Following a gripping Investec Champions Cup semi-final between Leinster and Northampton Saints we take a look at a pivotal officiating decision that played a huge role in the outcome of the match Northampton booked their place in the finale in Cardiff on May 24 courtesy of a 34-37 victory over the far more fancied Irish outfit it was far from plain sailing as the Premiership club and their fans held their breath in the final knockings of the match as French referee Pierre Brousset requested a review from his TMO Tual Trainini The incident in question is of course Ross Byrne’s disallowed try as the clock ticked into the final minute of the match At the time Leinster were trailing by three points and had turned down the opportunity to level the scores and went for the jugular Saints forwards Henry Pollock and Alex Coles pilfered over a turnover stopping Leinster’s attack dead in its tracks with Tom James’ clearance pushing the Irish province back to a lineout just beyond Northampton’s 10-metre line Leinster then launched a multi-phase attack which eventually led to Jamison Gibson-Park switching the attack to the short side with James Lowe setting Josh van der Flier charging down the touchline with Coles charging in and dislodging the ball from the Irish flanker’s grasp James attempts to avoid the ball as he runs back onside Byrne has stretched out to dot the ball down on the corner flag for what looks to be a try to put Leinster back in front in the dying minutes of the game Brousset now blasts his whistle with players from both teams already pleading their case to the referee amid the euphoria of the Aviva Stadium cheers What would follow was arguably the biggest decision of Brousset’s career to date as he decided whether Leinster had scored or not he went with the latter but issued a yellow card to Saints forward Coles for his actions Brousset’s on-field decision is no try meaning that clear and obvious evidence is needed to overturn the referee’s decision the referee wanted to check whether Coles had ripped the ball from Van der Flier on the ground “Then we will look if there is a grounding from blue or if the ball is in touch.” His suspicions about how the ball popped out of Van der Flier’s grasp proved to be correct as Coles clearly rips the ball while on the ground Law 14.5 states: “Tacklers must…”c Be on their feet before attempting to play the ball.” It’s the type of action that the referee may well ignore if it occurred in the middle of the pitch but considering the fact that Leinster are so close to the line and the events that unfold afterwards Brousset has no choice but to take into consideration – and understandably so So once the officiating team had decided that Coles had conceded a penalty it was a straightforward call that he should be yellow carded for the professional and cynical penalty so close to the try line But there it comes to whether Byrne had scored the try or not… He joins the mess and actually goes off his feet before reaching out and applying downward pressure on the ball that is touching the corner flag padding meaning that it would have been a penalty to Northampton Saints had Coles not dislodged the ball illegally Had the replacement fly-half been deemed to be on his feet then the try would have still been disallowed because of where he had dotted it down This is explained by Law 21.15: “If the ball or ball-carrier touches a corner flag or corner flag post without otherwise being in touch or touch-in-goal play continues unless the ball is grounded against the post.” There is also a case to be made that Byrne was also in front of the last man’s feet at the tackle One could claim that the ball came out and touched another player’s leg who wasn’t part of the tackle and therefore he is onside but that isn’t clear and obvious it is clear and obvious that he is off his feet the officials decided to penalise the cynical infringement from Coles with Brousset deeming that a penalty try was not warranted as Van der Flier was dragged down short and couldn’t reach out to score A penalty try is only awarded when foul play prevents a probable try from being scored but there was enough doubt about a possible try being scored to not sanction Saints in that manner he explains that the ball touched the base of the corner flag which can’t be used in the act of scoring as explained above The officiating team came to the correct decision and one has to commend them for doing so in such a pivotal moment of a decisive match There were several incidents that could be used to disallow the try but the one they pinpointed was certainly the easiest to explain and with Leinster getting a penalty anyway World Rugby also encourage TMO decisions to be discussed and decided in English to ensure clarity for the viewers but in this case it was positive that Brousset and Trainini defaulted to their mother tongue to ensure accuracy in the decision-making the referee then explained the decision in English to the two captains and the fans in attendance Planet Rugby reached out to a current elite professional match official to ensure that the technicalities and law interpretations expressed in this article were accurate and fair – which they did READ MORE: Caelan Doris’ British and Irish Lions involvement thrown in doubt after worrying Leinster update Owen Doyle has insisted that Leinster should have been awarded a game-winning penalty try in the final minute of their Champions Cup semi-final. Northampton Saints came away 34-37 victors over Leinster in front of an almost packed out crowd at the Aviva Stadium. Here's their player ratings. The Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals will both take place this weekend. George Martin is out of the rest of England's Six Nations campaign, but who will replace him? No team has a divine right to win the Champions Cup, as Leinster know better than most Maybe winning their first four finals in 10 years set the bar too high in the aftermath of Saturday’s 37-34 semi-final exit to Northampton a return of one Champions Cup in 13 years seems poor for all the investment in the playing squad The final in Cardiff in three weeks on Saturday will be between Northampton and first-time finalists Bordeaux Bègles for whom Joey Carbery played the last 11 minutes in Sunday’s semi-final as his team dethroned the six-time winners Toulouse The final will be a hard watch for Leinster supporters Listen | 35:17“If you wind the clock a bit further back, if you asked us in 2009, in 16 years’ time you’ll have, what, four Champions Cups? In the previous 14 years we had doughnut. So, it depends again how far you go back with some of those questions. “We would have loved to have won more. If you ask every team in the competition, they would have loved to have won more but we know how bloody hard it is to do it. We understand the pain that we’re in at the moment. It’s a horrible feeling for everyone in there, I can assure you. But what do we do? Dust ourselves off and go again.” Cullen has often cited how the Leinster/Irish model operates in contrast to the French and English clubs, who are backed by wealthy benefactors, although Leinster cannot really play the poor mouth. The playing budgets of Northampton and the other Premiership clubs are capped at €7.2 million, while the salary cap in the Top 14 is, in theory, €10.7 million. As Leinster’s budget is swollen by 11 players under central IRFU contracts, their annual wage bill is unknown. Most likely it is around the €12-14 million mark, but in any event, Cullen disputed the latest claims in the French and English media that Leinster’s annual players’ budget is €17 million. “It is wild. That’s miles off,” maintained Cullen. “Unfortunately, people can write whatever they want. As we know, the system here is a little more complex than in other countries but we don’t have a published salary cap. I don’t think it’s a conversation for this moment in time. I’ve seen some of those figures and they’re just not accurate. How do you correct people who write things that aren’t true in the current media?” Coming up short again hurts all the more after investing in a dual World Cup-winning defensive coach, a renowned French scrummaging prop, a two-time World Cup winning lock and a world-class, 68-times capped All Black utility back. But as well as the debatable decision to leave Jordie Barrett on the bench for the first 50 minutes after his man-of-the-match display in the quarter-finals, a defence that had kept two attack-orientated sides scoreless in their previous two knock-out ties was clinically dissected. “There will be a bit of head scratching there in terms of some of our mentality around defence and were we really clued in enough for some of the threats Northampton have,” admitted Cullen. “We’ve seen them attack. The players have seen them, they know, but that’s a big score to concede in a play-off game.” Cullen and Jacques Nienaber are both under contract next season and for all the disgruntlement among Leinster supporters, both will assuredly be in situ next season. A little taken aback by being asked if he was the right man to one day take Leinster to that cherished fifth star, Cullen responded with increasing defiance. “Yeah, I think I am. Yeah. I believe that I am, yes. I think we’ve worked hard to try and improve the group year on year on year and I think the group is very strong right now. That’s not something that’s just created last week; it’s year on year. “We’ve lost three finals over the last three years, but I believe we’ve a stronger group now than we’ve had and that’s the way I will continue to approach the day-to-day in preparing the short term, medium term, long term. So, yes. And I’m very committed to that as well.” If there was any complacency in this semi-final after 62-0 and 52-0 wins in the previous rounds, it could only have been compounded by leaving Barrett on an all-international bench boasting 358 caps, as against Northampton’s seven. “I will look back on lots of different things, over the course of the next few weeks,” said Cullen. “And, yes, when you don’t win a game, particularly in a semi-final, everyone is going to second-guess everything. “Jordie brought huge impact, and that is what we wanted from him. Similar with Jack Conan, as well, and a lot of other players that were on the bench. You look at us at the end of the game, we looked like a strong team, attacking the game. There’s probably bits before where we weren’t quite accurate enough. But I don’t have regrets about that plan, specifically.” Gerry Thornley is Rugby Correspondent of The Irish Times Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC British & Irish Lions head coach must ask himself if he can afford to leave Henry Pollock out of the squad on Thursday Just as the Saints fully deserve to be contesting this month’s final against French challengers Bordeaux-Beglès so the prospects of several of their players have been significantly enhanced. It is now less a question, for example, of whether Henry Pollock and Fin Smith could make the plane and more whether Farrell can afford to leave them behind. whose three first-half tries laid the foundations of Northampton’s stunning 37-34 victory in Dublin Pollock and Smith were instrumental in a remarkable team effort which once again wrecked Leinster’s title hopes One or two previously nailed-on Irish Lions also now face an anxious wait before Thursday’s squad unveiling By contrast Pollock and Smith could have done no more The former scored a spectacular 50-metre individual try when his side were down to 14 players and outshone many of Ireland’s first-choice forwards once again oozed class and assurance as Northampton scored five tries against opponents who had won their previous two knockout games by a combined score of 114-0 The fly-half was already firmly in Lions contention but the 20-year-old Pollock has catapulted himself into the picture with a serious of stellar performances Even Lawrence Dallaglio had to wait until he was 23 to represent his country and it is already obvious that England have unearthed a generational talent in the ‘can-do’ mould of an Ian Botham or Freddie Flintoff Pollock is a similarly larger-than-life character celebrating his try by placing a finger on his neck – “Just a feeling the pulse ice-in-the-veins type of thing’ – to show the home crowd he was not remotely overawed by the occasion “I kind of saw a massive gap in the defensive line changed my speed and Mitch gave me a good ball I was lucky enough to get the swerve on the outside of Sam Prendergast and finished in the middle One or two previously nailed-on Irish Lions also now face an anxious wait before Andy Farrell names the squad on Thursday Photograph: Bob Bradford/CameraSport/Getty ImagesFarrell will have taken due note and the English prodigy would love to join this summer’s Lions adventure down under But at the end of the day you can’t control it It would be an honour to go on that plane and represent the Lions but if it’s not this year I’m sure I’ll be able to bounce back and pick myself up “Reflecting back on the last year it has been pretty mad. Getting to the final of the Champions Cup and getting my first senior cap would probably have been a dream. But every opportunity I’ve had I feel like I’ve taken it.” Free weekly newsletterThe latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed Read morePollock also believes he can “bring an energy that probably others don’t” and Northampton’s director of rugby Phil Dowson reckons his upbeat attitude would add something to any squad I think he sees the game as a game and that enjoyment and fun is infectious the Saints management were also keen to stress the collective effort that enabled Northampton to become the first English side to reach the Champions Cup final since 2020 Juarno Augustus and James Ramm were all outstanding while Fraser Dingwall and Rory Hutchinson in midfield lost nothing in comparison with the seasoned pair of Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw Saints are a tight, largely homegrown squad as well and Dowson felt it would have been “cruel” had Leinster prevailed