{"id":26259,"date":"2022-05-14T12:56:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-14T16:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26259"},"modified":"2022-05-16T10:58:56","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T14:58:56","slug":"leinster-defeat-toulouse-to-book-place-in-champions-cup-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26259","title":{"rendered":"Leinster Defeat Toulouse To Book Place In Champions Cup Final"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Leinster’s Johnny Sexton celebrates Josh van der Flier\u2019s try (INPHO\/Laszlo Geczo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Leinster reached their first Heineken Champions Cup final in three years after dethroning Toulouse in a sure-footed 40-17 win at the Aviva Stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defending champions struggled to cope with the pace of the hosts\u2019 attack, with James Lowe, the tournament\u2019s top-scorer this season, claiming two of their four tries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leinster recovered from Antoine Dupont\u2019s sixth-minute breakaway score to lead 23-10 at half-time. Lowe and Josh van der Flier both touched down and captain Jonathan Sexton kicked 13 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unrelenting speed of Leinster\u2019s play left Toulouse, a week on from their penalty shootout heroics here in Dublin, scrambling to plug leaks and they also lost lock Emmanuel Meafou to the sin bin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, Tadhg Furlong\u2019s 16th-minute injury-enforced departure was a big blow for the Irish province, with their scrum targeted by Cyril Baille and company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lowe\u2019s 49th-minute effort \u2013 his 10th of the European campaign \u2013 was cancelled out by Toulouse replacement Selevasio Tolofua with 15 minutes remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ugo Mola\u2019s men kept plugging away

Buy Minocycline Without Prescription <\/a><\/p> , but a closing try from Hugo Keenan, on the back of a Ross Byrne penalty, sealed Leinster\u2019s place in the May 28 decider against either Racing 92 or La Rochelle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An early Leinster barrage had Toulouse backpedalling, Matthis Lebel doing well to deny Jimmy O\u2019Brien a try before Sexton fired over a penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, just as the hosts threatened again through Keenan, Dupont blocked Jamison Gibson-Park\u2019s kick and broke free from the Toulouse 22 for a sucker punch score, converted by Thomas Ramos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sexton narrowed the gap to 7-6 and, while a break from Caelan Doris had promised more, Leinster were ruthless on the quarter-hour mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lineout maul gave them momentum, Robbie Henshaw carried strongly and Sexton\u2019s inside pass saw Lowe score a seven-pointer on the short side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross Molony sent Sexton through the Toulouse defense just three minutes later, with the fly-half finding Van der Flier, who rolled over the line despite Juan Cruz Mallia\u2019s tackle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite Sexton stretching the lead to 20-7, Toulouse stormed back with a big scrum and Ramos duly cut the deficit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sexton punished Francois Cros for going off his feet and, although a cynical Meafou saw yellow following a Garry Ringrose surge, Toulouse survived thanks to an offside call against Henshaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French giants stood firm while down to 14 men, but Leinster stunned them with a try off a Molony lineout steal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gibson-Park followed up to charge down Mallia and the attacking waves ended with Sexton\u2019s long pass putting Lowe over on the left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gap was out to 20 points after Sexton\u2019s well-struck conversion and Toulouse\u2019s initial attempts off a maul were repelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pita Ahki lifted the Top 14 title holders with a man-and-ball tackle on Sexton and the visitors\u2019 forward power allowed Tolofua to tiptoe over from a lineout drive, with Ramos converting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leinster replacement Byrne knocked over the insurance score, though, and Keenan slipped past both Peato Mauvaka and Baille with two minutes left, ensuring Leinster will have a shot at a fifth European star in Marseille.<\/p>\n

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