Saracens cause an upset, smashing Leinster's 25-game, 16-month unbeaten run
This wasn’t how this was supposed to pan out. Twenty-four weeks after they were originally slated to host Saracens last April in Dublin, Leinster were expected to exact sweet revenge for their anguished defeat to the Londoners in the 2019 Champions Cup final.
It didn’t happen, a howitzer of a Saracens quarter-final performance – first-half acceleration followed by second-half stubbornness – resulting in the defending champions striding forward into the semi-final on the back of a thoroughly deserved 25-17 win. They will now face Racing in Paris next Saturday.
In the 71 weeks since their defeat in Newcastle, the Irish province had beaten all before them, winning 25 on the bounce, collecting successive PRO14 titles and plotting their course back into the knockout stages of Europe.
And yet the one nagging doubt, that the intensity of their league doesn’t hold a candle to the energy-sapping robustness of these European occasions, was clinically exposed, their fortunes going full circle as they lost again to Saracens 497 days after they had relinquished a ten-point lead at St James’ Park decider.
A bulling Saracens visit was always going to be their ultimate interrogation. The Londoners are essentially the rugby version of Millwall, the football club that glories in the ‘no one likes us, we don’t care’ mantra and with a season in the Championship on the horizon following their financial doping, this was Saracens’ opportunity to puff out the chest, polish the chip on their shoulder and dish out a reminder that they are still very much a force to be reckoned with.
A stunning advert for the #HeinekenChampionsCup and it's defending champs @Saracens who come out on top ?
They hold off the @leinsterrugby comeback to earn a tremendous win in Dublin ?
Sum their performance up in 3 words ?? pic.twitter.com/OAUWlEu4fn
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) September 19, 2020
The indomitable Maro Itoje hinted as much in midweek, tweeting on Wednesday that he was already ready for the weekend and then elaborating on this hunch the next day at a media conference, admitting he had the feeling that something special was in the air.
He was right. Executing a suffocating game plan fostered by their Irish coach Mark McCall, what transpired for quite a considerable chunk was in keeping with the way England have bullied Ireland at Test level in recent times. Brute force, streetwise activity at the breakdown and combativeness at the set-piece, the sort that reduced the Leinster front row to penalty-riddled rubble.
It was all very easy on the eye and while Leinster did rally coming down the finishing straight, their first-half malaise left them with far too much leeway to catch up against an opposition who demonstrated exactly why they have conquered Europe three times in the past four seasons and are now on course for another triumph.
Lack of heft did for Leinster when the teams last collided and it was similar here, an issue exacerbated by how slow starts have been a feature of their efforts in recent weeks in the league, going behind to Munster and Ulster early doors. That trend was repeated, Saracens 9-3 ahead on eleven minutes after some early penalty tit-for-tat that set in the train the outcome that was to follow.
With the suspended Owen Farrell usually on the tee, Alex Goode doesn’t get much kudos for being an accomplished kicker, but he clipped over three attempts from different lengths in the opening salvo, with the eleventh-minute award emblematic of the early Saracens energy, Robbie Henshaw snared carrying out from near his posts.
Johnny Sexton landed one kick in riposte but with Saracens going hard at the breakdown amid an atmosphere where the loudest noise was usually TV pundit Lawrence Dallaglio shouting into his mic, Leinster lacked the necessary fluency to make home advantage count at an empty stadium.
One cameo summed up the inefficiency. Having gone through multiple phases to seemingly leave themselves poised near the try line, they came unstuck through an Itoje intercept and this section of play ended with James Lowe then bundled into touch after possession had been kicked clear.
Alex Goode and Duncan Taylor combine for a sensational @Saracens try! ?
What a way to end a near-perfect first-half performance!#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/yWvTYKpb3E
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) September 19, 2020
It typified how costly errors were in terms of a momentum shift. Then came a further power surge. A Jordan Larmour knock-on and a Sexton restart that didn’t travel ten metres brought scrums and the penalties that materialised were both dispatched with aplomb by Elliot Daly.
At 15-3, this wasn’t yet a crisis for Leinster but instead of Sexton pointing at the posts and clawing three points back, they opted for the corner where a series of mauls, penalties and a collective warning given to Brad Barritt culminated in Saracens sacking another maul, piercing the pressure and then conjuring the score that had definitely started Irish alarm bells ringing.
A throw to the tail of the lineout was the initial prompt and then off a centre-field ruck, Duncan Taylor blasted through the cover to allow Goode swagger over and convert his own score. Nineteen points was now the margin and such was the Saracens chutzpah, Daly even attempted a penalty from his own ten-metre line after Leinster again infringed at the scrum.
The situation now facing Leinster mirrored half-time in the 2011 decider when they trailed Northampton by 16. They bounced off the canvas that day in Wales, but Lazarus was unavailable to bail them out here nine years later in Dublin.
Jordan Larmour for @leinsterrugby! ?
His first try for almost two years is a beauty!
What a game this is…#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/ipoW2NH8jJ
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) September 19, 2020
They may have won a penalty at the first engagement after the interval, but Itoje extinguished the resulting attack at the breakdown and fears grew about just where a spark of inspiration might come from. In the end, Sexton provided it, his penalty-winning run from one half of the field to the other the territory gain necessary for Porter to eventually go in under the sticks on 49 minutes.
The conversion made it a twelve-point margin and the stage was set for a closing half-hour to savour. A Jackson Wray ruck infringement was Leinster’s next invite into the red zone but a turnover was forced after a Ryan Baird carry.