at the death when Ross Byrne’s 79th-minute ‘try’ was ruled out “Of course the game is about skills and tactical awareness but it’s also about having some heart and working for each other,” said Dowson “I think that’s probably the most pleasing thing.” Their head coach Leo Cullen stood by his decision to select the outstanding All Black Jordie Barrett on the bench but Leinster’s last Champions Cup triumph was seven years ago Their record in high pressure games is increasingly patchy and they will be conspicuously absent from the final in Cardiff on 24 May Plenty of food for thought for Farrell and the Lions management with around a dozen Leinster players hoping to tour Australia next month Youth in the Northampton England Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently met a representative of the king of England and were able to show him some of the things they are doing to serve others — also how they have a fun together during weekly activities Read this article in Spanish and in Portuguese: The youth collected thousands of stamps for charity over a period of months. The stamps were donated to the charitable organization Oxfam and were sufficient for a well to be provided in Africa This effort earned a visit in March from the lord lieutenant of Northamptonshire Watson is the king’s representative in the county and consequently the office has the first and foremost duty to uphold the dignity of the Crown In a Northamptonshire online news article Watson said: “It was a delight to spend a very wonderful evening with youth groups from Kettering and Northampton at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Everyone was so engaged with all the activities from sorting stamps for Oxfam and the very active game of dodgeball.” Around 50 young men and young women from the stake seeks to promote a good atmosphere and a spirit of cooperation by the encouragement given to voluntary services and to benevolent organizations and by the interest taken in the industrial and social life of the county explained the stake communications director “We were delighted that the lord lieutenant and his wife were able to attend this evening and meet our wonderful youth who meet together to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and live by His teachings to help others around them.” The youth in the Kettering Ward previously collected stamps for Oxfam charity last Christmas and have continued to collect and donate since then After King Charles’ coronation in May 2023, youth and members of the Church throughout England served their communities through JustServe as part of the Big Help Out The youth of the Northampton stake have been serving in many other ways to bless their communities As part of the stake youth Christmas activity in December 2024, the youth all spent some time writing Christmas cards to residents of four care home across the stake (based in Northampton, Bedford, Kettering and Huntingdon), as part of Postcards of Kindness In October 2024, the young women of the Duston Ward took part in a service activity supporting Baby Basics in Northampton They put together a large basket full of all the practical essentials a new mother and baby might need over the first few weeks or months following birth The baskets were filled with items such as diapers as well as a couple of chocolate treats for mom During a young women camp in August 2024, 32 young women ages 11-13 and their leaders hiked from their camp site in Hatton over to Northleigh House School which specializes in helping young people with anxiety to realize and reach their potential tidied the grounds and cleaned out the chicken coops said helping with the chickens was the most popular choice had lots of fun and made a lasting impression on the staff there.” Youth throughout the stake collected creme eggs in April 2024 for the North Ukrainian Association in Northampton The stake youth committee decided on a target goal of 500 creme eggs in a month — and ended up with more than double that number The eggs were sent to Ukraine along with other items donated by members of the stake Tommy Freeman’s treble and a fine display by Henry Pollock shocked Leinster and booked Saints a final place Read moreWhat a game that was, by the way. Thanks for reading. Good night. “It’s a nice balance. Henry [Pollock] brings massive energy. People like Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall and Fin Smith direct him in the right way. Curtis Langdon as well is someone who drives that energy through the group.” Fraser Dingwall, the Saints captain: “We enter every competition knowing, if we get stuff right, we’ll take on anyone in the world. As Fin was saying, before the game, a lot of people wrote us off. But we had full belief within our circle of what we were capable of. Hopefully people recognise that now.” Smith is asked: will that result affect Lions selection? “One hundred per cent. Wait and see. I don’t think we did ourselves any harm today. Look, I’m going to give you a boring answer but fingers crossed. We’ll be watching that telly, but we definitely didn’t do ourselves any harm.” Updated at 20.54 CEST3d ago20.39 CEST“This has blown a major hole in Farrell’s Lions selection,” emails Mark. “He was going to load it with Leinster/Irish players. Not sure he can now. “Never thought that Gibson-Park was best scrum half, Mitchell miles ahead of him now; and Prendergast is poor. (Crowley is better anyway) Itoje must be captain now, not Doris.” At one stage he is interrupted by Rory Hutchinson, the Saints centre, who barges in chanting “Lions, Lions” at his teammate. “This group’s been through so much this season,” Pollock continues. “To be able to do that away from home, after the last two performances these guys had, they nailed both teams. To come out here, no fear, just go 100% at everything we did. And I tell you what, why not us? We’ve been saying that all week. Why not us? “I tell you what, this is what sport’s about. This is why you play the game. You do it because you love it. You love the fans, the atmosphere, the sport. Going up against the best back row in the world. I couldn’t ask for much more. I’m so proud. The team were just amazing, 1 to 23. Bring on Cardiff!” For a flanker with the speed of a wing, Pollock does a nice line in post-match interviews, too. Updated at 22.59 CEST3d ago20.31 CEST“To be fair, the best team won,” says pundit Kearney. “Agony or ecstasy,” says Dallaglio. “The game took us right to the wire. We’ve witnessed one of the great matches there. Semi-finals aren’t meant to be like that. From the get-go, that was a superb game of rugby. I’m amazed by Northampton’s resilience and the way they’ve played today.” “Will their tight five stand up? That was the challenge,” says Pat Lam. “They were outstanding. The way they ran on to the ball, they got up every time, the defending was huge.” “We ran for each other, we showed love for each other, we showed heart. We did that for 80 minutes and we got the result.” 3d ago20.26 CESTThe Leinster players look shattered. Reminder: They’d won their previous two matches by an aggregate score of 114-0 in the Champions Cup. Updated at 20.27 CEST3d ago20.24 CESTFinal score: Leinster 34-37 NorthamptonThey’ve done it! Leinster are out! Northampton are in the final but then Northampton ate up the final few seconds and booted the ball out They will play Bordeaux or Toulouse in the final in Cardiff later this month Updated at 20.57 CEST3d ago20.19 CEST79 min: It’s touched down by Byrne! Pollock says it’s a knock on. TMO check … Referee says no try. But they want to check a few things on replay. Updated at 20.57 CEST3d ago20.18 CEST78 min: Phases, phases, phases for Leinster in the Northampton 22 … The Saints tackling is utterly heroic. But are Leinster going to get there? Updated at 20.12 CEST3d ago20.10 CEST72 min: Fin Smith puts a high kick up. Lowe calls for the mark. Northampton still hold a slender lead but this is going to be a seriously testing final eight. 3d ago20.09 CESTTry Leinster 34-37 Northampton (Lowe)Northampton are hopelessly stretched by a smart set play from the penalty Lowe swan dives in and Prendergast nails a very difficult conversion It’s a three-point game as we move into the final 10 3d ago20.06 CEST69 min: Scott-Young comes on Northampton, an immediate response to the yellow card. Henry Pollock’s conditioning and work-rate is absolutely another level. Updated at 20.05 CEST3d ago20.04 CEST68 min: Potential yellow card for a high and late hit by Northampton’s Kemeny on Slimani. The crowd roar at the replays but it looks like he might have hit his chest first … Updated at 20.02 CEST3d ago20.00 CEST65 min: Tom James for Mitchell at scrum-half. Tom Lockett, the lock, also on. Updated at 19.55 CEST3d ago19.52 CEST59 min: Now Leinster win what looks a key penalty for a high shot at a ruck. They kick for the corner. 3d ago19.51 CEST57 min: Prendergast pick a nice inside pass, popped inside for a rampaging McCarthy. Leinster knock on I fancy Northampton to engineer a classy counterattack score before too long … 3d ago19.50 CESTPenalty 56 min: Leinster 22-30 Northampton (Smith)A long-range penalty sneaks over from the England man We’re not far from the final quarter and this promises to be a scintillating finish But they’ll still fancy it with the ball in hand … Prendergast converts Updated at 19.39 CEST3d ago19.37 CEST44 min: A big shot from O’Brien on Langdon. BIG. Now Jack Conan is on for Leinster. Prendergast knocks on but in fairness to him it was an appalling pass by Gibson-Park. Pressure starting to tell? Updated at 19.35 CEST3d ago19.32 CESTSecond half kick off!Here we go. Can Northampton pull this off? Updated at 19.33 CEST3d ago19.24 CESTA touch of half-time reading: Leinster 15-27 NorthamptonThat was one of the best halves of rugby I’ve seen in a while Leinster have shown plenty of quality but the sheer verve of Northampton’s attack – with one stupendous finish by Pollock and a hat-trick for Freeman prompted by another brilliant display by Fin Smith – have rocked Leinster right back on their heels The problem Leinster face is that no matter how many they score after half time, it’s difficult to imagine Northampton failing to score a few more playing like this. Bring it on. 3d ago19.18 CEST40 min: Clock in the red, Leinster pushing for a try after a knock-on by Mitchell … arrowing to the left corner and over the try-line after a wonderful one-handed offload by Augustus Lowe and O’Brien are both desperately trying to keep Freeman out but he has too much power and pace 3d ago19.02 CESTTry! 28 min: Leinster 15-17 Northampton (Pollock)WOW! Northampton have it on the left wing Nothing really looks on but Mitchell feeds Pollock running a super-intelligent line through a gap he’s spotted The commentators reckon it was Snyman out of position around the ruck and it was a bit soft from Prendergast as the last line of defence Updated at 19.01 CEST3d ago18.59 CESTTry! 25 min: Leinster 15-10 Northampton (Van der Flier)Crushing pressure from Leinster and there is no way out for Northampton on this occasion Deegan is tackled close to the line but waits for support and it’s Josh van der Flier who powers over from close range WITH JUST UNDER five minutes of the Champions Cup semi-final remaining, Leinster are awarded a penalty in the Northampton 22. They face a decision. Northampton lead 37-34. The Saints are down to 14 players following a yellow card for back row Josh Kemeny. The penalty is on the right-hand-side 15-metre line so it’s not a gimme three points but it’s kickable. Sam Prendergast is still at out-half, with Ross Byrne remaining on the bench. Prendergast has successfully kicked four from six attempts in the game. So the decision is this – posts or corner? Replacement back row Jack Conan has taken over as Leinster captain after a head injury for starting skipper Caelan Doris and he initially looks to the sideline for instruction. “What do we want?” asks Conan as he cups his ears, signalling for a call from the coaching box. “What do we want?” he shouts again, throwing his hands out in apparent confusion, which suggests there is no call from the touchline. As Conan is doing that, replacement hooker Rónan Kelleher has a quick chat with lineout caller RG Snyman and sub lock Ryan Baird, the other two key figures in the set-piece. They’re preparing for the lineout and maul if the call is to go to the corner. Conan turns to his team-mates, with Prendergast and replacement centre Jordie Barrett clearly prominent in the discussion. It’s unclear who but we can hear someone saying, “Corner,” and there seems to be collective agreement. Very often, a directive comes from the coaching box in these instances. That explains Conan’s apparent confusion at the lack of a message in this case. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said post-match that he and the rest of the coaching staff were happy to leave this one to the players. “It’s important, the players have a feel on the field and they’re all-in there,” said Cullen. ” “They backed their bravery to go and win the game. It doesn’t come off, but everyone is a genius in hindsight. “In the moments, these guys fancied it, and I’d fancy them 100%.” Leinster had scored a maul try 15 minutes earlier in the same right corner and that must have played into their decision. However, Saints had generally defended the maul very well in this game, with some big wins in that area. We’ll never know what would have happened next if Leinster had gone for the post and Prendergast had successfully made it 37-37. There might have been last-gasp drama in the closing four minutes, or we could have had 20 minutes of extra time. Whatever about the decision, Leinster’s maul effort was rejected by Saints. It’s worth noting that with Kemeny in the sin bin, the Saints coaches decided to sacrifice a back by bringing back row Angus Scott-Young on for wing Tom Litchfield, meaning they had eight forwards to deal with the maul attack. That obviously left them short in the backline but was very helpful here. Leinster go with a 6+1 lineout, which suggests their intention to maul. Saints decide to stay on the ground, allowing Snyman to win the ball uncontested. Staying down allows Saints to prioritise their maul defence and they do an excellent job. The four players in the middle of their lineout – Tom Lockett, Tom West, Alex Coles, and Angus Scott-Young – are pre-bound like a four-man front row, ready to drive into Leinster as soon as Snyman lands. We can see that defensive receiver Juarno Augustus [highlighted with the spotlight above] has moved up to lend his power behind that quartet. The two players at either end of the lineout – Henry Pollock and Elliot Millar-Mills – are initially tasked with standing off and containing any maul break plays to either side. At the moment above, Saints have already won the battle as they time their drive to split-second perfection, surging into Leinster just as Snyman lands. As Northampton get momentum, hooker Curtis Langdown nudges Millar-Mills forward into the maul, taking his slot on the edge of the maul in the shortside. Pollock briefly lands some weight too, but the damage has been done by the initial quintet who meet Leinster on landing. Their body height is ideally low, they’re tightly connected, and their timing is sublime.  