LEINSTER weren’t at their very best but with Jamison Gibson-Park claiming a hat-trick this win sets up another mouthwatering tie with old foes La Rochelle who have beaten the Irish outfit in the last two Champions Cup finals.
Leicester might have been rank outsiders for this title but they started strongly and after intense pressure, Handre Pollard swerved onto a popped ball and held off two tacklers to score by the posts.
Leinster hit back quickly with a simple penalty from Ross Byrne and then the Leinster attack started to crank up ominously, a wondrous long pass from James Lowe bringing the energy and buzz. Moments later Big Joe McCarthy – allegedly enduring an end of season dip according to some critics – powered down the left flank before releasing Gibson-Park on the inside for a clinically taken try.
Freddie Steward, playing on the wing, gobbled up the first two high balls launched in his direction but he found a low skudder – in fact a miss kick from Hugo Keenan – much more difficult and made a poor effort to field a ball he should have left well alone. Leicester didn’t get the release of pressure they were looking for and suddenly they were defending again. Moments later Leinster struck when Robbie Henshaw took the ball in about 40 yards out. Gibson-Park was there in a flash and exchanged passes with Dan Sheehan on the left wing to score another beauty.
Although Pollard clawed a penalty back Gibson-Park completed his hat-trick in 17 minutes when Henshaw fed young Jamie Osborne – a major prospect –who fed the ever present scrum-half on the inside. The Kiwi still had a bit to do but the Tigers defence rather melted away.
CLOSE-UP
JAMISON GIBSON-PARK Leinster scrum-half
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JACK VAN POORTVLIET Leicester scrum-half
The former New Zealand Maori is on fire, the key man for both Leinster and Ireland. Usually, we see him as a facilitator with his brilliant quick passing and that was on view last night but so too was his nous for try scoring with his eye popping hat-trick. Van Poortvliet is still on the comeback trail but is looking sharper with every game, in particular his pass. It was tough going but he shaped up well.
It felt like Tigers needed to score next and they gave it a good rattle attacking thrillingly down the left although Ollie Hassell-Collins, closing in on the line with one man to beat, chipped ahead when it might have been easier to try and score or just take the hit and recycle possession. The pressure continued however although eventually McCarthy saved the situation with a timely turnover.
Tigers started strongly after the break and were attacking dangerously down the right when James Lowe stepped in with a deliberate knock down. Yellow card, no penalty try but Tigers kept attacking, went for touch and set up a lineout rumble from whi
