Leinster booked their 17th European Champions Cup semi-final with a 45-22 victory over Sale at the Aviva Stadium, but the win came with a warning. A sluggish first half gave way to a four-try blitz in the final 30 minutes, setting up a clash with Toulon in three weeks. Yet, with Sale missing key players and Leinster’s attack sputtering early, doubts persist about their title credentials.
The match kicked off in a stubborn drizzle, turning handling into a lottery. Leinster dominated possession but struggled to convert, managing only one try in the first 40 minutes. Dan Sheehan scored in the 10th minute, sliding over after a lineout drive, but errors plagued the home side. Sale, despite being heavy underdogs, capitalized with a George Ford penalty from 40 meters out five minutes before halftime, trailing just 10-6 at the break.
Leinster’s set-piece woes compounded their issues. Sale held a clear scrum advantage and disrupted the lineout in the first half, though that platform collapsed after the interval. The home side, sitting nearly 10 points off the top of the United Rugby Championship, has faced scrutiny for an uncharacteristically shaky attack—a trend that continued here.
The game turned on two yellow cards. Dan du Preez was sin-binned just before halftime for a deliberate knock-on, and Si McIntyre followed three minutes into the second half after head contact with James Ryan. With Sale down to 13 men, Leinster struck quickly. Harry Byrne’s pinpoint pass set up Hugo Keenan for a try, and Rieko Ioane’s slick hands released Garry Ringrose, with Ryan Baird finishing down the left flank.
From there, Leinster accelerated. Ioane and Tommy O’Brien scored tries either side of the hour mark, exploiting Sale’s depleted defence. Ford added a 45-meter penalty, but the game was long gone. Sale managed a late consolation through Alex Wills, before Jamie Osborne added Leinster’s sixth try at the death. Byrne’s penalty and Osborne’s score pushed the final margin to 23 points.
Statistically, Leinster’s second-half surge told the story: four tries in 30 minutes, compared to one in the first 40. Byrne, now the apparent first-choice fly-half, orchestrated the attack with 12 passes leading to breaks. Yet, Toulon—who themselves have been inconsistent—will note Leinster’s early struggles and set-piece vulnerabilities. With the semi-final set for the Aviva, this win offers momentum but no guarantees.