Joe McCarthy and Baird, the two lifters on Snyman, get no chance to brace strongly at the front of Leinster’s maul and the home side end up being very upright. Scott-Young does bind onto McCarthy’s leg and appears to very briefly lift it, which is illegal, but it’s done subtly enough and doesn’t catch referee Pierre Brousset’s attention. Northampton would have won this battle anyway given the quality of their defensive set-up. It’s a thunderous effort in maul defence from Northampton. Leinster have to play away, having lost more than five metres. Jordie Barrett carries well before McCarthy powers around the corner to get on the ball. McCarthy beats two tackle attempts and Leinster are suddenly back into a promising scenario as Pollock drags him to ground. But Northampton get a turnover at this breakdown, one Leinster were aggrieved about. Pollock stays on his feet after the tackle and immediately looks to jackal for a turnover. Pollock goes straight off his feet as he jackals. But he bounces up in the next split seconds as he scoops the ball back towards his team-mates, taking out van der Flier in the process. That leaves the ball exposed for lock Coles to jackal and make the poach. Referee Brousset is close to the breakdown but he doesn’t feel that Pollock has illegally played the ball after initially going off his feet. Northampton get the benefit of the decision and clear the ball into touch. It would have been interesting to see what Leinster would have done had they been awarded the penalty here. Given how central a position it was, and the maul miss, they surely would have taken the three. Pollock might even have been sin binned if it was deemed a penalty. As it is, Leinster send on Ross Byrne in place of Prendergast and with just over three minutes, they launch from a lineout on the Northampton 10-metre line. A slick catch-pass from Barrett off James Lowe’s pass sends Ryan Baird surging up the left on fourth phase. There’s a brief window for Baird to pass or offload back inside to Jamison Gibson-Park. There is no more Saints cover in behind. Gibson-Park’s pace would undoubtedly take him clear to score. But Baird doesn’t glance infield until it’s too late and the window is shut. Another shortside sortie brings further gains for Leinster on the left as Barrett and Baird send Lowe into space. The Leinster forwards take over with a series of carries off Gibson-Park. There is one chance for Leinster to flash the ball wide when the 14-man Saints look short on numbers. Highlighted in red above are Conan and right wing Tommy O’Brien holding width. It’s difficult to tell from this shot but O’Brien has his hand up signalling for the ball to be moved out to the edge. Leinster do play out the back as Baird sweeps the ball to Byrne, who skips Garry Ringrose to Barrett. But with Saints working hard to limit Leinster’s time on the ball, Barrett decides to carry. In the moment below, fullback James Ramm is the last defender on the edge for Saints. Tommy Freeman is covering across in the backfield out of shot, but Leinster obviously have Conan and O’Brien both wide on the right. There would be risk in throwing a flat pass here, with Ramm possibly picking the ball off, while a floated bridge pass would give Saints more time to recover and chase out. Barrett decides to hold onto the ball and the window closes again. Leinster go back to their direct ball-carrying for another six phases until a Snyman offload suddenly de-structures the game. Gibson-Park takes the offload and swings back to his left to find Lowe, who does superb work to tie in both Langdon and Tom James, who he even manages to trip as the Northampton man turns back out when Lowe passes. That leaves van der Flier with a one-on-one against Freeman, which he powers into. Firstly, Freeman does well to cling onto van der Flier’s right arm after being bumped off by the Leinster back row. That probably prevents van der Flier from finishing. It also buys time for second row Coles to get across with a big effort after 79 minutes of exhausting action. Coles slides in and initially denies van der Flier a chance to reach out and finish with that lung-busting effort. Of course, Coles’ second action in ripping he ball away from van der Flier is illegal and he ends up being sin-binned for that. The ball is now loose and comes forward off Coles’ hand and off his left knee before bouncing back the other way off Leinster out-half Byrne’s right knee. There’s a final touch off the right boot of the retreating James and the ball ends up as close to the left corner as is possible. Byrne reaches out and looks to ground it on the tryline. Brousset goes to a formal review with TMO Tual Trainini and says, “On-field decision, no try, knock-on blue, but we want to check if there is a player on the ground ripping the ball.” He adds, “And then, we will look if there is a grounding by blue or the ball is in touch.” After a few replays, Brousset confirms the illegal play by Coles: “The green player is assist tackler, never releases. So I’ve got an infringement by five.” He then assesses the possible grounding by Byrne. Trainini comes in: “Pierre, we have an image of the ball in touch against the base of the post.” The TMO feels that this rules out a Leinster try due to Law 21.15: “If the ball or ball-carrier touches a corner flag or corner flag post without otherwise being in touch or touch-in-goal, play continues unless the ball is grounded against the post.” Brousset decides he has seen enough and begins to run through his decision. “OK, we’ve got three things,” he begins. “First, an infringement by five green, ripping the ball when he’s assist tackler. That is cynical.” Trainini interjects and asks in French, “Is that in the act of scoring and prevents a potential try?” “No,” answers Brousset, “because he [van der Flier] was short and he cannot move forward. For me, it would be just cynical so I will give a yellow card against five. “Then we’ve got a knock-on [by Coles] and the ball touches the base, so no try.” Brousset calls in the captains to explain.  “Number five is involved as assist tackler, so it will be a yellow card against five. Then there is a knock-on and the ball touches the base of the post, so no try. Penalty for you [Leinster].” Conan nods as Leinster initially accept the decision. Coles is binned and there is a pause as Kemeny returns from the sin bin, while Leinster replace the injured O’Brien with Prendergast. Leinster have already decided to tap the penalty, which is out on the left-hand side five-metre line, meaning a very difficult shot at goal.  Byrne is an excellent place-kicker with a record of nailing difficult shots under pressure, but taking on the shot comes with the obvious risk of missing and the game being over. Leinster back themselves to score a winning try. At the point above, Leinster seem to be simply discussing exactly which five-metre tap play they will use. Before play resumes, Conan approaches Brousset and asks about the Coles incident again, “Was that not in the act of scoring?” “No, it’s not in the act of scoring because he is short and can’t move forward again,” replies Brousset. It’s a fair query from Conan, even if it comes a bit late. Van der Flier is very close to the tryline when Coles strips the ball away illegally, certainly close enough to reach out and dot the ball down. Ball carriers are entitled to do that as long as they don’t propel themselves forward along the ground having already been tackled.  But Brousset clearly believes that van der Flier would have had to thrust himself forward in order to get the ball under or beyond Coles to finish. He sticks by his decision. Conan moves away but calls his forwards in one last time, seemingly to discuss their next play. The play they opt for is the same one Leinster used for Doris’ try earlier in the second half. We see that try below. Just watch how the Leinster deception catches Augustus [in the black scrum cap] off guard. He bites in towards the dummy pod of forwards off van der Flier and can’t react as the Leinster openside then skips a pass wider to Doris, who blasts through Pollock with a double latch to score. The second attempt from Leinster is different because it’s so close to the left touchline. In the instance above, Leinster have two backs to the left of the ball in Robbie Henshaw and Lowe, while Jamison Gibson-Park also darts there. That all holds two of the Saints forwards on that side. But second time around, there’s not as much space to the left of the ball and only Lowe is on that side. Saints wing Freeman can mark Lowe as the Saints forwards worry solely about the Leinster forwards. So the Saints forwards, who no doubt recognise the set-up, are slightly wider on the right-hand side of the ball this time around. That in turn means Conan, in the Doris role now, is running into a more solid defensive line. He is met by prop Millar-Mills and back row Scott-Young, with Augustus joining from outside them. Conan is stripped of the ball here. It’s Augustus who rips it from his grasp. Brousset has a good view and is happy that the strip was completed before Conan gets a knee to ground. “Ripped in the air,” calls Brousset, repeating those words as Leinster appeal for a penalty. Augustus presents the ball back on Saints’ side and though there is a messy ruck as bodies pile in desperately, Northampton have possession. 20 seconds remain. Saints carry short twice more through Pollock and West before out-half Fin Smith launches the ball into the stand. Game over. Five minutes after this gesture by Leinster skipper Conan, his counterpart Fraser Dingwall does the same. To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user Create an email alert based on the current article Tom Youngs made 246 league appearances in his career and scored 51 goals Northampton Town and Bury forward Tom Youngs has died at the age of 45 Youngs started his career with the U's after joining the club aged 10 and made 180 appearances between 1997 and 2003 He won promotion to the third tier with Cambridge in 1998-99 After 30 appearances in an injury-hit three seasons with Northampton Youngs had a short spell at Leyton Orient before joining Bury in June 2005 He played 49 league games for the Shakers and scored seven goals in two seasons before a hip injury ended his playing career with non-league Mildenhall Town in 2011 Youngs was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014 after moving back to Bury St Edmunds to work as an accountant Having studied sports journalism at Staffordshire University What Dreams are (Not Quite) Made of: No Fame In their obituary, Cambridge wrote, external: "Tom will be remembered as a gifted player who intelligent positioning and poise in front of goal graced the Abbey Stadium between 1997 and 2003." 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Fran Volkmann holds her book “Herself to the End,” at her home Volkmann’s book details the way in which her late partner Joan Cenedella who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2021 ended her life in 2023 through a process called VSED which stands for “voluntarily stopping eating and drinking.” STAFF PHOTO/DANIEL JACOBI II Fran Volkmann holds a photograph of her late partner Joan Cenedella at her home Volkmann’s book ‘Herself to the End’ details the way in which Cenedella Volkmann's book 'Herself to the End' details the way in which Cenedella who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2021 which stands for "voluntarily stopping eating and drinking." STAFF PHOTO/DANIEL JACOBI II Volkmann's book 'Herself to the End' details the way in which Volkmann's late partner Joan Cenedella which stands for "voluntarily stopping eating and drinking." “Lucy was the light in our lives,” Volkmann said “Herself to the End” details the way in which author Fran Volkmann’s late partner Joan Cenedella which stands for “voluntarily stopping eating and drinking.” CONTRIBUTED NORTHAMPTON — In the face of an incurable and progressive illness One Northampton woman and her late life partner were faced with that situation a few years ago — and now “Herself to the End,” about their experience which stands for “voluntarily stopping eating and drinking.” The book chronicles the process that she and loved ones took to help Cenedella from her diagnosis to the end of her life Volkmann chose to write a book about the experience in part as a tribute to her beloved partner but also because helping Joan undergo the VSED process has transformed her own life she wanted people to know about VSED as an end-of-life option Even major websites about Alzheimer’s don’t always mention it — one in particular It talks about keeping your person at home It talks about long-term care; it distinguishes between memory care and long-term care But it’s as if that whole set of options related to deciding that you don’t want to go down that road — those are not on the table You come away from that site