Following a 52-0 victory for Leinster over Glasgow within the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals, listed below are our 5 takeaways from Friday’s conflict on the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The highest line
Sam Prendergast and participant of the match Jordie Barrett mixed in a Leinster masterclass to obliterate Glasgow and guide a Champions Cup semi-final towards the winners of Saturday’s conflict between Northampton and Castres.
The pair had been very good in capitalising on the platform laid by their forwards as rampant Leinster set about proving final week’s 10-try thrashing of Harlequins within the Spherical of 16 was completely no fluke.
Jacques Nienaber’s defence was once more a star attraction because the four-time winners went from 62-0 towards Quins to 52-0 right here. Since final conceding a degree on this competitors, towards Tub within the pool levels, they’ve scored 142 of their very own.
The night was finest summed up by Barrett lifting Adam Hastings off his toes and carrying him into contact.
“That was like Jordie Barrett taking the bins out within the morning,” John Barclay, the previous Scotland star, noticed by means of gritted tooth.
On this type, and with dwelling benefit once more within the subsequent spherical, it’s onerous to see anybody stopping Leinster from gracing the Remaining at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Could 24.
Near perfection
After watching his countrymen torn aside Barclay declared that Leinster’s eight-try show “wasn’t far off perfection”.
He discovered settlement from fellow pundit Rob Kearney, the previous Leinster and Eire full-back, who purred: “Totally ruthless, totally relentless.
“Oppressive, suffocating, they didn’t give Glasgow a sniff within the recreation, they didn’t give them any alternative to get into the sport.”
Kearney then posed the query as as to if maybe Harlequins weren’t as wretched as they’d been towards the boys in blue.
“We glance again on final week’s recreation and there was an enormous quantity of dialogue about Harlequins and their lack of depth and energy,” he stated.
“Possibly it wasn’t all Harlequins’ fault final week. Possibly that is simply an unbelievably good Leinster group.”
On monitor, lastly, for that fifth star?
When Johnny Sexton lifted the Champions Cup in Bilbao in 2018 no person might have imagined that seven years later Leinster would nonetheless be looking for their fifth star.
That evening on the Estadio de San Mames, when the Blues equalled Toulouse’s document of 4 wins and senior coach Stuart Lancaster savoured redemption after his World Cup nightmare with England, appeared prefer it was simply the beginning.
Unstoppable Leinster give Glasgow Warriors the Harlequins remedy as Irish province hammer humiliated Scots in Champions Cup quarter-final
Certain sufficient, the delight of Dublin did attain the ultimate once more the next 12 months, and in three of the 5 years after that, but glory has eluded this golden technology of gamers.
With every missed alternative the stress has cranked up one other notch so, whereas they began as sizzling favourites right here, Glasgow dared to consider they could get to them within the battle of the thoughts.
“Leinster should win tonight, we wish to win,” was how Warriors coach Franco Smith put it pre-match. “The stress is on them. No want for us to be nervous.”
Good strive. No likelihood. As soon as Max Deegan went over for the primary of his two scores on 14 minutes, Leinster had been into their stride and that was that.
Glasgow’s kamikaze mission
Turning up on the Aviva with out half your first group is inadvisable at the very best of instances. Glasgow shortly realised this was nothing like the very best of instances.
To be honest they’d little say within the matter. Scotland centres Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones are crocked, so too Scott Cummings, Zander Ferguson, Josh McKay, Rory Sutherland and Jack Dempsey.
Solely Henco Venter’s absence was self-inflicted, the results of a six-week ban for making contact with Dan Cole’s eyes throughout their spherical of 16 win over Leicester every week in the past.
Within the circumstances Warriors did effectively to fill 23 shirts. However that was the peak of their achievement. Leinster had their bonus level bagged in half an hour, the sport and dusted lengthy earlier than half-time.
This Glasgow group constructed its popularity on away wins at Thomond Park and Loftus Versfeld en path to URC glory. Right here they had been whipping boys, a aspect with no reply to the tempo and cohesion of the Leinster recreation.
Shedding Adam Hastings to a yellow card within the second quarter definitely didn’t assist. It value them a penalty strive within the first occasion, an extra 12 factors whereas he was cooling his heels.
Consider what seems to be a severe leg harm for Matt Fagerson and it added as much as an evening to overlook for the Scots.
Sam delivers in Lions watch
Within the build-up, the speak was of British and Irish Lions choice and the chance this quarter-final stage gave for contenders to persuade watching tour boss Andy Farrell they deserved boarding passes for Australia.
Uppermost within the dialogue was the fly-half place. With Finn Russell seemingly a shoo-in, would Prendergast do sufficient to maneuver forward of rivals Jack Crowley, Fin and Marcus Smith within the pecking order.
The reply was emphatic. The 22-year previous was magnificent from the second he despatched a spiral clearance 60 metres downfield within the second minute.
He had a hand in every thing Leinster did, working one opening after one other with slick fingers, intelligent footwork or threaded kicks. His touchline conversion kicking was imperious, his composure on the line spectacular. He well-deserved the standing ovation when he made manner after an hour.
Elsewhere, Jamison Gibson-Park seemed as sharp as a tack and Garry Ringrose again to his finest. The one concern for Farrell was an early harm to Jack Conan. His one remorse, that Jordie Barrett is a New Zealander.
READ MORE: Leinster participant rankings: Jordie Barrett ‘so near excellent’ as abroad superstars add ‘new dimension’ to staggeringly good Irish aspect
