Kearney didn’t get many attacking opportunities but fielded some high, hanging kicks well. Made a bit of a mess in the dead ball area early on for Toulon’s potential try but Chris Masoe’s offside bailed him out.
14. Fergus McFadden – 5
His handling from kicks was poor and he was very lucky not to be penalised for taking Bryan Habana out in the air. He almost combined with Kearney for a catastophic bit of defending for Toulon’s early chance.
13. Ben Te’o – 6
One strong fend to the face of Bastareaud in the second half hinted at his potential with the ball in hand but he was rarely used overall. Also, Scott Quinnell showed on Sky that had he ran a straighter line in extra time, Ian Madigan’s interception may have been avoided.
12. Ian Madigan – 6
Madigan showed massive bottle to nail a tough kick moments after missing a bit of a gimme, but that sort of inconsistency marked his display. Besides the ill-advised miss pass that ultimately proved the difference, his tactical kicking wasn’t as sharp as Leinster needed it to be. Also, he put two restarts out on the full.
11. Luke Fitzgerald – 6
Fitzgerald looked dangerous when he was on the ball – unfortunately he was limited to about five carries over the course of 100 minutes.
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10. Jimmy Gopperth – 6
He had a drop goal to win the game for Leinster, and although he missed, it wasn’t a bad effort with so many Toulon forwards in his face. What was just as crucial was his missed conversion – it was from a slight angle but it meant Leinster needed a try rather than just a three-pointer to force a place kicking competition. Was a little unlucky not to score a try after blocking down Matt Giteau, but he couldn’t control the ball on the ground with his boot.
9. Isaac Boss – 7
Another solid outing for the veteran. His box-kicking regularly eased the pressure on Leinster and he found good distance with his touch finders.
1. Cian Healy – 8
It is a pity that Leinster’s season is more or less over just as Healy is starting to find his best form. His scrummaging was strong, he carried well and despite giving away one silly penalty, he was effective at the breakdown too.
2. Sean Cronin – 8
Leinster didn’t do a whole lot with the ball in hand but the speedy hooker tried his best to generate go-forward ball. He popped up all over the field ready to contribute and his lineout throwing was strong too.
3. Mike Ross – 8
The veteran had a good scrum contest with Xavier Chiocci throughout the game and it was interesting to see both men get the upper hand at times. Ross probably shaded it overall and it was another reminder that even at 35, the Corkman isn’t done yet.
4. Devin Toner – 9
Toner symbolised the effort of the Leinster pack. He was strong in the lineout, tackled incessantly and drove powerfully in the scrum. After a poor quarter-final display, this is exactly what the second row needed.
5. Mike McCarthy – 8
Leinster might be missing their big Australia import but McCarthy has filled in very well. What stands out the most from his recent performances is the ferocity of some of his tackles. He was quick off the line on a number of occasions and wasn’t content with just taking people to ground – he wanted to hit them hard.
6. Jordi Murphy – 8.5
Like Healy, he gave away one avoidable penalty but once again he was one of Leinster’s big performers. He showed great athleticism to poach a few Toulon lineouts and also made 10 tackles.
7. Sean O’Brien – 7.5
O’Brien is another who’s basically at mid-season given how much rugby he has missed, and he was good in most areas today. He won two turnovers and led the Leinster team in tackles. But he would have liked to have carried the ball more and Steffon Armitage did some great work opposite him after coming on.
8. Jamie Heaslip – 8.5
Led the team in carries, controlled the ball very well at the base of the scrum and was heroic in defence. Exactly what you want from your captain.
Replacements:
Jack McGrath and Marty Moore were both excellent introductions and for the second knockout game in-a-row, the tighthead won a crucial turnover penalty.
Richardt Strauss was generally solid although he did lose one crucial lineout in the Toulon 22 while Eoin Reddan made a couple of errors after coming on, kicking out on the full and conceding a free kick at the scrum as Leinster looked to drive for a score to take the lead.