feeling as if you know everything you need to know Volkmann also points out in the book that VSED is different from suicide “Joan loved her life with every ounce of her being,” Volkmann writes in the book We both wanted above all else to continue to live the happy and fulfilling lives that we shared Joan felt the decision to die had been made for her Her decision was not whether to live or die VSED, she noted, is also different from medical aid in dying which requires assistance from a physician and requires that a patient have less than six months to live “Nobody at any time hastened Joan’s death,” Volkmann said in an interview We helped her to die peacefully and gently.” Cenedella and Volkmann talked through all the logistics and possible complications they would immediately stop the process and provide her with food and water she recorded a video reminding herself of her reasoning for choosing VSED and asked her core group to play it for her if need be but you need to remember that this will prolong your life and the VSED process “Quality of life means everything to me at this point There are those who want to stay alive no matter what also said that helping Cenedella undergo the VSED process had given her a stronger sense of comfort with her own mortality “I’ve heard this among my friends here at Lathrop: none of us are that frightened about dying anymore What I fear is what happens between now and then — some long that’s exactly what modern medicine is designed to do — not to provide a painful thing I feel like I have a way out if I really need it But I feel as if I don’t need to go through long suffering And other people who’ve read the book say the same thing readers have taken away the idea that “Herself to the End” is “a book about life and love more than it’s a book about death.” “What I think I hope for in the book is a message that we have agency We can make choices about how we want to respond to some kind of a terrible diagnosis like that And we don’t have to break the law or go to Switzerland or put a bag over our heads,” she said What we have to do is pull together a support system.” “Herself to the End” is available on Kindle and at Broadside Bookshop in Northampton you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users Read moreThe Irish province, beaten in the final in the last three consecutive seasons, looked stunned at the final whistle. But the Saints had led 27-15 at half-time and, even after Leinster had charged back to within three points the visitors came knocking again via a 63rd-minute score from James Ramm settled in contentious fashion after an aghast Leinster had a possible 79th-minute score disallowed It was a seesawing thriller to compare with the classic Munster v Wasps semi-final back in 2004 previously first among equals in this exhilarating category As well as being a memorable contest in its own right it was also a heavy-duty final trial for assorted contenders on both sides with Thursday’s British & Irish Lions squad announcement looming If not here was some compelling additional 11th-hour evidence not least from a couple of Englishmen who played central roles in the throbbing drama ShowScotland talisman Finn Russell enjoyed a fruitful return to his homeland as Bath eventually wore down spirited Edinburgh to reach their first European final in 11 years with a 39-24 Challenge Cup semi-final victory.  The runaway Premiership leaders – undermined by losing players to untimely yellow cards in each half – trailed 17-12 in the third quarter at The Hive with all six of their tries scored by forwards as they set up a showdown with the winner of Sunday's semi-final between the Top 14 sides Lyon and Racing 92 in the final at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 23 May Thank you for your feedback.There was certainly no ignoring – not for the first or last time – the precociously talented England flanker Henry Pollock who contributed a spectacular solo first-half try and a stunning late turnover and again looked wholly unfazed by the lofty company he is keeping The back row is already awash with candidates but Pollock could not have done much more whose duel with Sam Prendergast was an enthralling one for connoisseurs and casual watchers alike Smith did not have everything his own way but exudes the calm assurance of a veteran No10 Prendergast is also clearly a talent but will Farrell pick both of them with his son Owen Finn Russell and George Ford also in the fly-half frame Northampton close ranks on Joe McCarthy to frustrate Leinster with a courageous defensive display Photograph: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile/Getty ImagesWhoever goes this was a proper ding-dong even without the significant subtext Preparing to face a full-metal Leinster at the moment is psychologically akin to being strapped to the railway track with a steaming locomotive just round the bend The pressure is just as screeching when Leinster are defending the blue line erected by Jacques Nienaber so steely that neither of their previous knockout opponents It was all the more encouraging for the Saints when they opened the scoring with a daring early score Smith cutting a sharp line from Ramm’s pass to split the cover and then rolling a perfect chip into the path of his good mate Freeman who Leinster, though, are a mighty hard side to subdue for long and the understanding between Jamison Gibson-Park and Prendergast is sharp enough to take advantage of the smallest opportunity. With Northampton still digesting the award of a free-kick to the home side Gibson-Park took the swiftest of taps and Prendergast’s long ball put the lurking Tommy O’Brien over Even with his side down to 14 players after Curtis Langdon was sent to the sin-bin he is not the type to shut up shop even 50 metres from the opposing line he left Prendergast grasping at thin air on the touchline and raced clear for a striking score at the glass-windowed end of the stadium Free weekly newsletterThe latest rugby union news and analysis Little did anyone guess it would be the first of three rat-a-tat Saints tries inside nine minutes Pollock and Smith were both part of a slick backline attack that gave Freeman another chance to show his pace on the right before the winger secured his third after a box kick fell nicely for the stampeding Juarno Augustus The 12-point half-time gap was reminiscent of the famous Cardiff final in 2011 when Leinster overcame a 16-point interval deficit against the same opponents were always going to mount some kind of fightback and duly did so through third-quarter tries by Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier Tommy Freeman storms in to complete a first-half hat-trick for Northampton Photograph: David Rogers/Getty ImagesWith Jordie Barrett now involved off the bench Saints kept the ball alive and the excellent Ramm dived over Smith added the conversion to his earlier penalty and Northampton led by 10 points with 15 minutes left A yellow card for Josh Kemeny for a high tackle and a converted 69th-minute try for James Lowe provided further twists but after Ross Byrne was denied a late score at the corner flag for a knock-on in the buildup it was the Saints who will now go marching into this month’s final in Cardiff Bordeaux had raced into a 10-0 lead with a try from Pete Samu and a Matthieu Jalibert penalty, but Toulouse edged 11-10 up with a pair of Juan Cruz Mallia penalties either side of Dimitri Delibes’s try. However, Bielle-Biarrey then lit up the Matmut Atlantique with a moment of brilliance, somersaulting his way over the line after Romain Buros had burst through the Toulouse defence. Read moreWhen the 21-year-old France wing scored a second just 19 seconds into the second half Jalibert converted for a 25-11 lead but Pierre-Louis Barassi capitalised on a visit to the sin-bin for Marko Gazzotti to pull one back for Toulouse and inject some nerves into the finale Pierre Bochaton powered over for a fourth Bordeaux try in the 64th minute and Ben Tameifuna added a late fifth to put Bordeaux into their first Champions Cup final, to be played in Cardiff on 24 May. “They had a 10-minute spell of domination and we did not crack. We’re so happy to qualify in front of our fans as we’ve been through very tough moments,” said Jalibert, referring to Toulouse’s 59-3 win against Bordeaux in the Top 14 final last season. In the Challenge Cup, Owen Farrell’s hopes of being selected for the British & Irish Lions squad to tour Australia were dealt a blow after he suffered a head injury for Racing 92 in his side’s 29-15 semi-final defeat by Lyon. Farrell, selected at inside-centre for the first time this season instead of his usual fly-half position, was forced off after just 19 minutes with the score at 0-0. The 33-year-old England fly-half took a hit to the head from Mickaël Guillard’s hip as he attempted to tackle his opponent. Farrell is a three-time Lions tourist and was in contention for a place in father Andy’s squad for this summer even though his debut season at Racing 92 has been affected by a groin injury. A 37-man Lions squad will be named on Thursday. Following Farrell’s departure, Léo Berdeu kicked the first of five penalties to open the scoring for hosts Lyon before Vincent Rattez registered their first try. Diego Escobar and Kleo Labarbe both touched down for Racing either side of Beka Saghinadze crossing for Lyon’s second try, but it was Berdeu’s kicking which made the difference and set up a Challenge Cup final clash against Bath on 23 May. Champions Cup semi-final: Leinster 34 Northampton 37Another one that got away This will be the one remembered for leaving a high-profile world-class centre on an overly-stacked bench and also for the manner a previously watertight defence leaked like a sieve Le ster did play some wonderful rugby The margins were tiny and Leinster were within a whisker of a try 71-point feast in which Leinster only led for four minutes generated more atmosphere than many a full house hereabout but ultimately they scored five tries and 34 points This would generally be enough to win a semi-final and was their fourth highest tally in 16 semi-finals [ Leinster 34 Northampton 37: How the Leinster players ratedOpens in new window ] But they conceded five tries and 37 points, which makes it darned difficult to win a semi-final. It eclipsed the previous highest total of 30 points conceded at this stage, when beaten by Munster 20 years ago, since when they’d won six semi-finals in succession at home. Whether or not Leinster were even a fraction complacent, despite the many game-breakers in Northampton’s ranks, is a moot point, but perhaps keeping Harlequins and Glasgow scoreless lulled them into a false sense of security, even slightly? The signs that Leinster were not bringing the same defensive energy and urgency were ominous from Northampton’s first try in the eighth minute which exploited the home side’s disconnected, lazy kick-chase. When James Ramm gathered Sam Prendergast’s kick up the touchline outside his 22 and veered infield past the Leinster outhalf, it took Dan Sheehan (whose left leg was strapped and didn’t look himself), Robbie Henshaw and Josh van der Flier out of the game before Fin Smith steamed on to the fullback’s pass. Henshaw and Van der Flier were drawn too far toward Ramm, with Cian Healy the next defender on the outside a further five metres adrift. Smith easily went through that gap and past a flailing Joe McCarthy, another isolated figure five metres further back, before the Saints’ outhalf converted a two-on-two into a try with a perfectly weighted grubber for the first of Tommy Freeman’s hat-trick. A 75-metre try with just one pass and one kick. Far too easy. Leinster appeared to have recovered their equilibrium through tries by Van der Flier and Tommy O’Brien after a couple of trademark, long, left-to-right passes by Prendergast, before the electric Henry Pollock exploded into life to expose more fault lines in Leinster’s defensive focus. When Ramm ran back a Jamison Gibson-Park box kick and Northampton recycled, RG Snyman was slow to realign outside Andrew Porter and couldn’t plug the gap through which Pollock accelerated on to Alex Mitchell’s pass before rounding Prendergast with ease. Cullen admitted that in “some of the speed to set [defensively], we’re just that little step behind Northampton.” Northampton put three phases together off a lineout for their next try. That was enough to manipulate eight Leinster defenders on to the openside when facing just three attackers as the Saints loaded the narrow side with seven attackers against just four defenders. One pass out the back, one decoy runner and one pass worked a three-on-one on the edge for Freeman to score again. Almost from the restart, Freeman chased a Mitchell box kick which Hugo Keenan couldn’t gather, and Juarno Augustus was quickest on to the loose ball before his basketball-type pass gave Freeman another unhindered run to the line. “They did us on a few different things during the course of the first half,” admitted Cullen. “The kick-chase? I’m not sure that’s a mental thing. Clocking off for a second, they exploit something and are through. Don’t deal with a high ball; don’t win the scraps; another try. They do us on a good starter play at a lineout; Tommy Freeman scores as well.” Leinster’s defence was improved after half-time, conceding only 10 points, albeit they were again outmuscled and outwitted for Ramm’s key 63rd-minute try. Having worked their way back to a three-point deficit, the decision to bring on Ross Byrne in the 77th minute would have been more understandable had Leinster elected to take a shot at goal with their last penalty. It would have made even more sense for Prendergast, who had nailed a touchline conversion five minutes previously, to shoot for goal in the 76th minute and level scores, as the option of 20 minutes of extra-time with that impactful bench at home was worth trying to secure. The then captain Jack Conan stared toward the coaches’ box, held his hands to his ears and implored: “What do you want?”