Leinster secured a hard-fought 29-25 win against Toulon on Saturday, booking their spot in the Champions Cup final after withstanding a late surge from the French side. The match, played in Dublin, saw Leinster energized by a passionate home crowd from the outset.
The Irish side took an early lead in the 12th minute when Jack Conan powered over for the opening try. Toulon remained competitive through two penalties by Melvyn Jaminet, keeping the scoreline close and the pressure on Leinster.
Leinster seemed to gain momentum when Josh van der Flier scored their second try shortly after the half-hour mark. However, disciplinary setbacks disrupted their rhythm. Andrew Porter received a yellow card, and Toulon capitalized as Setariki Tuicuvu crossed for a try. The situation worsened when Harry Byrne was also sin-binned, briefly reducing Leinster to 13 men.
Despite being two players down, Leinster demonstrated resilience early in the second half. Their sustained attacking efforts paid off with Garry Ringrose scoring the third try. Toulon’s challenge was further hampered when Teddy Baubigny was yellow-carded for a high tackle.
Captain Caelan Doris extended Leinster’s advantage in the 67th minute, and Byrne’s successful conversion pushed the score to 29-11, seemingly securing the victory.
In a significant development, Toulon launched a dramatic comeback. Baptiste Serin’s quick try in the 70th minute reignited hope, followed by another try from Gael Dréan that narrowed the gap to just four points, setting up a tense finale.
Toulon pressed hard in the closing moments, but a crucial knock-on ended their final attack, allowing Leinster to hold on and confirm their place in the final. They will face either Bordeaux or Bath in Bilbao on May 23.
