James Lowe scores FOUR to send Leinster into the Champions Cup quarter-finals

James Lowe scores FOUR to send Leinster into the Champions Cup quarter-finals

Leinster are through to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup after a comprehensive 56-20 (82-41 on aggregate) victory over Connacht.

Leo Cullen's charges will face either Leicester Tigers or Clermont in the final eight of the competition, with the Premiership club hosting the Top 14 club at 5.30 pm on Saturday. Leicester Tigers head into the clash with a 19 point buffer.

Leinster secured a 21-26 win over Connacht in the first leg of the round of 16 clash but put on a show for 32,604 fans in attendance at Aviva on Good Friday, running in 7 tries. 

Jamison Gibson-Park, Robbie Henshaw, Tadhg Furlong, and James Lowe scored first-half tries as Leinster led 28-3 at halftime. Robbie Henshaw scored another early in the second half, Tiernan O'Halloran scored in the 45th minute for Connacht. 

Leinster ran away with the match in the second half as James Lowe scored three second-half tries while Connacht did grab a second through Abraham Papali'i.


Connacht started the match brightly with Jack Carty converting a penalty in the match's opening minute and had an opportunity to double Connacht's lead but failed to capitalise on Leinster's early ill-discipline.

Leinster surged into the lead in the 10th minute of the match as Jamison Gibson-Park finished off a tremendous flowing move that started in his half. 




Robbie Henshaw further extended Leinster's lead as he powered through the attempted tackle of Bundee Aki from a lineout maul to score his side's second try of the match. 

Soon afterwards, Josh van der Flier played James Lowe into a gap, who got it back to van der Flier as he charged forward to just 5m out. Leinster kept it tight as Tadhg Furlong powered over the line to make it 21-3, with Sexton adding the extras. 

With five minutes left to play in the first half, Bundee Aki was sent to the sin bin for a hit on Jonathan Sexton. The Ireland centre shot up to the Leinster flyhalf with Aki's head making contact with Sexton's chin. Leinster immediately made the most of the extra man as Sexton threw a superb quick ball inside Lowe, who crashed over the line and managed to get it down. 



Lowe's try meant that Leinster led 28-23 at halftime, with the aggregate reading 54-24 in the host's favour. 

Leinster came flying out the gate in the second half as Robbie Henshaw grabbed his second try of the game just a minute after the break. Tiernan O'Halloran got a try back for Connacht as he sped over the line after they took a penalty quickly. Carty was unable to convert.

Finlay Bealham was forced off the pitch four minutes into the second half but his replacement, Jack Aungier, wasn't on for too long before he was sent to the sin bin for clear-out off the ball on Josh van der Flier.

Aungier's sin-binning meant that Connacht was forced down to 13 men at the next scrum - much like Italy was in the Six Nations. Because uncontested scrums were necessary, Connacht were forced to take Jack Butler off as Matthew Burke returned - Aki was still in the sin bin at this time.

James Lowe scored his second try before the hour mark after Garry Ringrose sliced through the defence and threw a long pass out to the winger. Lowe cut back inside and sold the dummy to beat two defenders and score. Leinster extended the lead to 42-8.

Despite the hefty aggregate scoreline, Connacht were determined in their approach as Sam Arnold got a try back for Andy Friend's side. 

However, Leinster's response was swift as a Ross Byrne broke through the defensive line and sent James Lowe racing through for his hat-trick score. 

Abraham Papali'i came off the bench for the visitors to grab Connacht's third try in the 70th minute after a powerful driving maul from the men in Green. 

Leinster would have the final say of the match as James Lowe scored his fourth try. Ross Byrne chipped the ball perfectly into space, and Lowe was on hand to deliver the final blow. 

 
 
 
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Standout performers

It was a comprehensive performance from Leo Cullen's charges, grasping just about every opportunity that came their way. James Lowe took all four of his tries superbly, assisted two and racked up over 60 running metres beating five defenders. 

Jonathan Sexton was on top of his game, marshalling the Leinster attack around the pitch and regularly found holes in the Connacht defence. With Sexton on song, Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose reaped the rewards, with Henshaw scoring twice and Ringrose thriving in space with some clever kicks and two try assists.

Defensively, Leinster was sharp as Connacht took the ball through multiple phases. Rhys Ruddock came off the bench early for an injured Jack Conan (head knock), and he made well over 20 tackles, as did Josh van der Flier. 

                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   

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