. Conan, Barrett and Prendergast then seemed to agree on going to the corner. Asked if any message to this effect been relayed to the players from the coaches’ box, Cullen maintained: “No, I was happy for them to go for the corner. That’s what they were feeling and I was like: ‘Yeah, let’s go for it’.” By not doing so, Leinster thus had to score a try. Their policy of kicking toward the corner had led, once directly and indirectly twice more, to three of their tries, but their maul had struggled for traction all evening. Then, under the nose of referee Pierre Brousset and under the posts, Pollock didn’t release after tackling McCarthy, and planted a hand on the ground, when Leinster would surely have taken the three points and extra-time. Leinster had engineered two tries off well-executed trick plays but with their roll of the dice they couldn’t do so a third time. But the bottom line is that Leinster left a world-class centre in the stands for 50 minutes and, unless he makes an unlikely and unscheduled return one day, they will never have Barrett’s services to call upon in the Champions Cup again. SCORING SEQUENCE − 8 mins: Freeman try, Smith con 0-7; 14: Prendergast pen 3-7; 18: O’Brien try 8-7; 23: Smith pen 8-10; 25: Van der Flier try, Prendergast con 15-10; 29: Pollock try, Smith con 15-17; 36: Freeman try 15-22; 38: Freeman try 15-27; (half-time 15-27); 48: Doris try, Prendergast con 22-27; 56: Smith pen 22-30; 59: Van der Flier try 27-30; 63: Ramm try, Smith con 27-37; 70: Lowe try, Prendergast con 34-37. LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, RG Snyman; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris. Replacements: Andrew Porter for Healy (20 mins); Jack Conan for Deegan (44); Jordie Barrett for Henshaw (50); Rabah Slimani for Furlong (53); Ryan Baird for Doris (57); Rónan Kelleher for Sheehan (64); Ross Byrne for Prendergast (77). NORTHAMPTON: James Ramm; Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall (capt), Rory Hutchinson, Tom Litchfield; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Emmanuel Iyogun, Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison; Temo Mayanavanua, Alex Coles; Josh Kemeny, Henry Pollock, Juarno Augustus. Replacements: Henry Walker for Litchfield (31-35 mins); Elliot Millar-Mills for Davison (48); Tom West for Iyogun (61); Tom James for Mitchell (64); Tom Lockett for Mayanavanua (65); Angus Scott-Young for Litchfield (68). Sinbinned: Langdon (26-36 mins), Kemeny (68), Coles (79). Following Northampton’s 37-34 win over Leinster in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final here are our five key takeaways from a classic at the Aviva Stadium Leinster absolutely dominated the first-half in last year’s tie but this year was the exact opposite as Northampton came out firing with four tries in the opening stanza now all-but bolted on to go on the Lions tour was on hand for three of their four tries with man of the moment Henry Pollock grabbing one Fin Smith also notched a penalty to go alongside two conversions They didn’t have it all their own way with a Sam Prendergast penalty and scores from Tommy O’Brien and Josh van der Flier making it 27-15 but it was advantage Saints going into the sheds that would probably be enough to dream of a final but this is Leinster we’re talking about Caelan Doris and James Lowe brought the Irish side right back into the mix but Saints struck back with a try from James Ramm as well These scores set up a truly remarkable finish and Saints reduced to 13 with Alex Coles and Josh Kemeny sat on the naughty step Leinster looked to secure a game-winning try Northampton held them at bay to clinch one of the greatest victories in Champions Cup history The allure of the Champions Cup has been fading for some time as the gap between the top teams and the rest of the pack widens but this was one of the greatest games in the competition’s modern history Describing it as Test match intensity would probably be doing it a disservice it was utterly breathless as both teams threw the kitchen sink Bordeaux-Begles v Toulouse teams: Romain Ntamack answers champions’ SOS for eagerly anticipated French derby It’s another year of hurt for Leinster as they crash out of the Champions Cup again Leo Cullen’s side waltzed through the pool stages breezed through the early knockout rounds and then reached the Aviva; for it all to come crashing down This one felt their time to finally do it too Questions loom over Toulouse due to their injuries at the minute La Rochelle were dumped out in the early stages and they were back at the ground which has hosted them so often this season as the RDS undergoes a facelift You think serious questions will now begin to be asked of the coaching group Leinster are almost better than an international side with the bulk of the Ireland side alongside a double World Cup-winning Springbok and an All Blacks great yet they just can’t seem to make the next step everyone expects them to this was one of the greatest wins in Northampton’s history but it was exactly what they deserved at the end of the day Leinster’s defence has been impenetrable thus far in the Champions Cup highlighted by their aggregate scoreline of 114-0 across their round-of-16 and quarter-final wins but the Saints managed to just work out how to get around it on a consistent basis Be it through intelligent kicking from Smith like in the build-up to Freeman’s opener or just firing it wide early to catch out the high Leinster defender as they did for Freeman’s second or just exposing space as they did for Pollock’s score; Northampton found every conceivable way to get around the former Springbok coaches’ system In total, the Saints made seven line breaks across the match Kemeny and Juarno Augustus all notching one apiece Whether it was in the midfield or out wide Northampton manipulated the defence into doing what they wanted the aggressiveness of a blitz defence works wonders when it works but it can often leave a player isolated if they aren’t on the exact same page as the player next to them They threw different lines at them in midfield with Litchfield being used right across the line despite him being named as a winger Ramm kept popping up in different holes as well and Smith Fraser Dingwall and Freeman managed to create a deadly axis Toulouse injury list goes from bad to worse as third star ruled out of Champions Cup semi-final Leinster’s kicking game limited Northampton’s chances in the second-half when they did finally get their hands on the ball Ramm and Augustus found pockets of space where an overly-aggressive defender darted out of the line and that led to the Australian full-back dotting down You’d think Jacques Nienaber’s head is on Mars after that What will please director of rugby Phil Dowson the most is that they backed up their flair with some serious steel Repeated kicks into backfield plunged the Saints structure into chaos but they showed no signs of cracking as they became a resolute defensive side Lee Radford’s ultra-connected swallow defence came to the fore as they stayed a complete unit and just consistently bashed Leinster back It was those big mister moments where they came into their own too Curtis Langdon just stepped up to the plate and came up with consistent efforts to halt the onslaught There were plenty of Lions contenders on the pitch today that would have caught Andy Farrell’s eye but around him Pollock yet again showed serious Lions quality with a terrific display Alex Mitchell was fantastic and Dingwall again gave his chances a big boost against the likes of Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw Van der Flier and Doris were both exceptional READ MORE: Leinster v Northampton, AS IT HAPPENED: Saints silence Dublin to book Champions Cup final spot Mostly cloudy with a few scattered showers lingering overnight Amy Richline stole more than $35,000 from at least 15 Lehigh Valley clients over the course of several years - A Northampton County woman charged with not paying her estate sales clients and keeping the proceeds for herself has been found guilty The Northampton County District Attorney's Office says Amy Richline of Bethlehem was convicted Thursday of 13 counts of deceptive business practices and 13 counts of theft by unlawful taking following a four-day bench trial stole more than $35,000 from at least 15 Lehigh Valley clients over the course of several years The investigation began in June 2023 when Bethlehem Township Police learned of multiple Lehigh Valley individuals who had hired Richline to conduct their estate sales but had not received their payments from the proceeds bail for Richline was set at $75,000 and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 16 The owner of an estate sales company is facing charges after several Lehigh Valley clients say they never received their payments Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device A year ago he was with the fans: now he’s an England player before Saints’ Champions Cup semi against Leinster His restless energy is not confined to the pitch but soon he sits down for a chat, ostensibly to preview Northampton’s Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster on Saturday, but essentially to discuss Pollock-mania. How and why it has taken hold and whether at any stage in the 20-year-old’s fledgling career he has experienced a shred of self-doubt. Read morePollock gives the impression of someone constantly trying to suppress a giggle and there are plenty of occasions when he fails When he says the last time he felt overawed was tackling his older brother in the back garden or when it is put to him his love for UFC might have made for a different career path it is just Pollock does not seem sure what all the fuss is about all the while determined to enjoy himself regardless He has caused a stir not just for his prodigious gifts but because he has such obvious fun showcasing them Kids at Northampton have been wearing black tape on their heads and pleading for the back-rower’s boots after matches; his basketball celebration is being copied in junior matches far and wide Adult supporters may reflect on their own angst-ridden youth and cannot help but be charmed by his self-confidence “I am just trying to play well at the weekend and if they are stupid enough to copy what I do on the pitch then so be it,” he says I want to make the distance between the players and fans as close as possible because we are trying to play well for the fans and get them behind us To demonstrate the speed at which Pollock has risen this time last year he was in the thick of it with the fans In the same round of last season’s competition and Pollock and a group of academy housemates undertook quite the itinerary in support “We got a flight at 5am on the Saturday morning which was a tough start to the trip,” says Pollock Fin Smith (left) celebrates with Henry Pollock (right) after scoring Northampton’s first try against Clermont Auvergne last month Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA“We flew to Dublin and we were at Temple Bar at 9am We were there all day and then went to watch the game and into the changing rooms afterwards with the squad I think we left the club at three or four to get the taxi to the airport Sunday was pretty much a write-off and back in here Monday There’s a couple of stories I wouldn’t tell you But there were about 10 of us who went and did that Could he then have pictured himself 12 months later making the same trip as a Champions Cup player of the year nominee talked about as a potential British & Irish Lions bolter “I probably was too busy [thinking] about where the next pint was going to be The last 12 months have come really fast and I am very grateful for all the opportunities I was probably just thinking about what time we were getting the cab to the airport.” Pollock has already been labelled as cocky even arrogant – the only pastime more popular than building up a young English sporting talent is knocking them down – but teammates and coaches stress the difference between the bravado and the person “I’ve obviously been delighted with the way he’s playing delighted with the impact he has on the squad,” says Northampton’s director of rugby “Sometimes Alex Coles has to tell him to shut up but other than that he’s been very positive He puts out this persona on the pitch but he’s actually very mature and very thoughtful and bright off it You’ve got to be very careful judging people on what they’re doing under pressure.” When Pollock reveals what he considers to be the biggest setback he demonstrates a single-mindedness to go with the swagger His addition to the England squad shortly before the start of the Six Nations was slightly earlier than expected and he was soon released back to the Under-20s only to fight his way back into Steve Borthwick’s thinking and make his debut against Wales For others in his position simply sampling a taste of life in the squad might have been enough “Once you get a taste of that level you don’t want to go back to the Under-20s,” says Pollock “That conversation I had with Steve was probably the toughest one I have had with him about my development and what’s best for me.” Henry Pollock scored twice on his England debut in Cardiff during the Six Nations when Steve Borthwick’s side thrashed Wales 68-14 Photograph: Kieran McManus/ShutterstockThere may have been a time when Dowson also sought to hold Pollock on a tighter leash – perhaps deemed him not ready for the challenge posed by Leinster away – but he says “he doesn’t need protecting 19-year-olds who might be overawed whereas he actually feeds off that and that’s just because he’s a slightly different character.” Dowson compares him to Courtney Lawes in that regard and reveals that watching a documentary on the 2004 Boston Red Sox who made history with their comeback victory over the New York Yankees on the way to winning the World Series has convinced him Pollock is primed for the semi-final very chilled and calm but then on the pitch he wasn’t particularly chilled or calm Whereas Henry is just buzzing for every opportunity he gets We watched something on the 2004 Red Sox and it said: ‘No occasion is too big for them.’ That’s what I feel about Henry Pollock.” Northampton and Bordeaux-Begles will contest the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup final at the Principality Stadium after the pair beat Leinster and Toulouse the Saints produced an almighty shock as they edged Leinster 37-34 in a match for the ages It was a real underdog story at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium Henry Pollock and James Ramm were added to by three conversions and two penalty goals from impressive English fly-half Fin Smith Tommy O’Brien, Josh van der Flier (2), Caelan Doris and James Lowe crossed for Leinster but they came up short as the Saints withstood a late onslaught on their line In truth Northampton were fully deserving of their win and were driven by being written off in many quarters before the fixture with injuries and form both being against them Alex Mitchell hails ‘fearless’ Northampton players after Leinster ‘punched in the face’ Phil Dowson’s charges will now have one eye very much on the European final May 24 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff who overcame reigning champions Toulouse 35-18 on Sunday afternoon in a statement showing from Yannick Bru’s classy charges Pierre Bochaton and Ben Tameifuna helped to secure a deserved victory in front of their home fans at Matmut Atlantique Dmitri Delibes and Pierre Louis Barassi scored for a beaten Toulouse Blair Kinghorn and Peato Mauvaka due to injury The Champions Cup final takes place at 14:45 BST on that Saturday with the match officials to be confirmed by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) at a later date Toulouse won last year’s Champions Cup after defeating Leinster 31-22 in the final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but their crown is set to be handed over later this month Northampton Saints v Bordeaux Begles on Saturday READ MORE: Leinster v Northampton: Five takeaways as ‘heroic’ Saints condemn ‘champions elect’ to ‘another year of hurt’ in Champions Cup classic Completing quite possibly the biggest upset of the past five seasons the Northampton Saints ransacked Leinster 37-34 at the Aviva Stadium to book their place in the Investec Champions Cup final Labeled as 21-point underdogs by the bookmakers were given little chance of progressing.  the Saints came out hot to take the lead inside seven minutes through winger Tommy Freeman Freeman would go on to score a first-half hat trick to put the Saints 27-15 ahead at halftime Joining Freeman in laying down a big time marker for a spot in the British and Irish Lions squad were Alex Mitchell who has become a global sensation in what is his first full season of senior rugby the former World U20 player dominated the tackle stats with 24 and had a hand in several Saints turnovers.  he made 58 meters from eight carries and scored a peach of a try in the process Halfbacks Mitchell and Smith combined superbly with a combination of top-quality tactical kicking and an up-tempo carrying game which brutally exposed Leinster’s heralded blitz defense Getting plenty of joy in the wide channels the Saints mirrored the Scarlets' model of a week prior by getting their big carriers to make yards into the heart of the Leinster defense.  the Saints then lured the on-rushing Leinster tacklers out of the line Smith and captain Fraser Dingwall put their teammates into gaps.  Mixing in a well-worked cross-field kicking game the Saints exploited mismatches with the likes of Freeman utilizing their height and pace in the contest the Saints were ruthlessly efficient and made large chunks of yards regularly.  the Saints were content to let Leinster have the bulk of the possession and territory in the knowledge that the Leinster attack would revert to either a one-off carrier or an out-the-back loop play than its past four defeats at either the semifinal or final stage Employing the same tactic of resting their key players the week prior in the league had them looking a touch off their best once again with the exception of their quick-tap penalty plays Leinster rarely looked like troubling the Saints' defense Jamison Gibson Park and Sam Prendergast appeared stumped for ideas without their pack being completely dominant.  Neither player offered much of a running threat which allowed the Saints defenders to simply slide to the next possible carrier This issue was eerily similar to the one they encountered in last year’s final where Ross Byrne was found out by the Toulouse defense but they were undone by a lack of discipline and clinical processes the men in blue squandered several point-scoring opportunities Questions now will be asked of where this squad goes to next.  In reality this season was shaping up to be its best chance of success Toulouse in the midst of an injury crisis and Bordeaux remaining an unknown at this level Just five days out from the Lions squad being announced could a few names of been added and removed from Andy Farrell’s squad list FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.  Get the most important Rugby stories delivered straight to your inbox A monumental weekend in Europe saw holders Toulouse given a breakdown lesson by Bordeaux on the Atlantic Coast found themselves at the wrong end of arguably Northampton’s finest ever performance 15 Romain Buros (Bordeaux-Begles): A really classy outing that demonstrated why France are so keen to have him around their squad Pivotal in setting up the first try for Pete Samu with a magnificent miss pass to Matthieu Jalibert he takes the shirt from Saints’ James Ramm and Toulouse’s Juan Cruz Mallia one of the few ST players that did themselves justice in the Bordeaux humidity 14 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints): The big man just keeps delivering What a season he’s had and continues to have Sometimes his size belies just how quick he is whilst UBB will wait anxiously on the fitness of Damian Penaud who limped off early 13 Nicolas Depoortiere (Bordeaux-Begles): The big centre had another thrilling outing as his breakdown and defensive work was a feature of the way UBB closed down Toulouse A word for his opponent – Pierre Louis Barassi has been in great shape for Toulouse all season and once again kept fighting to the end 12 Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints): There’s a good chance that Dingers may be winging it Down Under with the Lions Once again the mortar in the Saints bricks although Yoram Moefana once again shone for UBB Note to ed: why on earth did Jordie Barrett not start for Leinser 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux-Begles): Wow The little magician is the form player of the world right now – so much so that we’re not even naming a runner-up since no one can get anywhere near him right now Jack Willis confirms British & Irish Lions squad announcement plans after ‘gut punch’ Champions Cup defeat 10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints): Our toughest call of the weekend given Matthieu Jalibert‘s genius at the Matmut Atlantique for Smith to steer a team of underdogs to win on the road against the tournament favourites underlines just how brilliant he was Jalibert is a close runner-up and needs singling out for his brilliance in that first movement try for Bordeaux 9 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints): Another blistering performance of spike and control from the brilliant Saintsman Mitchell has booked his place on the Lions tour there was little to choose between Mitch and the brilliant Maxime Lucu for Bordeaux 8 Juarno Augustus (Northampton Saints): A thundering performance that completely eclipsed Caelan Doris’ effort in defeat Augustus has looked fitter than ever this season and Saints benefit from his sharpness Toulouse may be ruing leaving Anthony Jelonch on the bench as he was one of their most dangerous carriers once he entered the fray 7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints): When Pollock picked up the ball on the 29th minute mark he instantly transformed Sam Prendergast into Sam Pondergast effectively put paid to the glacial Leinster 10’s Lions chances Pollock may lack a tad of the physical in close quarter exchanges but the man is a joyous free spirit with ball in hand even if his post-match interview made Matt Damon’s performances in Invictus seem almost plausible 6 Guido Petti (Bordeaux-Begles): Petti might just be one of the most underrated players in rugby The veteran back five utility player was a crucial cog in the UBB wheel delivering a magnificent and super accurate performance of pressure and intelligence Josh Kemeny shone like a beacon for Saints and deserves a mention Bordeaux star ‘not surprised’ by ‘amazing’ Northampton and reveals crucial area of ‘dominance’ against Toulouse 5 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints): Coles has been utterly magnificent this year and might even be a Lions option on his current form Massive in every way and made a crucial try-saving intervention 4 Cyril Cazeaux (Bordeaux-Begles): A very industrious performance from the big man Thibaud Flament showed precisely why many consider him one of the best three locks in the world 3 Ben Tameifuna (Bordeaux-Begles): His huge frame rumbled on after 54 minutes and he then delivered a 26 minute shift to be proud of as he scored a crucial try but also offered scrummage solidity Saints’ Trevor Davison saw off the Leinster front-row in fine style in a high quality outing that might slip under the selectorial radar 2 Maxime Lamothe (Bordeaux-Begles): All of the starting hookers this weekend did their trade proud as Julien Marchand Dan Sheehan and Curtis Langdon all delivered action packed performances 1 Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints): The young England hopeful has found his feet in the elite level game over the past couple of years and Saturday’s performance shows just how far he’s come he tackled everything that moved and helped to secure a solid Northampton scrum and he just gets into our team ahead of the consistency of Jefferson Poirot READ MORE: Andy Farrell ‘simply can’t afford not to take’ Jack Willis as Toulouse star hails ‘amazing’ B&I Lions hopefuls How Bordeaux-Begles' players rated in their Investec Champions Cup semi-final triumph over Toulouse at the Matmut Atlantique on Sunday. Following a 35-18 victory for Bordeaux-Begles against Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final, here's our five takeaways from Sunday's game. Lawrence Dallaglio has named the British and Irish Lions squad he wants to see picked to tour Australia – and it includes the French-based Owen Farrell. “Are they human or are they Leinster?” asked Jacqui Hurley when she welcomed us to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday quoting that quirky little tune that’s being doing the rounds As part of a research project into the Leinster faithful‘s confidence levels ahead of their Champions Cup semi-final this couch checked the availability and pricing of early morning flights from Dublin to Cardiff on May 24th They were either sold out or cost roughly about the price of a two-bed duplex with an A BER rating in south Dublin Our RTÉ panel attempted to be more cautious none of them dismissing Northampton’s chances of springing a surprise but when Jacqui suggested that “it would feel catastrophic if Leinster didn’t win today” Jamie Heaslip and Donal Lenihan all nodded violently Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne could beat the Northampton starting XV all by themselves ran his eye over Leinster’s list of replacements all he could conclude was that “it’s just silly” reckoning that Barrett must have been “the superest sub this competition has ever seen” none of our pundits on either channel – Lawrence Dallaglio Rob Kearney and Pat Lam making up the Premier Sports crew – forecasting anything but a home win “one of the most incredible games I’ve ever seen” Tommy Freeman and Henry Pollock among their chief tormentors the pair helping put Northampton 27-15 up at half-time “It has not gone quite as you might have expected,” said Jacqui Jamie and Donal all shaking their heads violently when he tiptoed his way past Sam Prendergast [ Tommy Freeman overcomes adversity to become a standout Northampton Saints playerOpens in new window ] The second half? Ah here. The gas from Northampton was ridiculous. Until that last moment when Ross Byrne scored the winning try for Leinster. Except he didn’t The wait for officialdom to rule on the moment “One of the most bizarre finishes you’d ever see,” said Bernard Jackman Please send your explanations to mystifiedbytherulesofrugby@irishtimes.com The price of the last remaining Dublin to Cardiff flights were tumbling those trying to flog ones already purchased discovering that the name-change fee would buy a three-bed duplex with an A++ BER rating in south Dublin “Leinster didn’t turn up like a team that wanted to win the match and get to the final,” said Rob Jacqui’s description of Northampton’s display as “a performance for the ages” probably closer to the mark “What’s he like?” Jamie asked Northampton’s Alex Mitchell when he joined the panel pitchside for a chat [ Leinster continue to find new ways to lose big gamesOpens in new window ] “How many times can you say I’m disappointed, I’m gutted, I’m in pain,” said Premier Sports’ Martin Bayfield, although, in fairness, Leinster captains should be well practised in the art at this stage. Northampton v Bordeaux it is then in the final, a contest that will warm the hearts of Leinster-loving, Cardiff-flight-owning folk much like a home with a G BER rating will toast your toes. They’ve discovered, once more, that their team is only human. Dave Bowen and the Northampton Town squad for the 1965-66 First Division season It will never happen again that a club sharing a ground with a county cricket team will reach the top flight of English football And yet that was the reality for Northampton Town sealed promotion to the old First Division with a 4-1 away win at Bury It capped an outstanding managerial achievement by Dave Bowen who guided Northampton