Northampton Saints stun Leinster in ten-try Champions Cup thriller
Leinster have been knocked out of the Investec Champions Cup after a thrilling semi-final clash with Northampton Saints.
Written off coming into the match, the English Premiership champions, who had three players sin-binned, left a crowd of 42,207 in Dublin stunned at the final whistle.
While they trailed for most of the match, Leinster appeared to have the upper hand at the death but a last-gasp defensive play earned the visitors a deserved victory.
Tommy Freeman scored a hat-trick, with Henry Pollock and James Ramm also crossing for tries for the visitors, while Leinster's five-pointers came from Tommy O'Brien, Josh van der Flier (2), Caelan Doris and James Lowe but it wasn't enough.
Leinster were bidding to reach their fifth final, after losing the last three, in seven seasons but, once again, similar to those losses, they couldn't find the right answer in the final stages.
After two relatively straightforward knockout games against Harlequins and Glasgow, Leinster got the test they needed. But they failed the exam.
The hosts had not conceded a European try in 200 minutes but were hit for four in the first half of the rematch of last season's semi-final.
They scored two themselves but it was Northampton, who played with 14 when Curtis Langton was in the bin, who stole the show, much to the delight of their loud and boisterous fans, who although outnumbered, provided most of the noise.
Leinster had an early chance but got turned over at a maul close to the line and the Saints worked their way upfield.
Leinster 0-7 Northampton
Try-machine Tommy Freeman crosses early after a bright start from the visitors
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Sam Prendergast got blocked down in midfield but the out-half had Lowe available to clean up. Northampton hit first when Leinster's first-up tackling let them down.
Ramm evaded a chaser and perfectly timed a pop pass to Fin Smith. The England out-half grubbered through and Freeman raced onto the bouncing ball for the opening score in the eight minute.
The lively Pollock then gave away a silly penalty, barging into Lions rival Van der Flier off the ball and handing Prendergast a simple chance to put Leinster on the board.
The four-time champions dominated the next period, forcing penalty after penalty out of the Northampton defence, who were too slow to react when Jamison Gibson-Park tapped a quick free-kick at the back of the scrum.
Leinster 8-7 Northampton
Leinster make the pressure count as Tommy O'Brien dots down.
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The scrum-half spun the ball to Prendergast, who in turn, found O'Brien out wide and the in-form wing ran in.
Leinster looked sure to add another quick score but lost a lineout and Freeman made 50 yards, evading a number of poor tackle attempts along the way before Smith kicked a 50:22.
An offside handed the out-half a simple chance to extend the lead but Leinster hit back moments later.
Leinster 15-10 Northampton
Champagne rugby from the hosts as Van der Flier dives over
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Quick play and recycling had Saints on the back foot and Leinster were playing an advantage when Prendergast found Max Deegan with a delightful lobbed pass.
The flanker was stopped short but had the time to pop to Van der Flier, who powered past two defenders to score a converted try.
But it was all Northampton after that and it was barely noticeable that they had a man in the bin.
Firstly, Pollock ran a smart line off Smith 40 metres out and got past a weak attempted tackle by RG Snyman before outpacing Prendergast.
Leinster 15-17 Northampton
Henry Pollock scorches to the try line to restore Saints lead
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Freeman grabbed his second in the 36th minute as the Leinster defence went missing. Just two phases off a lineout, the ball came quickly to Freeman via Tom Litchfield and the England wing had a run-in.
He grabbed his third, his ninth of the campaign, moments later, getting on the end of an offload from Ulster-bound Juarno Augustus when Hugo Keenan dropped a high ball.
The half ended with Pollock winning a jackal penalty and Leinster headed for the dressing room to receive what was surely a stern talking to from Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber.
Whatever was said had the desired effect and Lowe's 50:22 lifted the crowd before Northampton infringed close to the line.
Leinster tapped and fed Doris, who powered over. The captain then ripped the ball off Temo Mayanavanua before kicking another 50:22.
However, an error at the lineout allowed the English side to exit.
At this stage, Jack Conan and Jordie Barrett were on for Deegan and Robbie Henshaw, as Cullen played his hand.
Smith pushed the lead out to eight with a long-range penalty when Andrew Porter was penalised as Doris was forced off for a head injury assessment.
The captain's replacement Ryan Baird had an immediate impact as he won a penalty when Augustus took on too many defenders off the back of a scrum.
Moments later, Van der Flier emerged from the bottom of a lineout maul that forced its way over the line but Prendergast's conversion was wide and Phil Dowson's men led 30-27 with 20 minutes to play.
Again, the pendulum swung back in Northampton's favour.
Leinster 27-37 Northampton
What a response as James Ramm is in for Saints' fifth try of the game
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They kept the ball in hand outside the Leinster 22 and for a moment appeared to have lost it forward, however, referee Pierre Brousset signalled play on and Ramm ran onto Fraser Dingwall's floated pass to run in for another converted try.
Leinster had to play from deep but a Van der Flier knock on and a miskick by Lowe stopped their momentum.
However, they were handed a lifeline when flanker Josh Kemeny was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Rabah Slimani in the 68th minute.
From the lineout, Leinster moved it quickly and O'Brien came off his line to make an extra man.
Lowe was denied initially but after another infringement, the winger, who scored three in the fixture last year, dived in the corner with Prendergast's conversion leaving Leinster just three points adrift.
Saints were next to apply pressure but Barrett came up with an unlikely steal on the Leinster 22 before O'Brien was tackled late by Augustus, which led to a penalty and a close-range lineout for Leinster.
James McCarthy lost possession and Leinster had to come again from halfway. Van der Flier was stopped on the line but Alex Coles was deemed to have infringed and Leinster had one final play against 14 men.
They tapped the penalty but lost a ruck and the Northampton Saints held on for one of the biggest upsets in recent years.
Leinster's European hopes are over for another year and the Saints will play either Toulouse or Bordeaux in their first final since 2011.
SCORERS
Leinster
Tries: O'Brien, Van der Flier (2), Doris, Lowe
Cons: Prendergast (3)
Pens: Prendergast
Northampton
Tries: Freeman (3), Pollock, Ramm
Cons: Smith (3)
Pens: Smith (2)
Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; RG Snyman, Joe McCarthy; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Rabah Slimani, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jordie Barrett.
Northampton Saints: James Ramm; Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall (capt) Rory Hutchinson, Tom Litchfield; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Emmanuel Iyogun, Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison; Temo Mayanavanua, Alex Coles; Josh Kemeny, Henry Pollock, Juarno Augustus
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