Archive May 3, 2025

Investec Champions Cup semi-final

Leinster: (15) 34

O’Brien, Van der Flier 2, Doris, Lowe, and Prendergast 3 Pens: Prendergast

Northampton Saints: (27) 37

Northampton Saints won the Investec Champions Cup final 37-34 in an unforgetable classic thanks to Tommy Freeman’s hat-trick.

Ten tries and three Saints yellow cards were used in the incredible semi-final, which came to an end with the visitors turning Leinster over a metre from their own line in the final moments.

The hosts in Dublin, tournament favorites prior to this match, only managed seven tries, but Northampton scored five in the semi-finals, with Henry Pollock and James Ramm also scoring.

Despite those scores and a 12-point lead at half-time, there was no drama in the final minute.

Leinster initially thought they had the ball in the corner at 79 minutes, but after a protracted delay, referee Pierre Brousset sent Saints’ Alex Coles to the sin-bin and gave the Irish side a penalty.

Leinster had a chance to hold off Leinster, but with the tap penalty Saints produced one last stirring defensive stand with 14 men to seal one of their biggest victories in history.

The difference in this year’s Leinster’s team was their dominant defense, which was their fourth successive title and their first title since 2018.

After failing to win any of their two previous knockout games, Glasgow Warriors and Harlequins were caught on their heels by Saints’ quick start.

No one else’s front-liners looked more sharp for the hosts’ United Rugby Championship game against Scarlets last time out than Freeman, despite the hosts’ heavily rotated lineup.

The England international scored a hat-trick in the first half, just as his opposite wing James Lowe did a year ago.

After the visitors’ superb maul defense prevented Leinster’s opening attack, Freeman was the one who delivered Fin Smith’s delicate nudge to put the game away after seven minutes.

Tommy O’Brien scored the first of Leinster’s five tires with a superb pass that Sam Prendergast scored with a penalty to reduce the arrears.

Leinster scored their second just before the break when Josh van der Flier put the ball on the charge after Max Deegan hit it and crashed over.

The final 15 minutes of the half were all Northampton, if it appeared like the result would settle Leo Cullen’s side.

After taking a flat pass across the gain-line and showing an impressive turn of pace, Pollock crossed for a try just three minutes later and ran 45 meters round Prendergast.

Freeman’s team took a 27-15 lead at the turn after two more tries in just two minutes.

Leinster’s response to the first half of the second half was slow and inconsistent.

However, a 50: 22 lowe’s turn of events did some good. Saints once more held their ground against the maul, but Leinster were able to capitalize on Caelan Doris’ tap penalty to score after an illegal defense.

The Leinster and Ireland skipper made a 50: 22 of his own shortly after, but his team once more struggled to execute the line-out maul.

Smith’s second penalty gave his team a 30-22 lead before Van der Flier’s second score was awarded with substitute Ryan Baird winning the penalty and line-out with 20 minutes left.

Saints, however, waded in a strong direction once more. Full-back James Ramm was over in the corner just two minutes later with a brilliant line.

When blind-side flanker Josh Kemeny was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Rabah Slimani, Northampton’s efforts to secure the victory were hindered.

With 10 minutes left, Lowe cut the deficit by scoring Leinster’s second goal of the day with a deft tap penalty, and Prendergast added the extras to bring his side within three.

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

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

Walker, West, Millar Mills, Lockett, Munga, Scott-Young, James, Seabrook, and others.

Langdon, Kemeny, Coles, and Coles are the yellow cards.

Headingley, Day Two of the Rothesay County Championship Division One

Yorkshire 205 &amp, 232: Root 90, Bamber 4-60, Barnard 3-52

Warwickshire 253 &amp, 15-0: Davies 9*

To defeat Yorkshire (3 points), Warwickshire (4 points) needs another 170 runs.

In their County Championship match against Yorkshire at Headingley, Warwickshire rallied from England’s Joe Root to score a superb 90 and earn a target of 185.

Ethan Bamber, a visiting new-ball seamer, took four wickets to his five in the first innings to finish with impressive match numbers of 9-107, as Yorkshire were bowled out for 232 in their second innings late on day two.

From their final three overs, Warwickshire came up with a score of 15-0.

The Bears responded to a first-innings 205 and went on to win 253 all-out, with Australian Test all-rounder Beau Webster putting together a superb 85 off 86 balls on debut.

He was the last visiting wicket to fall when he attempted to attack against New Zealand quick Ben Sears, who finished with four wickets, to take the lead by 48 runs.

When Warwickshire’s bowlers resumed their dominance 35 minutes before lunch, they threw away at the wickets.

They created early pressure. In the third over, Amber bowled locum opener Dom Bess.

The first of seven straight maidens was bowled by him and his Halifax-born new-ball partner Olly Hannon-Dalby, who both hail from down the road, either side of lunch.

Following a collision with opener Adam Lyth, who went on to share a third-wicket 71 with Root, James Wharton was left at the non-striker’s end in the early stages of the afternoon.

Both appear assured, but Lyth’s effort was halted by 10 runs short of a fifty when he slammed behind to Ed Barnard’s seam, leaving the hosts 90-3.

Harry Brook lost his 20-game lead to 104 before the hosts reached 152-4 on the play around a full ball from seamer Michael Booth shortly before tea.