from the fourth tier to the first in just five seasons - a rise which took Luton Town nine years to emulate in the current century "We needed to win at Bury on Easter Saturday Don Martin scored early in the second half and we had a three-goal lead then and we could relax," Graham Carr told BBC Look East and was still finding his feet among seasoned professionals But such was the congested nature of the fixture list there was little time to enjoy their achievement - that came later at a special dinner hosted by the town's mayor We were sitting on the bus ready to go and we could hear Dave Bowen talking to Sports Report on the radio," said Carr a 16-seater to fly to Exeter to play Plymouth "Then we got the flight back to Luton and the following day we played Plymouth in the return game and won 3-1 We played three games in four days with the same players Wales and Northampton great Bowen honoured with bust Graham Carr returned to Northampton as an associate director in 2017 Northampton finished the season in second place with 56 points from their 42 games - only two for a win in those days - and were just a single point behind champions Newcastle United And promotion meant that in the following season the Cobblers would be mixing it with the likes of Liverpool Carr believes that much of the credit must go to Bowen who was first appointed in 1959 following two spells as a player with the club and also spent 10 years as manager of the Wales national team "Dave Bowen was a marvellous coach and he was out with us every day training He had a plan for everything," he said "There was good recruitment and we played the same system every game Those wingers were principally Harry Walden and Tommy Robson later to become a club legend for rivals Peterborough United with Robson reaching double figures for goals Northampton Town's pitch at the County Ground was used as a car park during the summer months But how much of an advantage was Northampton's unusual ground The club had shared the playing area with Northamptonshire CCC since 1905 and went through the entire campaign without losing a single game at home where they only conceded 16 goals in 21 fixtures I never heard any player want to leave," said Carr "We never did warm-ups like they do now we rubbed oil on (our legs in the changing room) and ran onto the pitch You didn't see the build-up of people coming into the ground "You couldn't help but think 'wow' I'm ready for it' with the people on the cricket side tight to you Other clubs would feel they were up against it The promotion season ended with a home game against Portsmouth an unforgettable occasion for those who were there the town was only half the size it is now so everyone knew everyone None of us could believe it was happening," supporter Roger Averill told BBC Look East I was in the middle of the hotel end which was packed I had to climb up the floodlights so I could see I don't think I appreciated the magnitude of it I thought we would do this all the time but I have found out that we don't!" Roger Averill has been a Northampton supporter since the early 1960s Northampton were handed a trip to Merseyside to take on Everton for their first match in the top flight although Bobby Brown's goal brought them level at 1-1 I remember driving in and I knew I was (going to be) on the bench," Carr recalls "The crowd outside Goodison Park was unbelievable." There was encouragement from their first two home games which ended in 1-1 draws with Arsenal and defending champions Manchester United Matt Busby's side helping attracting a crowd of 21,245 to the County Ground Things then took a downturn as the Cobblers failed to win any of the next 10 but back-to-back 2-1 home victories over West Ham and Aston Villa lifted the mood with Jim Hall scoring both goals in the latter Results were mixed thereafter but the Cobblers managed to stay just above the bottom two despite 6-2 defeats in the return game with Manchester United at Old Trafford and at Stoke City in February Newcastle United and Leeds United were both beaten at home and they completed a notable double over Villa when John Mackin and Graham Moore's goals gave them a 2-1 win The final three games were a rollercoaster as a 4-2 home loss to Fulham dropped them into the relegation places a 2-1 home win over Sunderland lifted them out only for a 3-0 defeat at Blackpool to see them finish 21st and they were relegated along with Blackburn Rovers They had certainly not disgraced themselves but defensive frailty ultimately cost them dear Their 92 goals conceded was four worse than any other team "We had great lads who were physically strong who would work hard and dig in – and frighten people – but in the First Division then you did need a little more than that," said Carr we didn't have the money to do it - we did our best but our best wasn't good enough." Carr left Northampton in 1968 to join York City but returned as manager in the mid-1980s and and guided them to the Fourth Division title in 1987 He went on to become chief scout for both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United before deciding to return to Northampton as an associate director eight years ago how does he feel looking back to that glorious season which culminated in promotion 60 years ago and the players with whom he shared a dressing room I don't think it will ever happen again because finances have changed this game," an emotional Carr added "We all lived in Northampton so we had a drink together we went to the cafes together after training Los Pumas flanker Guido Petti was full of praise for the brilliance of his own backline as Bordeaux claimed a spot in the Investec Champions Cup final Petti pointed to the way that Bordeaux had targeted the Toulouse breakdown dominance as key to his team’s historic win at Matmut  Atlantique The 87-cap Test veteran said Bordeaux were patently aware of the dominance that the Toulouse back-row need to strut their magic and that all of the talk in the lead-up was how UBB could react to that and turn it to an advantage “We knew the point of contact was really the key of the match. And yes, we knew they had players like Jack Willis, Julien Marchand and Francois Cros and that they wanted to steal every f***ing ball going in every breakdown and in the point of contact,” Petti explained “So this became a main focus for us and the key was our timing It was about the speed to own the space and to get into the carrier at the exact moment he received the ball “You saw that work early on against Emmanuel Meafou – his dropped ball that went into transition and then Matthieu Jalibert works his magic and we go seven up at the other end of the pitch – but the catalyst from that was the hit and the timing of the tackle on Emmanuel that turned the ball over initially “And we also wanted to be stronger with our back-rows and our centres also getting to fight for the goals in the point of contact we came out as the winner – which says a lot about the timing I spoke about And also we knew that we needed to have the ball to play and leave our superstars in the backline to enjoy and express themselves “I think when we get to dominate the point of contact rugby becomes a much easier job and that helps us greatly for sure.” Bordeaux-Begles v Toulouse: Five takeaways as ‘rugby genius’ Louis Bielle-Biarrey stars to end champions’ ‘magnificent reign’ Bordeaux-Begles v Toulouse winners and losers: Damian Penaud departure a ‘sad sight’ for viewers who enjoy ‘glorious’ Champions Cup weekend He added: “That came from that timing piece I referred to real precision hits precisely at the right moment and that got us proper front foot momentum.” Petti and his cronies now have a date with Northampton Saints in the final in Cardiff on May 24 Petti admits that the result surprised him and his UBB colleagues but he remains very circumspect as to the challenge the East Midlands outfit will pose We know Northampton is a great team and we’ve seen it yesterday,” he said “They dominated the Leinster breakdown and were really good with their defence You can see the amazing players that they have “I think it’s not a surprise – we saw them along all of the Champions Cup So we need to prepare the best match possible to get to play this final READ MORE: Bordeaux-Begles player ratings v Toulouse: Matthieu Jalibert and Louis Bielle-Biarrey lead the way while Wallabies star also shines By Hanna Guidry and Jessica MichalskiPublished: May 2025 at 2:14 PM EDT|Updated: 14 hours agoEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInNORTHAMPTON (WGGB/WSHM) - Northampton Animal Control is searching for information regarding a stray Boston Terrier They currently have no information on where he is from or if he was abandoned or neglected but have named him ‘Puddles’ in the meantime He was found near the intersection at Easthampton Road and Earle Street at 6:00 Monday morning They scanned him for a microchip and could not find one Animal Control Officers must hold dogs for seven days under the state requirement Northampton Animal Control officer Dawn Ubelaker also told Western Mass News that if they are still unclaimed at that point They become the property of the municipality they’re in Officer Dawn mentioned they are waiting on testing that the veterinarian did as he may have been exposed to tick borne illnesses or other health conditions they’re not aware of yet If you recognize him or have additional info please call Northampton Animal Control and speak with ACO Dawn Thousands of celebrants took part in the annual Hampshire Pride parade and festival Saturday in Northampton Massachusetts sign-toting people marched through downtown to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community Many said they wanted to show support for trans people in particular, in light of the Trump administration’s hostility towards trans rights and gender-affirming care “It's like a celebration in terms of resistance especially given all of the anti-trans legislation and all of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in general,” said Olivia Nied “I think that's a big thing with the queer community in general.” usually takes place before the traditional Pride month of June Police estimated up to 10,000 people attended this year’s event Leinster Rugby and the Northampton Saints are set to clash in a titanic encounter at the Aviva Stadium as the Saints return to Dublin seeking to avenge last season's narrow semifinal loss to the Irish giants.  a perennial contender in European competition enters the match well-rested and hungry for another shot at continental silverware.  arrives riding high after a dominant quarterfinal victory and will be determined to rewrite history.  With both teams loaded with international talent and a recent history between them this heavyweight encounter promises to captivate the raucous Aviva crowd.  Leinster's big-game experience may provide an edge but the resurgent Saints will be out to cause an upset Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup semifinals: ET on May 3 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.  Leinster vs. Northampton Saints in the Investec Cup Semifinals will be streaming live on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States and all of North America. The 2025 Investec Champions Cup final will take place Saturday Key points of the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup: A 14-foot-long community mural created last fall by random attendees of the Paradise City Arts Festival is now on display in Northampton City Hall The mural was presented at a recent ceremony attended by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra founder and director with her husband Jeff Post of the Paradise City Arts Festival City officials were on hand during a recent celebration at City Hall to mark the completion of a 14-foot-long community mural celebrating three decades of the Paradise City Arts Festival and reflecting the city’s rich artistic and cultural history As part of its 30th arts festival held last October Paradise City Arts commemorated its origin story with a community mural featuring trademarks of Northampton: the Connecticut River and a depiction of 19th century opera singer Jenny Lind who is credited as giving Northampton the “Paradise City” moniker designed by New Hampshire artist and professor Rick Freed was executed over the long weekend by festival visitors of all ages told the Gazette that the mural embraces the concept that painting is for everyone so it feels accessible for anyone to come and just play,” Swanson said “But then when all of the shapes and colors come together the mural was unveiled at its city hall location in a ceremony attended by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and members of the local arts community The mural is located along a stairway to the mayor’s office between the building’s first and second floors Ward 1 City Councilor Stanley Moulton has added his name to the list of city officials not seeking reelection Moulton announced he would not be running in a newsletter sent to constituents on April 26 Moulton said he was stepping back from his role on the council to “pursue other interests.” “I also hope to encourage a new generation of leaders to participate in municipal government,” Moulton wrote in the letter A former editor for the Daily Hampshire Gazette Moulton served on Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s advisory commission for spending the $4 million the city received in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the federal government He also was one of three councilors on the Ordinance Review Committee and served as vice chair of the Finance Committee Moulton joins At-Large Councilor Marissa Elkins and Ward 5 Councilor Alex Jarrett in not running for reelection for the city council Five School Committee members are also not running for the upcoming election The Valley Community Development Corporation (Valley CDC) has received $200,000 from the TD Charitable Foundation as part of the foundation’s “Housing for Everyone” grant Valley CDC is one of 36 organizations selected out of 270 applicants for the grant the funds of which will be used to provide assistance to homeowners in need of maintenance and repairs in order to keep their homeowner’s insurance families and seniors are finding it increasingly difficult to cover monthly expenses leaving little to no savings for home maintenance,” said Valley CDC Program Director Sarah Sargent in a statement “We are thrilled to be able to offer this grant program to cover these costs for homeowners.” Organizations were selected for their programs focused on post-purchase homeownership support property tax relief programs and energy efficiency improvements A total of $7.2 million was distributed by the TD Charitable Foundation Hampshire and Franklin counties for homeownership and small business services and primarily Amherst and Easthampton for affordable housing development Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions Search autocomplete is currently not responding Due to the continued drought conditions in the region the City of Easton has issued a BURN BAN until further notice.  