Leinster player ratings: Joe McCarthy and outgoing sub ‘take the fight’ to Bordeaux as ‘largely anonymous’ Rieko Ioane struggles
Joe McCarthy scored for Leinster against Bordeaux-Begles.
Following a 41-19 loss to Bordeaux-Begles in the Investec Champions Cup final at San Mames Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Leinster.
The backs
15 Hugo Keenan: Uncharacteristically fumbled an early clearance from Maxime Lucu and his next moment in the spotlight saw him get an unwanted fingertip on Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s kick ahead that went dead in-goal. The net result was a Bordeaux try for Pablo Uberti from that scrum. Not his best day at the office and one he’d like to forget. 4
14 Tommy O’Brien: Took his try well in the early knockings and was a willing option throughout, being one of the few Leinster players to make inroads in the Bordeaux defence today. Will no doubt be frustrated to have what looked like a try-scoring pass early in the second-half out to wing Rieko Ioane pinched by UBB full-back Salesi Rayasi. 6
13 Garry Ringrose: A lovely, flat ball out to O’Brien for the game’s opening try on nine minutes and was a willing option with ball-in-hand all game, racking up 13 carries for the cause. Ringrose never gave up the fight and was deserving of his crossing on 72 minutes, taking a nice, short line from his centre partner. 6
12 Robbie Henshaw: Suffocated by Yoram Moefana at times but emptied the tank in a losing cause (twice). After being replaced by Jamie Osborne, he re-emerged when Keenan went for a HIA and provided a decent injection for Leinster, with that Ringrose assist a beautiful ball. 6
11 Rieko Ioane: Largely anonymous in the first-half and defensively was all at sea when Bordeaux bypassed the All Black to find Uberti for his score. Ioane was picked ahead of James Lowe for this fixture but struggled to justify that call, despite contributing 74 metres. 4
Bordeaux-Bègles crush Leinster to secure second successive Investec Champions Cup title
10 Harry Byrne: An excellent defensive effort to deny Cameron Woki a try on 11 minutes, but an overcooked restart shortly after was not what the doctor ordered. Byrne’s first-half was compounded by a late intercept pass to Moefana, who cantered over to make it 35-7. Was replaced five minutes into the second period. 4
9 Jamison Gibson-Park: Cool as a cucumber early on in boiling conditions as he orchestrated Leinster‘s first try for O’Brien. Despite being largely on the back foot due to a fierce Bordeaux defence, Gibson-Park always posed a threat but didn’t get the front-foot ball he required. 6
The forwards
8 Caelan Doris (c): Carried hard as he has all season with a game high 17 to his name, but it didn’t translate to metres. The skipper was part of a frustrated Leinster forward pack as they went down to another final defeat. 5
7 Josh van der Flier: A strong early carry before he won a turnover at the breakdown on his 22. 16 tackles was also an admirable showing from Van der Flier, who did not stop trying in the heat. 6
6 Jack Conan: Was a safe lineout option but struggled to make a dent in the Bordeaux defence and was eventually replaced on the hour. 4
5 James Ryan: Cut a frustrated figure late in the game and that was a reflection on the afternoon. 12 tackles reflected a decent defensive shift, but there was little else to shout about. 5
4 Joe McCarthy: A willing carrier for the cause and showed smarts when intercepting an off-the-top lineout from Bordeaux early in the second-half that saw Lucu yellow carded. He followed that up a couple of minutes later with a diving finish that gave Leinster some hope of an unlikely comeback. 7
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3 Thomas Clarkson: Preferred as a starter ahead of Tadhg Furlong for this final and held his own at scrum time against Jefferson Poirot. Replaced by Furlong on 45 minutes after a solid shift. 5
2 Dan Sheehan: Looked perplexed as a lineout five metres out on the half-hour went awry and there was more woe in that department soon after as Woki disrupted well. Like the majority of his team, he struggled to impact the UBB defence and was eventually replaced on 54 minutes. 4
1 Andrew Porter: Solid enough at the set-piece, but appeared flustered in possession as perhaps the sweaty ball caused him problems. Still managed 12 carries though as he grew into the game as it wore on. 6
Replacements: The impact Ciaran Frawley had on Leinster’s second-half improvements cannot be understated, as he threatened the line and took the fight to Bordeaux. Ronan Kelleher, Max Deegan and Osborne also had positive moments with the bench giving the Irish province a lift. 7
READ MORE: Hugo Keenan on ‘the maddest thing I had ever heard’ and what he loves ‘that’s unique to Leinster’