After George Hill edged Barnard to second slip, Jonny Bairstow top-edged a pull at Bamber behind six with wicketkeeper Kai Smith making a smart running catch. Yorkshire were 190-7, in a 142-point lead, when Jordan Thompson miscued as Barnard struck for a third time.

In his 100th start-class appearance for the county, Root, who hit 13 fours with 131 balls, looked commanding at the crease.

One shot boundary straight off Webster’s mid-off was particularly memorable as he hit his fifty with 64 balls.

He squandered a century by top-edged a pull to backward point off Bamber at 219-8.

Before Ben Coad was bowled for 28 by Booth for 28, giving Warwickshire a quick period of batting to navigate before the end, Dan Mousley was the catcher and the same combination did for Sears soon after.

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (24) 54

Tried: Mourgue 2, Batchelor, Luckley, Hiku, Litten 2, Luckley, Booth, Mourgue 2 Goals: Mourgue 9

To keep their advantage at the top of the table, Super League leaders Hull KR snagged a Magic Weekend victory over the depressed Red Devils of Salford.

In front of his hometown crowd at St James’ Park, Newcastle-born Sam Luckley scored the first try for Hull KR, while Dean Hadley curled over for the visitors’ first try.

Soon after, Peta Hiku extended the Robins’ lead, while Jez Litten ran in from distance to let them out before the break.

Noah Booth scored on his debut before Litten’s second try and Arthur Mourgue’s late try sealed the win in style. James Batchelor scored for KR’s fifth try.

With a victory over Leigh, who defeated Catalans in the first game of Magic Weekend earlier on Saturday, Willie Peters’ side reclaim the top three points over Leigh.

Through Batchelor, Hull KR believed they had taken an early lead, but Salford successfully issued a captain’s challenge after noticing that he had struck just before the line.

Oliver Gildart was replaced by Oliver Gildart due to a knee injury shortly after, but the Robins maintained the pressure and won the game thanks to Hadley’s eight-minute winner.

Luckley scored his 98th career try just as he crashed through Joe Shorrocks to force his way through the whitewash.

However, Mikey Lewis’s sending Hiku through to race in from 40 meters left the best for Hull KR.

After the break, Nathan Connell almost scored Salford’s first try, but he accidentally spilled the ball in the process of going over.

As Lewis was being tackled close to the line, he was quickly rubbed salt into the wounds by Hull KR, who deflected a deflected offload into Batchelor’ path as he ran in with ease.

Bill Leyland’s sensational offload, which came from Hiku, followed Booth’s brilliant no-look pass, to send Litten through for his brace.

Mourgue, who had a fantastic boot all night, added two more tries to his total.

Luckley, Brown, Doro, and Leyland are the exchanges.

Salford: Nikorima, Ryan, Marsters, Vaughan, Connell, Shorrocks, Morgan, Ormondroyd, Davis, Chan, Hellewell, Foster, Makin, and Chan.

Warren, Sangare, Wilson, and Hill exchanges.

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (24) 54

Tries: Hadley, Luckley, Hiku, Litten 2, Batchelor, Booth, Mourgue 2 Goals: Mourgue 9

Super League leaders Hull KR coasted to a Magic Weekend victory over beleaguered Salford Red Devils to extend their cushion at the top of the table.

Dean Hadley twisted over for Hull KR’s first try while Newcastle-born Sam Luckley scored in front of his hometown crowd at St James’ Park to put them further ahead.

Peta Hiku went in to extend the Robins’ lead soon after while Jez Litten ran in from distance to send them out of sight before the break.

James Batchelor went in for KR’s fifth try while Noah Booth scored on his debut before Litten’s second and Arthur Mourgue’s late double sealed the win in style.

Victory for Willie Peters’ side means they extend their lead at the summit back to three points over second-placed Leigh, who beat Catalans in the first fixture of Magic Weekend earlier on Saturday.

Hull KR thought they had taken an early lead through Batchelor but Salford successfully issued a captain’s challenge having spotted that he knocked on in the process of being tackled shortly before he crossed the line.

The Robins lost centre Oliver Gildart to a knee injury moments later but despite his absence, they kept up the pressure and eventually edged ahead courtesy of Hadley’s score after eight minutes.

Luckley’s score came as he crashed through Joe Shorrocks to batter his way to the whitewash and Hiku showed great strength to go in for his 98th career try soon after.

The best was still to come for Hull KR, however, as Mikey Lewis sent Hiku through to race in from 40 metres.

In response, Nathan Connell almost touched down for Salford’s first try after the break but spilled the ball in the process of going over.

Just moments later, Hull KR rubbed salt into the wounds as a slick set of passes sent Lewis through and just as he was being tackled close to the line, he sent a deflected offload into the path of Batchelor who ran in with ease.

Booth’s try, which came via a fantastic no-look pass from Hiku, was followed by Bill Leyland’s sensational offload to send Litten through for his brace.

Mourgue, who was fantastic with the boot all evening, added two tries to his tally.

Hull KR: Mourgue; Booth, Hiku, Gildart, Broadbent; Lewis, May; Sue, Litten, Whitbread, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella.

Interchanges: Luckley, Brown, Doro, Leyland.

Salford: Nikorima; Ryan, Marsters, Vaughan, Connell; Shorrocks, Morgan; Ormondroyd, Davis, Chan, Hellewell, Foster, Makin.

Interchanges: Warren, Sangare, Wilson, Hill.