Here is how we rated Leinster in their devastating extra time loss to Toulon
15. Rob Kearney – 6
Kearney didn’t get many attacking opportunities but fielded some high, hanging kicks well. Made a bit of a mess in the dead ball area early on for Toulon’s potential try but Chris Masoe’s offside bailed him out.
14. Fergus McFadden – 5
His handling from kicks was poor and he was very lucky not to be penalised for taking Bryan Habana out in the air. He almost combined with Kearney for a catastophic bit of defending for Toulon’s early chance.
13. Ben Te’o – 6
One strong fend to the face of Bastareaud in the second half hinted at his potential with the ball in hand but he was rarely used overall. Also, Scott Quinnell showed on Sky that had he ran a straighter line in extra time, Ian Madigan’s interception may have been avoided.
12. Ian Madigan – 6
Madigan showed massive bottle to nail a tough kick moments after missing a bit of a gimme, but that sort of inconsistency marked his display. Besides the ill-advised miss pass that ultimately proved the difference, his tactical kicking wasn’t as sharp as Leinster needed it to be. Also, he put two restarts out on the full.
11. Luke Fitzgerald – 6
Fitzgerald looked dangerous when he was on the ball – unfortunately he was limited to about five carries over the course of 100 minutes.
10. Jimmy Gopperth – 6
He had a drop goal to win the game for Leinster, and although he missed, it wasn’t a bad effort with so many Toulon forwards in his face. What was just as crucial was his missed conversion – it was from a slight angle but it meant Leinster needed a try rather than just a three-pointer to force a place kicking competition. Was a little unlucky not to score a try after blocking down Matt Giteau, but he couldn’t control the ball on the ground with his boot.
9. Isaac Boss – 7
Another solid outing for the veteran. His box-kicking regularly eased the pressure on Leinster and he found good distance with his touch finders.
1. Cian Healy – 8
It is a pity that Leinster’s season is more or less over just as Healy is starting to find his best form. His scrummaging was strong, he carried well and despite giving away one silly penalty, he was effective at the breakdown too.
2. Sean Cronin – 8
Leinster didn’t do a whole lot with the ball in hand but the speedy hooker tried his best to generate go-forward ball. He popped up all over the field ready to contribute and his lineout throwing was strong too.
3. Mike Ross – 8
The veteran had a good scrum contest with Xavier Chiocci throughout the game and it was interesting to see both men get the upper hand at times. Ross probably shaded it overall and it was another reminder that even at 35, the Corkman isn’t done yet.
4. Devin Toner – 9
Toner symbolised the effort of the Leinster pack. He was strong in the lineout, tackled incessantly and drove powerfully in the scrum. After a poor quarter-final display, this is exactly what the second row needed.
5. Mike McCarthy – 8
Leinster might be missing their big Australia import but McCarthy has filled in very well. What stands out the most from his recent performances is the ferocity of some of his tackles. He was quick off the line on a number of occasions and wasn’t content with just taking people to ground – he wanted to hit them hard.
6. Jordi Murphy – 8.5
Like Healy, he gave away one avoidable penalty but once again he was one of Leinster’s big performers. He showed great athleticism to poach a few Toulon lineouts and also made 10 tackles.
7. Sean O’Brien – 7.5
O’Brien is another who’s basically at mid-season given how much rugby he has missed, and he was good in most areas today. He won two turnovers and led the Leinster team in tackles. But he would have liked to have carried the ball more and Steffon Armitage did some great work opposite him after coming on.
8. Jamie Heaslip – 8.5
Led the team in carries, controlled the ball very well at the base of the scrum and was heroic in defence. Exactly what you want from your captain.
Replacements:
Jack McGrath and Marty Moore were both excellent introductions and for the second knockout game in-a-row, the tighthead won a crucial turnover penalty.
Richardt Strauss was generally solid although he did lose one crucial lineout in the Toulon 22 while Eoin Reddan made a couple of errors after coming on, kicking out on the full and conceding a free kick at the scrum as Leinster looked to drive for a score to take the lead.
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Leinster fans’ confidence will soar after watching these clips of Sean O’Brien on the rampage
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All-Ireland Senior HC European Rugby Champions Cup Leinster out of ten Toulon