A late hit on Sexton by the steely Michael Rhodes next invited Leinster to further reduce the gap, Larmour gliding in for the converted score on 62 that tantalisingly left it 22-17. The comeback to beat on all comebacks was suddenly potentially on but with Sexton exiting injured, Leinster fell back into their sloppy ways and after Goode and Daly were wide off the tee, the result was rubber-stamped in the final minutes, Goode aptly having the final say on a day when the absent Farrell wasn’t at all missed.
LEINSTER: 15. Jordan Larmour; 14. Hugo Keenan, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw (Rory O’Loughlin, 62), 11. James Lowe; 10. Johnny Sexton (Ross Byrne, 66), 9. Luke McGrath (Jamison Gibson-Park (62)l; 1. Cian Healy (Ed Byrne, 57), 2. Sean Cronin (Ronan Kelleher, 43), 3. Andrew Porter (Michael Bent, 73), 4. Devin Toner (Ryan Baird, 43), 5. James Ryan, 6. Caelan Doris, 7. Will Connors (Josh van der Flier, 53), 8. Jack Conan.
Scorers – Tries: Porter (49), Larmour (62). Cons: Sexton (50, 64) Pen: Sexton (6)
SARACENS: 15. Elliot Daly; 14. Alex Lewington, 13. Duncan Taylor, 12. Brad Barritt (Dom Morris, 80), 11. Sean Maitland; 10. Alex Goode (Manu Vunipola, 80), 9. Richard Wigglesworth (Aled Davies, 69); 1. Mako Vunipola (Richard Barrington, 69, 2. Jamie George, 3. Vincent Koch (Alec Clarey, 80), 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Tim Swinson (Callum Hunter-Hill, 64), 6. Mike Rhodes (Calum Clark, 73), 7. Jackson Wray (Tom Woolstencroft, 80), 8. Billy Vunipola.
Scorers – Try: Goode (37), Con: Goode (39). Pens: Goode (3, 9, 11, 80), Daly (25, 28)
It was as early as Wednesday when Maro Itoje tweeted he was ready for this weekend, a feeling he steely reinforced with an audience of a dozen journalists on Thursday over Zoom w/@heagneyl ???https://t.co/WQXWfphLn9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 19, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Very unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
2 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to commentsI had not considered this topic like this at all, brilliant read. I had been looking at his record at the Waratahs and thought it odd the Crusaders appointed him, then couple that with all that experience and talent departing and boom. They’ve got some great talent developing though, and in all honesty I don’t think anyone would be over confident taking them on in a playoff match, no matter how poor the first half of their season was. I think they can pull a game out of their ass when it counts.
2 Go to commentsNot a bad list but not Porecki and not Donaldson. Not because they are Tahs, or Ex Tahs, they are just not good enough. Edmed should be ahead. Far more potential. Wilson should be 8 and Valentini 6. Wilson needs to be told by his father and his coach, stop bloody running in to brick wall defence. You’re not playing under the genius Thorn any more. He’s a fantastic angle runner. The young new 8 from the Brumbies looks really good too. The Lonegrans are just too small for international rugby as is Paisami, as is Hamish Stewart at 12. Both great at Super Rugby level. Stewart could have been a great 10 if not for Brad Thorn. Uru should be there and so should Tupou. Tupou just needs good Australian coaching which he hasn’t been getting. I don’t think Schmidt will excite him.
3 Go to commentsIf he wants to come back then he should. He will be a major asset to the younger locks and could easily be played as an impact player off the bench coming on in the last 30. He is fit, strong and capable and has all the experience to make up for any loss in physical prowess. He could also be brought back with a view to coaching within the structures one day. Duane Vermeulen played until he was 37 or 38. He is now a roaming coach within the South African coaching structures. He was valuable in the last world cup and has been a major influence on Jasper Wiese and other young players which has helped and accelerated their development and growth. Whitelock could do the exact same thing for NZ
10 Go to commentsBrett Excellent words… finally someone (other than DC) has noted that Hanigan is very hard and very good at doing what Backrow should do… his performance via the Drua sauna was quite daunting for those on the other side… very high tackle count… carries with good end result… constant threat to make a good 20-25 meters with those long legs… providing his mass effectively to crunching the Drua pack… Finally he is returning to quality form… way to much injury time over the last 2 years… smart-strong-competent in his skills… caught every lineout throw aimed at him and delivered clean pass to whoever was down below… and he worked hard for the whole 80 minutes… Ned has to be in the top 5 for backrow honors… He knows what is required as he has been there before…
20 Go to commentsI think Sam Whitelock should not touch a return with a bargepole. He went out on a high, playing in the RWC Final. He would be coming back into a team that will be weaker than last years, and might even be struggling to win games, especially against the Boks. Stay in France, enjoy another year with Pau, playing alongside his brother.
10 Go to commentsRyan Coxon has been very impressive considering he was signed by WF as injury cover whilst Uru has been a standout for QR, surprised neither of those mentioned
3 Go to commentsIt’s the massive value he brings with regard team culture/values, preparation, etc. Can’t buy that. I’m hoping to see the young locks get their chance in the big games though.
10 Go to commentsAll good, Gregor, except that you neglected to mention Sam Darry amongst that talented pool of locks. In fact, given Hannah’s inexperience and the fact that Holland won’t be eligible until next year, Lord and Darry might be the frontrunners this year, to join Barrett, Tuipoluto, Va’ii and possibly Whitelock. In fact there might be room for all of them if Barrett played 6 (like Ollie Chessum).
10 Go to comments