Leinster have a return to another Champions Cup final in their sights, but before they start making plans for a trip to Cardiff in three weeks’ time, first they have to take care of Northampton Saints.

The bookies make this a 20-point game in Leinster’s favour, but Fin Smith, Henry Pollock and company will hope to have something to say about that.

Kick-off at the Aviva Stadium is at 5.30pm. Let’s get the team news…

TEAM NEWS: Max Deegan and Tommy O’Brien both get the nod to start for Leinster, as does Cian Healy — who is expected to empty himself for the first 20 minutes or so before Andrew Porter enters the fray.

On the bench? Jordie Barrett, among others. No big deal.

• 15. Hugo Keenan
• 14. Tommy O’Brien
• 13. Garry Ringrose
• 12. Robbie Henshaw
• 11. James Lowe
• 10. Sam Prendergast
• 9. Jamison Gibson-Park

• 1. Cian Healy
• 2. Dan Sheehan
• 3. Tadhg Furlong
• 4. RG Snyman
• 5. Joe McCarthy
• 6. Max Deegan
• 7. Josh van der Flier
• 8. Caelan Doris (capt) 

Replacements:

• 16. Rónan Kelleher
• 17. Andrew Porter
• 18. Rabah Slimani
• 19. Ryan Baird
• 20. Jack Conan
• 21. Luke McGrath
• 22. Ross Byrne
• 23. Jordie Barrett

TEAM NEWS: Phil Dowson makes just one change to the Northampton side that beat Bristol, with Trevor Davison returning to the front row.

• 15. James Ramm
• 14. Tommy Freeman
• 13. Fraser Dingwall (capt)
• 12. Rory Hutchinson
• 11. Tom Litchfield
• 10. Fin Smith
• 9. Alex Mitchell

• 1. Emmanuel Iyogun
• 2. Curtis Langdon
• 3. Trevor Davison
• 4. Temo Mayanavanua
• 5. Alex Coles
• 6. Josh Kemeny
• 7. Henry Pollock
• 8. Juarno Augustus

Replacements:

• 16. Henry Walker
• 17. Tom West
• 18. Elliot Millar Mills
• 19. Tom Lockett
• 20. Chunya Munga
• 21. Angus Scott-Young
• 22. Tom James
• 23. Tom Seabrook

While we’re counting down the final few minutes to kick-off, here’s Ciarán Kennedy’s match preview:

“The province haven’t won this competition since 2018 and yet have placed themselves as the team to beat. As we all know, they scored a whopping 114 points across their round of 16 and quarter-final wins over Harlequins and Glasgow while conceding zero. Today’s opponents gave them a scare in Drumcondra last season thanks to a late flurry of scores, but have not been the same force. Premiership champions in 2024, the Saints have won just seven from 15 in the league and sit seventh in the table.

“Weigh it up any way and the expectation is that Leinster will win this one with room to spare, but expect Northampton to come out swinging. Their excellent young out-half Fin Smith is the real deal and forms a classy half-back partnership with Alex Mitchell. Fiery flanker Henry Pollock will also relish this stage and comes to Dublin braced for the toughest test of his young career. Winger Tommy Freeman has registered at least one try in each of his last nine starts for club and country.”

It’s a beautiful sunny early evening in Dublin 4 — let’s hope that we get the game to match.

Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Of course, if Northampton are to beat Leinster today, not only will it be their first win in Dublin since 2013, but they will have to do something that neither Harlequins nor Glasgow managed to do in the last two rounds of the competition… score a point.

Here come the teams! Just about ready to go.

KICK OFF: Sam Prendergast gets us underway, kicking into the Northampton 22.

1 min — Leinster 0-0 Northampton: A Leinster penalty inside the first 40 seconds for Northampton playing the ball on the ground at the ruck. Prendergast goes to the corner.

2 mins —  Leinster 0-0 Northampton: Smashing defence by Northampton and a big early win. They don’t compete at the lineout, but then hold up Leinster at the maul to win the scrum.

3 mins — Leinster 0-0 Northampton: And then Northampton win the scrum penalty! Referee Pierre Brousset lays down an early marker for the set piece.

4 mins — Leinster 0-0 Northampton: And another Northampton penalty, this one against James Lowe who got in the way of a Saints attempt to quickly recycle possession.

6 mins — Leinster 0-0 Northampton: Prendergast’s kick is charged down by Kemeny, and Lowe has to gather and hack it clear. Northampton are certainly not standing off Leinster in these opening exchanges.

TRY FOR NORTHAMPTON! Leinster 0-7 Northampton (Freeman, 8′)

Northampton lead at the Aviva — and it’s Tommy Freeman! It’s a smart counterattack after Prendergast kicked through but failed to find touch. As the Saints run it back, Fin Smith chooses a superb line to break through the Leinster defence, and then judges his grubber perfectly, allowing Freeman to grab the bobbling ball and run it in.

