Leinster player ratings: Jamison Gibson-Park ‘the man for the big occasion’ as back-row ‘put in the grunt’ to get over the line
Jamison Gibson-Park (left) and Caelan Doris (right) were among the standout players in Leinster's win over the Stormers
Following Leinster’s 20-11 win over the Stormers in the URC semi-finals, here is how we scored Leo Cullen’s men.
Leinster player ratings v Stormers
15 Hugo Keenan: The treatment at the end of the game could be a concern, but he was a real livewire once again in the backfield. Always looked for opportunities to inject himself into the game, popping up in different holes to good effect, and got Leinster on the front-foot quickly with some strong carries. 7
14 Jimmy O’Brien: Not given masses of time on the ball, with the action very much in the tighter exchanges, but he did well with what he was given as he ended on 32 metres from just four carries. 6
13 Rieko Ioane: Another weekend back in the 13 shirt and he went pretty well all told. Made a decent dent in the Stormers’ defence with 40 metres from his seven carries, which helped get Leinster on the front foot, and he was also a try-scorer. 6
12 Jamie Osborne: Fine, but by no means his best effort in a Leinster jersey. Came up with some nice defensive reads, though. 5
11 James Lowe: The noise surrounding him off the pitch is grabbing the headlines right now, but this was yet another strong display on it. Always made positive things happen for his side in attack, and was just in the right place at the right time when they needed a little spark. 7
10 Sam Prendergast: Went quite well to tell the truth, but the conversation will continue to be based around his withdrawal, which suggests Leinster do not know their number one number 10 just yet, but he did his chances of starting in the final no harm. 7
9 Jamison Gibson-Park: With the match right in the balance, he stepped up with a game-breaking score to prove himself the man for the big occasion. Felt fitting, too, after yet another excellent performance. 9
Back-row
8 Caelan Doris (c): Put in the grunt in an unrelenting effort across the board. Really looked to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and drive his team forward, posting 21 carries for 41 metres and 10 tackles for his troubles. Just a proper captain’s knock. 8
7 Josh van der Flier: Did all the ugly stuff superbly well against a strong Stormers back-row, ending with a healthy defensive stats sheet of nine tackles and a turnover. 7
6 Max Deegan: Really understated effort from the flanker, who never seems to have a bad game for Leinster. Bossed the lineout and chipped in well in the tight as well. 7
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
Tight five
5 James Ryan: Will be really sore after a properly bruising shift. Rolled up his sleeves and went looking for work in the tight, and helped nullify the Stormers unit in the process. 8
4 Joe McCarthy: Never took a backwards step, as we have come to expect from the towering lock. Like his partner, he just threw his sizeable frame around to good effect in the tight. 7
3 Thomas Clarkson: Came under a bit of pressure in the scrum, but made himself busy in attack with nine carries. Solid without setting the pitch alight. 6
2 Rónan Kelleher: A big performance from the hooker when Leinster needed it most. Made himself a consistent presence in the tight, notching 16 carries in the process, and went pretty well at the lineout too. Comes out in good credit. 7
1 Andrew Porter: Withdrawn pretty quickly into the game, with Alex Usanov replacing him. N/A
Replacements: There were some proper impacts off the bench, which played a big role in Leinster getting over the line. Usanov probably gets a 6 after a busy 60-minute shift, while the likes of Rabah Slimani, Harry Byrne, Jack Conan, Garry Ringrose also looked to get themselves about to good effect. 7
READ MORE: URC Grand Final confirmed: Leinster v Bulls… fixture, date, kick-off time and how to watch