Northampton stun Leinster in Dublin to reach final

Henry Pollock, who could be in contention for British and Irish Lions selection next week, scored a stunning first-half try for Northampton

Investec Champions Cup semi-final

Leinster: (15) 34

Tries: O'Brien, Van der Flier 2, Doris, Lowe Cons: Prendergast 3 Pens: Prendergast

Northampton Saints: (27) 37

Tries: Freeman 3, Pollock, Ramm Cons: Smith 3 Pens: Smith 2

Tommy Freeman's hat-trick fired Northampton Saints to a shock 37-34 win at Leinster and the Investec Champions Cup final in an all-time classic.

The incredible semi-final featured 10 tries and three Saints yellow cards, with the game ending only after a last-minute refereeing controversy followed by the visitors turning Leinster over a metre from their own line.

The hosts in Dublin, tournament favourites before this game, had only conceded seven tries in reaching the semi-finals but Northampton crossed for five on the day, with Henry Pollock and James Ramm also scoring.

Despite those scores and a 12-point advantage at half-time, it all came down to a final minute laden with drama.

As the clock turned to 79 minutes Leinster thought they had the ball down in the corner, but following a lengthy delay referee Pierre Brousset decided the ball was knocked forward, sent Saints' Alex Coles to the sin-bin and awarded the Irish side a penalty.

With the Dublin crowd roaring them on many thought Leinster would still complete an impressive fightback, but from the tap penalty Saints produced one last stirring defensive stand with 14 men to seal one of the biggest wins in their history.

Phil Dowson's side will play the winner of Sunday's all-French semi-final between Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles in Cardiff on 24 May.

The referee ruled Josh van der Flier had lost the ball forward in the tackle before replacement Ross Byrne touched it down over the tryline in the corner

Seeking their fourth final in a row and a first title since 2018, the difference in this year's Leinster's team had been their dominant defence.

Having kept both Glasgow Warriors and Harlequins to nil in their two previous knockout games, they were caught on their heels by Saints' quick start.

While the hosts had chosen to heavily rotate for their United Rugby Championship fixture against Scarlets last time out, Northampton's front-liners looked sharper for seeing match action against Bristol last weekend, nobody more so than Freeman.

Just as his opposite wing James Lowe did in this fixture a year ago, the England international provided a first-half hat-trick.

After the visitors offered some superb maul defence to thwart Leinster's first attack, it was Freeman on the end of Fin Smith's delicate nudge to open the scoring after seven minutes.

England wing Freeman completed his hat-trick before half-time as Saints took a 27-15 lead into the break

Sam Prendergast reduced the arrears with a penalty before threading an excellent pass out wide for Tommy O'Brien to score the first of Leinster's five tires.

A quarter of an hour before the interval, Leinster had their second when Josh van der Flier took the ball on the charge, after it was popped up by Max Deegan, and crashed over.

If it seemed like the score that would settle Leo Cullen's side, the final 15 minutes of the half was all Northampton.

Just three minutes after his opposite number's score, Pollock crossed for a try after taking a flat pass across the gain-line and showing an impressive turn of pace to sprint 45 metres and round Prendergast.

Two further tries from Freeman in the space of two minutes gave his side a 27-15 lead at the turn.

Both featured sharp attacking play from the Saints in the build-up, with Juarno Augustus providing a fine offload for the second, and the English Premiership side were well worth their interval advantage.

Northampton produced an emphatic response to Josh van der Flier's first-half try

Leinster's response was not immediate with the early minutes of the second half featuring a number of handling errors.

A 50:22 from Lowe, however, helped to temporarily turn the tide. Saints again held firm against the maul but after illegal defence, Leinster were able to score through Caelan Doris off a tap penalty.

The Leinster and Ireland skipper followed his try with a 50:22 of his own soon after but again his side could not execute the line-out maul.

Smith's second penalty pushed his side out to a 30-22 lead but, with 20 minutes remaining, replacement Ryan Baird won the penalty and line-out that preceded Van der Flier's second score.

Again, though, Saints produced a stout response. Only two minutes later, full-back James Ramm picked a brilliant line and was over in the corner.

Northampton's efforts to see out the victory were hampered when blind-side flanker Josh Kemeny was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Rabah Slimani.

With 10 minutes to go, Lowe halved the deficit as Leinster scored their second of the day from a well-worked tap penalty and Prendergast added the extras to bring his side within three.

Such has been Leinster's brilliance this season, and carrying all the momentum, it seemed as though Northampton hearts would be broken, but Dowson's side held firm to reach their first final in this competition since 2011.

Leinster: Keenan; O'Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Healy, Sheehan, Furlong, Snyman, McCarthy, Deegan, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Slimani, Baird, Conan, McGrath, R Byrne, Barrett.

Northampton Saints: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Litchfield; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock, Augustus.

Replacements: Walker, West, Millar Mills, Lockett, Munga, Scott-Young, James, Seabrook.

Yellow cards: Langdon, Kemeny, Coles

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)