’ messes. Was part of a Leinster midfield that was too easily opened up by Saints.

14. Tommy O’Brien – 8
A threat whenever he was on the ball. Took Leinster’s opening try but a sloppy covering fetch gave Saints field position just two minutes later when he blundered into touch. Still, by far Leinster’s best back.

15. Hugo Keenan – 5.5
A refreshingly aggressive attacking performance from Keenan, but uncharacteristically, it was his defence that left a lot to be desired. A duffed high ball gifted Tommy Freeman his third try, and it wasn’t his only error.

Replacements

16. Ronan Kelleher – 6
Carried with intent and directness off the bench.

17. Andrew Porter – 6
Brought immediate impact at the set-piece and around the breakdown. Gave the Saints little change at scrum time.

18. Rabah Slimani – 5
Solid at the set-piece but offers nothing in attack.

19. Ryan Baird – 7.5
Added energy late on and contested lineouts effectively. Covered ground well in open play and made one particularly eye-catching steal. An impressive performance off the pine in what has been a mediocre season for Baird.

20. Jack Conan – 6
Brought fresh legs and got stuck in. Tellingly, the decision not to kick for the posts seemed to be his.

21. Luke McGrath – NA
Unused.

22. Ross Byrne – NA
One or two composed touches but not on long enough to rate.

23. Jordie Barrett – 7
A huge cheer rang out when he came on and he brought bags of fight but couldn’t turn the tide.