Smith converts — and Northampton lead!

9 mins — Leinster 0-7 Northampton: And more great turnover work by Northampton – Iyogun wins the penalty!

12 mins — Leinster 0-7 Northampton: Clever from Northampton, who hang a goalline dropout up short, not even kicking it outside the 22, and manage to get up highest to tap it back and keep possession.

13 mins — Leinster 0-7 Northampton: Penalty for Leinster — Pollock hit van der Flier a bit of a dunt with his shoulder after the ball was gone. Prendergast will take the shot at goal.

PENALTY FOR LEINSTER! Leinster 3-7 Northampton

Prendergast squeezes it over. Leinster are on the board, but they’ve been under the pump in a big way in this opening 15 minutes.

15 mins — Leinster 3-7 Northampton: Super kick chase by Ringrose to put Mitchell under pressure close to his own line, and force the penalty. Nothing comes of Leinster’s efforts to make the advantage pay, and when we come back, Prendergast goes to the corner again.

16 mins — Leinster 3-7 Northampton: Northampton concede another penalty, and Pierre Brousset pulls Saints captain Fraser Dingwall aside for a word in his ear. No more of that.  Leinster go to the corner again.

17 mins — Leinster 3-7 Northampton: Snyman carries into contact in front of the posts, and Pollock gets a hand through to dislodge it in the tackle. Scrum Leinster.

17 mins — Leinster 3-7 Northampton: But first, a break in play — and a worrying one for Leinster as Dan Sheehan needs some attention. It looks like it might be his ankle.

TRY FOR LEINSTER! Leinster 8-7 Northampton (O’Brien, 18′)

Ruthless by Leinster, and Tommy O’Brien has the hosts’ opening try. Leinster get a free kick at the scrum, and Gibson-Park is alive to the opportunity. He takes a quick tap, gives it to Prendergast, and he throws a lovely, long, looping pass to where O’Brien is unmarked on the wing.

He manages to run it back in a bit closer to the posts before touching it down, but Prendergast’s kick hangs right and wide.

Leinster 8-7 Northampton
Leinster make the pressure count as Tommy O’Brien dots down.
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19 mins — Leinster 8-7 Northampton: The tide looks to be shifting in Leinster’s favour — another penalty, as Mitchell gets isolated at the breakdown and holds on to it.

20 mins — Leinster 8-7 Northampton: How about it from Northampton?! From defence to attack in a matter of seconds. Kemeny gets up to win the lineout on Leinster’s throw and then Tommy Freeman makes a magnificent break to get them on the front foot.

Andrew Porter is on for Healy, as expected.

23 mins — PENALTY FOR NORTHAMPTON! Leinster 8-10 Northampton

Leinster are offside under their own posts, and Smith doesn’t hesitate. Northampton are back in front.

25 mins — Leinster 8-10 Northampton: Breathless stuff as Leinster play the penalty advantage and nearly find the way through with some Harlem Globetrotters handling… and then when it comes back for the penalty advantage, Lowe takes the quick tap before anyone knows what’s happening.

TRY FOR LEINSTER! Leinster 15-10 Northampton (Van der Flier, 26′)

Oh me oh my — JVDF’s name goes on the scoresheet, but it’s only thanks to some absolutely inspired offloading from Max Deegan. He waits until he sees Van der Flier arrive on the loop, but then pops it directly into his path, allowing him to burrow his way over to score. Superb score — and Prendergast converts.

Leinster 15-10 Northampton
Champagne rugby from the hosts as Van der Flier dives over
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27 mins — Leinster 15-10 Northampton: Amid all of that, Curtis Langdon has been sent to the bin. It’s hard to keep up.

TRY FOR NORTHAMPTON! Leinster 15-17 Northampton (Pollock, 29′)

The 14 men strike — and it’s 20-year-old Henry Pollock who lights up the Aviva Stadium!

Pollock hits the line at pace and ghosts through a gap left between Porter and Snyman, and then absolutely roasts Sam Prendergast whose tackle is non-existent, to be frank.

It’s magnificent stuff and the Saints lead again in Dublin!

34 mins — Leinster 15-17 Northampton: Pollock absolutely levels Keenan as he lands under a high ball — but he may have hurt himself in doing so. He’ll need treatment.

36 mins — Leinster 15-17 Northampton: Langdon is back on, and Northampton are back to the full 15 for the final minutes of the half.

TRY FOR NORTHAMPTON! Leinster 15-22 Northampton (Freeman, 36′)

Well, well, well — if there was any doubt at all that Northampton are here to play, let there be no more of that. It’s a sensational second try from Tommy Freeman after a lovely flowing attacking move. Pollock is at first receiver, Smith delays the pass to Ramm, he finds Litchfield, and after that, it’s Freeman one-on-one with van der Flier — and only one winner.

