Filed under: Rugby Union, Heineken Cup, England Rugby, Ireland Rugby
Jonathan Sexton scored two second-half tries as Leinster staged a remarkable comeback to claim their second Heineken Cup in three years.Saints, unbeaten in the Heineken Cup before the final, scored three tries to nil in the first half to lead by 22-6 at the break, drawing first blood just six minutes into the game. Phil Dowson barged over after some good build-up play from Paul Diggin and Callum Clark.
After Jonathan Sexton and Stephen Myler swapped penalties, Ben Foden made a try-saving tackle on Brian O'Driscoll in the 22nd minute, in what was Leinster's only meaningful territory gain in the opening half.
But Northampton looked to be staring at a spell on the back foot three minutes later after prop Brian Mujati was sent to the sin bin for jersey-pulling.
But the Saints brushed aside the fact they were a man short on 31 minutes when, after a sustained spell of pressure in the Leinster half, Foden dived over for the English side's second try.
And once Mujati came back on, Saints were even more dominant - capitalising on some poor defending for Dylan Hartley to get his hand on the ball at the base of a ruck for Northampton's third try.
Leinster, the 2009 champions, finally breached Northampton's defences three minutes into the second half, as Sexton took advantage of a deft O'Driscoll break to cross near the touchline.
And after Gordon D'Arcy was held up on the line, Sexton crossed for a second before converting to reduce Leinster's deficit to two points. Then on 56 minutes, Sexton struck a penalty for his side to take the lead for the first time in the game.
After Saints had flanker Dowson sent to the bin, Sexton struck another penalty before Nathan Hines crossed for Leinster's third, after Jamie Heaslip slipped the Northampton defence to give the Scotland international the opportunity to barge over.
MOVE OF THE MATCH: Sexton's first try for Leinster. O'Driscoll found space to burst towards the tryline and after he was held up Leinster stayed patient and spun it wide for Sexton to cross unimpeded.
WHAT IT MEANS: Leinster are half way to a domestic and European Double, with the Magners League final coming up next week. Northampton will be bitterly frustrated at ending what was a very promising season with nothing.
REACTION:
Leinster captain Brian O'Driscoll revealed a half-time pep-talk from Sexton helped them turn it around:
"We couldn't hold on past three phases in the first half. Sexton was phenomenal in the dressing room, he was a man possessed, he was inspirational in the break. We all realised that this game will be remembered if we come back from an 18-point deficit."
O'Driscoll added they drew on their experiences from earlier in the tournament:
"We have played some tough opposition along the way and we knew we could do it. We showed that we could in the second half.
"In the second half we managed to hold on to the ball, where in the first half we couldn't. I haven't seen a second half performance like that in a long while, [Sexton] is the man of the match by a million miles."
Sexton revealed what he said to inspire his team mates:
"We were shell shocked a bit and we needed half time to regroup. I am a bit of a sport nerd and I remember stuff like this happens in a final in sport, like Liverpool coming back in the Champions League a few years ago."
PLAYER MARKING
Leinster: Nacewa 7; Horgan 6, O'Driscoll 8, D'Arcy 7, L Fitzgerald 7; Sexton 9, Reddan 7; Healy 6, Strauss 6, Ross 5, Cullen (capt) 5, Hines 6, McLaughlin 5, O'Brien 5, Heaslip 7.
Replacements: Harris-Wright, Van Der Merwe, Wright, Toner, Jennings, Boss, Madigan, McFadden.
Northampton: Foden 8; Ashton 5, Clarke 6, Downey 6, Diggin 7; Myler 7, Dickson 7; Tonga'uiha 6, Hartley (capt) 8, Mujati 5, Lawes 6, Day 7, Clark 7, Dowson 7, Wilson 6.
Replacements: Sharman, Waller, Mercey, Sorenson, Easter, Commins, Geraghty, Ansbro.
REFEREE: Romain Poite (France)
ATTENDANCE: tbc
MAN OF THE MATCH: Sexton (Leinster). In the first half, like the rest of his team mates, he was anonymous. But he was at the heart of his side's resurgence after the break, with his excellent organisation and positional play.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/05/21/leinster-33-northampton-22-jonathan-sextons-brace-starts-party/
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