Leinster vs Scarlets: Player Ratings

Leinster

15. Rob Kearney - 7

Imperative to this Leinster side at the back. Has been criticised for the difference in his attacking threat to the rest of the Leinster backline but that really is an irrelevance. There is no better player in the world under a high ball, as he showed today, leaping over Halfpenny to claim Sexton’s kicks. He also made a rare linebreak on the counter attack but was caught out poorly by McNicholl for the final try.

14. Jordan Larmour - 8

It seems that as his name has grown, teams have wised up to the threat of his open field running. As a result, he has been well martialled and didn’t make much ground today. However, he did show a moment of brilliance, picking up the ball However, his hunger in defence and in the kick-chase was equally impressive, winning Leinster a lineout 5m out on one occasion, as he drove Halfpenny into touch and winning a couple of box kicks in the air.

13. Garry Ringrose - 8

His clever kicking was a great asset to the men in blue today. As Scarlets squared up, after the ball moved passed 10, Ringrose just nudged it through to turn them on their heels. He is also a threat with ball in hand, almost getting in on a couple of occasions.

12. Isa Nacewa – N/A (but a 10 for a great career)

What a pity that we didn’t get to see the kiwi in action today. He left the field early through injury to put a dampener on his swan-song. He will really be missed next season by rugby fans around Europe.

11. James Lowe - 8

Leinster will be counting their lucky stars that they recruited this superstar. Again, he performed the razzle dazzle, getting over for a try in the corner, and threatening the Defence at every opportunity.

10. Johnny Sexton - 9

This guy, when on form, is a force to be reckoned with. He played very flat to the line today, letting his slick passing do the talking. Scarlets tried to get into him throughout the game but that only increased his desire to perform. What unfolded was some pin-point accurate kicking, from the tee and out of hand. His kick to the corner, from a penalty, in the 2^nd half, was one of the best I’ve ever seen, and it led to Sean Cronin’s pushover score. He was deservedly given the MOTM award for his efforts.

9. Luke McGrath - 9

How perplexing it is that this man is Ireland’s 4^th choice scrum-half. He was one of the best players on the park today and got a well-deserved ovation when he left the field, after 70 minutes. His box kicking was on point and he made a couple of scintillating breaks from clever snipes. Joe Schmidt, are you watching?

8. Jack Conan - 8

The engine on this man is incredible. He always seems to pop up on the inside, following linebreaks. He did just that today, popping up on the inside of McGrath to get over for a try, after a fantastic break from Joey Carbery. He was Leinster’s best carrier in the pack, making 61m. That rivals the backs, and he was thus only 2^nd to James Lowe in that regard.

7. Dan Leavy - 7

What a season the openside has had. He never stops and seems to relish the pressure that comes with this level of rugby. He was another of Leinster’s main ball carriers, making 25m before his substitution. Has to be considered Ireland’s first choice 7 at this stage.

6. Rhys Ruddock - 6

He was selected today to do the hard graft and give the more-dynamic Leinster forwards freedom in the loose. He definitely did that, with his main job being hitting rucks and negating the effect of the Scarlets’ back row at the breakdown.

5. James Ryan - 7

A great shift from the young man yet again. He was Leinster’s top tackler with 14 but didn’t have the same affect with ball in hand as previous weeks. If he can sort out his handling, he will be one of the best 2^nd rows in the world.

4. Devin Toner – 8

One of the best games he has had this season and as a result got over for a rare five pointer. He was unbeatable at the lineout and a menace to the Scarlets there was well. Fantastic performance on the big occasion.

3. Tadhg Furlong - 8

As always Leinster’s scrum was solid as a rock and much of that can be attributed to the Wexford man. He wasn’t as active as usual in the loose but was still made the 3^rd most metres in the Leinster pack, and that definitely says something.

2. Sean Cronin – 8

Another unsung hero in the Leinster camp. He got over for a textbook score in the corner, as he bought his time and drove over off the back of a rolling maul.

1. Cian Healy – 7

Quiet day at the office for the loosehead. However, he still made a couple of big hits and powerful carries, which set the tone for the Leinster performance.

Scarlets

15. Leigh Halfpenny – 8

The Welsh international was safe as a house at the back, making unbelievable covering on James Lowe on a couple of occasions. He was caught under the high ball on a couple of occasions, but up against the brilliance of Kearney that can be forgiven.

14. Johnny McNicholl – 10

The former Canterburt Crusader was undoubtably the Scarlets best player today. Hat-tricks in finals don’t come very often so regardless of the result, he should cherish that memory. He played his part in everything that went well for the Welsh region today. He could set the ball rolling for the first try, with a scintillating break and then a massive push dot the ball down on the line. His 2^nd was a world class finish in the corner, as he avoided the tackle of Ringrose to touch down in mid-air. His final effort was right at the buzzer, as he created a break on his wing for Scott Williams, before following it up and collecting the offload for his 3^rd.

13. Scott Williams – 8

An up and down performance for the Welsh centre. He caused Leinster real problems in the outside inside and outside channels with his direct running style, which led to 1 clean break and a gain of 93m for his side. He setup McNicholl’s final, consolation try at the death, with a fantastic run and offload. However, it is a bit ironic that his keenness to get to Sexton actually had the opposite effect. His big hit on the out-half actually led to him performing better, as he continued a verbal back-and-forth with the outside centre.

12. Hadleigh Parkes – 4

For a player of international standards, 6 missed tackles simply isn’t good enough. He was exposed on the outside by Carbery in the 2^nd half, which made him look silly. He was not as effective in attack as he has been this season, not penetrating the defence on a single occasion.

11. Steff Evans - 6