Smith can’t convert — but Northampton are seven up!

Leinster 15-22 Northampton
Tommy Freeman strikes again as Saints cut through the home defence
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TRY FOR NORTHAMPTON! Leinster 15-27 Northampton (Freeman, 38′)

Wow wow wow — Tommy Freeman hattrick!!!

Leinster are up against it now in a major way as Northampton run in their FOURTH try of the first half. It comes from a superb break and offload by Augustus in midfield, and Freeman has the power to hold off the Leinster tackles to score.

Remarkable. Simply remarkable.

Leinster 15-27 Northampton
Leinster stunned as Freeman seals a first-half hat-trick
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HALF TIME: Leinster 15-27 Northampton Saints

Give me two minutes – I need to go lie down in a dark room.

SECOND HALF: We’re back underway! No changes for either side at the break.

44 mins — Leinster 15-27 Northampton: Leinster come flying out of the dressing room and have Northampton under early pressure, but Doris uncharacteristically spills the ball forward as he takes it into the tackle.

45 mins — Leinster substitution: Jack Conan is on to replace Max Deegan.

45 mins — Leinster 15-27 Northampton: And now a knock-on by Prendergast, although he was trying to pick that Gibson-Park pass up off his laces.

46 mins — Leinster 15-27 Northampton: James Lowe 50/22! It’s a brilliant banana kick and Fin Smith can’t get there. Can Leinster make it pay?

47 mins — Leinster 15-27 Northampton: Leinster’s first lineout doesn’t find a breakthrough, and now they’ll take a quick tap instead.

TRY FOR LEINSTER! Leinster 22-27 Northampton (Doris, 48′)

And the quick tap pays off! Van der Flier takes it, and Doris — with Snyman and Porter firmly latched — crashes over. Five-point game!

49 mins — Leinster 22-27 Northampton: HUGE HUGE HUGE! Doris rips the ball from Mayanavanua in midfield, and then turns it into another 50/22. Big chance now for Leinster to wrestle the momentum back in their favour.

50 mins — Leinster 22-27 Northampton: EVEN MORE HUGE! Leinster are pinged for an infraction at the lineout, and Northampton have the penalty.

Jordie Barrett is on, as if this wasn’t breathless enough.

52 mins — Leinster 22-27 Northampton: Oh, Tommy O’Brien! He tries a chip and chase, and is first on the scene to tackle Ramm, bringing down the Saints fullback just as Van der Flier arrives to poach possession and win the turnover penalty. Super stuff, and the crowd responds in kind.

54 mins — Leinster 22-27 Northampton: We’re into the slow-motion replay of foot potentially in touch stage of this epic. Alex Mitchell’s foot is originally in touch, but by the time he grabs the ball to hoof it clear, his foot is no longer on the line. Play on!

55 mins — Leinster 22-27 Northampton: Andrew Porter pinged at the breakdown. He put his hands on the ground first to steady himself before poaching the ball, and Pierre Brousset spots it straight away. Fin Smith will have a go…

56 mins — PENALTY FOR NORTHAMPTON! Leinster 22-30 Northampton

Smith is only a couple of steps inside the Leinster half, but dead centre, and it takes every last bit of juice in the boot to drop this one over the bar. Northampton push their lead back out to eight.

57 mins – Caelan Doris is gone off, for a HIA it appears; Ryan Baird on.

58 mins — Leinster 22-30 Northampton: RYAN BAIRD INSTANT IMPACT! Augustus carries off the back of a scrum inside the Northampton 22, but Baird isolates him, and then is cleared out with a high tackle. Leinster go to the corner…

TRY FOR LEINSTER! Leinster 27-30 Northampton Saints (Van der Flier, 60′)

Leinster make this a one-score game as we enter the last 20 minutes, and it’s Josh van der Flier again! Baird pulls down the lineout, but before Leinster can transfer it back to Sheehan, they drive the maul over the line and van der Flier scores.

Prendergast’s conversion attempt is a poor one, dragged left and wide, but Leinster are back within three.

Get yourself to a TV — grandstand 20 minutes coming up!

Leinster 27-30 Northampton
Saints can’t hold off the rampaging Leinster maul. Huge 20 minutes remaining
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TRY FOR NORTHAMPTON! Leinster 27-37 Northampton (Ramm, 62′)

NORTHAMPTON. SAINTS. JAMES. RAMM.

I’m one step short of mashing my hand into the keyboard and letting it count as intelligible commentary. They’ve been under the cosh in a major way as Leinster throw the kitchen sink at them, but when they get their chance, they take it.

Kemeny sets it up with a huge carry, driving the legs, and when Mitchell finds Coles at first receiver, he whips a quick pass out the back. O’Brien is the only Leinster man there covering, but he can’t stop Ramm.

Northampton lead five tries to four, but crucially, 37 points to 27. Can Leinster Houdini their way out of this one?

Leinster 27-37 Northampton
What a response as James Ramm is in for Saints’ fifth try of the game
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66 mins — Leinster 27-37 Northampton: And now Leinster are pinged for wheeling a scrum. Every moment feels like a massive one.

Northampton sub: Tom James is on at scrum half for Alex Mitchell.

67 mins — Leinster 27-37 Northampton: From that Northampton penalty, Langdon was deemed to have delayed the throw, and it’s a Leinster free kick. 

68 mins — Leinster 27-37 Northampton: Josh Kemeny could be in big, BIG trouble here for a shoulder to the head of Rabah Slimani. Pierre Brousset’s having a look at the big screen.

68 mins — YELLOW CARD! Pierre Brousset has a pretty generous interpretation of that one, deeming that most of the initial force was on Slimani’s chest, rather than his chin. Northampton are down to 14…

Leinster 27-37 Northampton
Josh Kemeny goes to the sinbin for the visitors
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69 mins — Leinster 27-37 Northampton: HERE COME LEINSTER – super break by Tommy O’Brien and then James Lowe. They’re on the Saints’ 5m line…

69 mins — Leinster 27-37 Northampton: Penalty Leinster under the posts. Pollock put his hands on the ball but there was no clear release in his tackle on Barrett.

TRY FOR LEINSTER! Leinster 34-37 Northampton (Lowe, 70′)

Here we go! Leinster take the quick tap, and the handling is slick, sending Lowe over right in the corner.

Sam Prendergast’s kicking boots haven’t really been on today, but when Leinster need it most, it’s an absolute peach of conversion from the touchline.

Leinster 34-37 Northampton
James Lowe dives over and it’s now a one-score game.
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72 mins — Leinster 34-37 Northampton: Would anyone dare call this? Northampton down to 14 for another six minutes, but they still lead by three points…

73 mins — Leinster 34-37 Northampton: Knock on! Northampton hang a kick up in the air, and Lowe knocks it on under pressure for Freeman. Scrum Saints on the Leinster 22.

75 mins — Leinster 34-37 Northampton: Leinster do their best to slow Northampton at every phase… and then Jordie Barrett rips the ball free in a maul. Incredible turnover.

76 mins – Oh hang on a second. O’Brien kicked the ball through but is taken out WAY after the ball by Augustus. Stand in captain Jack Conan confirms that the penalty is where the ball landed which is DEEP in the 22… and Leinster go to the corner. SEASON-DEFINING CALL!

Leinster have possession from the lineout.

Huge carry by Joe McCarthy — but ALEX COLES HAS TURNED IT OVER FOR THE SAINTS!

77 mins — Leinster 34-37 Northampton: Leinster have a lineout, just inside the 10m line, and three and a half minutes.

Ross Byrne is on for Sam Prendergast. Can he be the hero?

Great carry by Ryan Baird – up to the 22.

Baird good hands to Lowe. Leinster well inside the 22 now.

Two minutes left…

Now or never for Leinster

Byrne carries. Barrett carries. Slimani carries. Snyman carries and offloads. VDF for the corner… the ball is dead but what happened there? Try? Knock on? Nobody knows.

Leinster 34-37 Northampton
Late drama as the TMO rules out a Leinster try
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On field decision is NO TRY, but TMO is reviewing, and looking at foul play.

The clock is stopped at 79:00 exactly.

The ball bobbled around the line and Ross Byrne stretched out a hand to ground it – but was it still live?

What an insane ending to an insane game. Huge pressure on Pierre Brousset.

The more we look at this, the more it looks like it could be a Leinster try… but no decision yet.

NO TRY – LEINSTER PENALTY – YELLOW CARD

Kemeny is back on – 15 v 14 – what do Leinster do here now? One minute on the clock.

Tap penalty…

NORTHAMPTON BALL

Twenty seconds…

FULL TIME: Leinster 34-37 Northampton Saints

Result: Leinster 34-37 Northampton
Heartbreak for Leinster as they fail in the final play to breach the Northampton try line
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It’s all over. Leinster are OUT! 

Where do you even start? Awarding Player of the Match is as good a place as any, and that’s the Saints hat-trick hero Tommy Freeman.

A devastated Caelan Doris on RTÉ:

“Absolutely gutted, obviously.

“Massive disappointment.

“We just weren’t good enough.

“We were aware that it was going to be a bigger test than we’d faced previously. We weren’t accurate enough, but credit to them.”

The Aviva Stadium is absolutely shellshocked.

That’s all from me on the liveblog, but stay with us over the course of the evening where Murray Kinsella and Ciarán Kennedy will have all of the report, reaction and analysis from the Aviva Stadium.

Thanks for reading.