No open flames/burning of any kind is permitted for the safety of our community Swimming season begins in just over a month so now's the time to get your Easton pool passes at the River Crossing Easton YMCA Members of the Easton community are invited to join the Mayor's Office of Special Events this summer for three FREE Neighborhood Pop-up Festivals Each one will feature free food and beverages so now's the time to get your Easton pool passes at the River Crossing Easton YMCA the City of Easton has issued a BURN BAN until further notice.  The city is partnering with The Hometown Press which will be mailed out in May and November to over 10,000 City of Easton residences and businesses The City of Easton is rolling out a new metered parking payment app called Park Smarter by IPS Group as approved by Easton City Council at its September 25 We expect new stickers to be on all meters throughout the downtown by the end.. We are gathering input and insight on existing safety transportation challenges and priorities in the City of Easton Feedback from the interactive mapping survey will inform recommendations for the Easton Safe Streets for All Action Plan Phone: 610-250-6600 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Leinster Rugby will look to book its place in a fourth straight Investec Champions Cup final when hosting the Northampton Saints at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. The Irish powerhouse has been in imperious form during the knockout stages, scoring 114 points and conceding none in dominant wins over Harlequins and the Glasgow Warriors.  Head coach Leo Cullen has named a near full-strength side, with Caelan Doris captaining from the back row and All Black Jordie Barrett set to provide firepower from the bench. Fly-half Sam Prendergast continues to impress in his breakthrough season and will go head-to-head with England international Fin Smith in one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend. The pair, who share a friendly off-field rivalry, are seen as key playmakers for their respective sides. Northampton, which claimed the Premiership title last season, arrives as the underdog, but in strong form.  The Saints have climbed back into playoff contention domestically and are coming off a commanding six-try victory over Bristol.  Northampton Director of Rugby Phil Dowson has named a settled side, with Henry Pollock, recently nominated for 2025 European Player of the Year, expected to play a pivotal role at the breakdown. The key question heading into Saturday’s match is whether Northampton’s pack can withstand the relentless physicality of the Leinster forwards.  With world-class options across the park and off the bench, the hosts are widely tipped to advance. Kickoff is set for Saturday afternoon in Dublin, with the match streaming live, and exclusively, on FloRugby for viewers in the United States and North American territories. The winner will advance to the Champions Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on May 24. In one of the most dramatic semifinals in Investec Champions Cup history, the Northampton Saints pulled off a seismic upset by edging four-time runner-up Leinster 37-34 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. The reigning English Premiership champions defied the odds, withstanding a furious second-half fightback and surviving a frantic finish that saw Leinster camped on their try-line in the dying moments.  Despite playing the final 10 minutes with 14 men following a yellow card to Josh Kemeny, Northampton’s defense held firm, forcing a final turnover with the game on the line. Tommy Freeman was the hero of the first half, producing a sensational hat trick as the Saints took a 27-15 lead into the break.  The England winger exposed Leinster’s vaunted defense repeatedly, finishing off slick wide plays to stun a capacity Dublin crowd. Pollock, the 20-year-old sensation, also crossed for the Saints in the first 40 with a stunning solo try, while fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot. Leinster, which came into the match as the heavy favorite following dominant knockout wins over Harlequins and Glasgow, responded with second-half tries from captain Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan and James Lowe.  The latter’s 69th-minute score, converted brilliantly from the touchline by Sam Prendergast, brought the Irish giants within three. Momentum appeared to be swinging fully Leinster’s way, when Kemeny was sin-binned for a high tackle. But despite wave after wave of blue pressure, the Saints hung on. In the game’s final act, Leinster was awarded a penalty on the Saints’ line and looked certain to score, only for Northampton to force a remarkable turnover at the ruck and spark wild celebrations. Leinster led briefly in the first half after tries from Tommy O’Brien, Josh van der Flier and a Prendergast penalty, but the team's defense couldn’t contain Northampton’s width and tempo. It marks Leinster’s fifth consecutive semifinal or final exit, and perhaps the most painful, as the wait for a fifth European title continues.  For Northampton, it’s a famous triumph - one of the greatest in their modern history - and a return to the Champions Cup final for the first time since 2011. Final Score: Northampton Saints 37, Leinster Rugby 34. Will Northampton now go all the way and lift the trophy? The Northampton Saints have come to Dublin and knocked Leinster out of the Investec Champions Cup! What a victory for the Premiership champions!  Leinster had the game in its hands with a late penalty, but it got turned over once again! What a disaster for Leinster and what a moment for the Saints! It ends here! Northampton Saints 37 - Leinster Rugby 34. That would've been the most dramatic ending to a Champions Cup semifinal of all time.  Ross Byrne thought he had scored, as did the Aviva Stadium fans. Instead it is a Leinster penalty on the Northampton line. The Saints get another yellow card but still are at 14 players, as Kemeny has come on. A second exceptional set play from a tap penalty gets the home side over the line. This time, it is James Lowe.  Sam Prendergast drills the touchline conversion to bring Leinster back within three points! Game on! LEI 34 - NOR 37. Northampton is in for a nervous final 10 minutes here. Backrow Josh Kemeny has been shown a yellow card for a clear high tackle, and Leinster has gone on the offensive.  That's more like it from the Leinster pack, which gets a big-time rolling maul going!  Sheehan finds Ryan Baird at a line-out moments after the replacement backrow won the turnover penalty.  Sheehan then latched on to the rapidly moving Saints maul to dot down. Prendergast misses the conversion, but the home side is back within three points. LEI 27 - NOR 30. Reclaiming a two-score lead, Fin Smith nails a penalty from 40 meters out following an Andrew Porter penalty concession at the breakdown. The big loosehead went through on his hands and offered the Saints a chance to take the two-score lead. LEI 22 - NOR 30. The captain stands up and powers over the Saints defense from a quick-tap penalty to bring his side right back into the contest. Prendergast converts, and the home side is back within a score. LEI 22 - NOR 27. Leinster starts this half a little shaky but has grown into things and got into the Saints 22 with a penalty to come. England winger Tommy Freeman delivered a stunning first-half hat trick as the Northampton Saints ripped through Leinster’s vaunted defense to lead 27-15 at halftime in a pulsating Investec Champions Cup semifinal at the Aviva Stadium. In front of a sold-out crowd basking in Dublin sunshine, Saints silenced the home support with a blistering attacking display, capitalizing on every opportunity handed to them by a Leinster side that struggled to contain Northampton’s width and tempo. Freeman’s third try came in the 38th minute, capping a sensational seven-minute blitz in which he crossed the whitewash twice to flip momentum firmly in the Saints' favor.  Exploiting the edge defense yet again, Freeman finished clinically after quick hands from the backs. Although Fin Smith missed both conversions following Freeman’s second and third tries, the damage was done. It was Freeman who also opened the scoring in the eighth minute, latching onto a perfectly weighted kick from Smith after James Ramm ignited the counterattack from deep. Smith nailed that touchline conversion to give Northampton an early 7-0 lead. Leinster, which had enjoyed the lion’s share of early possession, responded through a Sam Prendergast penalty and a well-worked try from Tommy O’Brien following a quick tap from Jamison Gibson-Park.  Prendergast then converted Josh van der Flier’s 25th-minute score, the flanker barreling over after sustained pressure, as the hosts took a brief 15-10 lead. But young Saints phenom Henry Pollock struck back five minutes later with a sensational solo effort from halfway, evading Prendergast on the outside before racing clear to level the scores. Smith’s conversion nudged the Saints ahead once more, and from there, Freeman took over. Northampton’s defense also stood tall at key moments, particularly during Curtis Langdon’s stint in the sin bin, awarded for persistent team infringements. Despite being down a man, the Saints held firm and counterpunched with ruthless efficiency. Leinster now faces a 12-point deficit and a fired-up Northampton outfit heading into the second half. Leinster now needs a massive response to avoid a fourth consecutive season with a late exit, while also denying the Saints a famous place in the final. That's a first half hat trick for Freeman! Exposing the best defense in the competition three times out wide! The England winger is blitzing Leinster here! Smith misses the conversion! NOR 27 - LEI 15. The Saints expose Leinster again out wide, and it's Freeman again! Smith just misses the conversion, but the Saints have a seven-point lead! NOR 22 - LEI 15. The most talked about young talent in pro rugby scores a scorcher!  Breaking from the halfway line, Pollock skins Prendergast on the outside to race away for a match-tying try. Smith nails the conversion, and the Saints are back in front! NOR 17 - LEI 15. Leinster is going through the gears here, working through some quick phases, before the ball goes wide to Josh van der Flier, who powers through two Northampton defenders! Prendergast nails the conversion!  The Saints get a double whammy, with Curtis Langdon being shown a yellow card following an accumulation of Saints penalties. LEI 15 - NOR 10. Bang! Just like that Leinster strikes!  The home side has held the majority of the possession and territory. Packing down for a scrum, Leinster is awarded a free kick, and Jamison Gibson Park goes quickly to find Sam Prendergast.  The young fly-half flings a superb ball out wide to Tommy O'Brien, who goes over untouched! Prendergast just misses the conversion off the right upright. LEI 8 - NOR 7. Leinster get its first points of the match, with Henry Pollock being caught off his feet at the breakdown. Prendergast sneaks the ball in close to the upright. NOR 7 - LEI 3. Sam Prendergast kicks long to fullback James Ramm. The Australian immediately breaks away from Prendergast and finds Fin Smith. The fly-half kicks forward, and the ball bounces up perfectly for Tommy Freeman. Smith nails the conversion touchlin,e and the visitors are up and running. NOR 7 - LEI 0. The Saints did incredibly well to hold up a powerful Leinster maul and immediately win a free kick from the ensuing scrum. Cian Healy went early on the engagement, and the Saints kicked long. Sam Prendergast gets us underway at a sold-out Aviva Stadium under glorious Dublin sunshine!  Leinster has crushed all comers in this season’s knockout rounds, and the squad looks set to overwhelm Northampton, too.  Leinster's 62-0 demolition of Harlequins and 52-0 mauling of Glasgow underline just how dominant the Irish side has been, with a relentless defense orchestrated by Jacques Nienaber.  Backing Leinster -21 at 10-11 (2pts) looks solid value, given the gulf in physicality and form, especially with Leinster at home and eyeing a fourth straight final.  For those hunting a player angle, Dan Sheehan to score a try at 10-11 (2pts) also stands out.  The dynamic hooker has dotted down in both knockout games and was Ireland’s leading try-scorer in the Six Nations.  With Leinster’s pack likely to boss proceedings, Sheehan is well-placed to cross again.  Expect the hosts to turn the screw late on and cover the handicap as Saints struggle to match the intensity. Today's semifinal between Leinster and the Saints features several tantalizing individual matchups that could define the outcome.  Chief among them is the back-row battle between young phenom Henry Pollock and former World Rugby Player of the Year Josh van der Flier.  Pollock’s ability to disrupt at the breakdown will be crucial against Leinster’s powerful ruck game.  On the flanks, James Lowe and Tommy Freeman go head-to-head in a clash of British and Irish Lions hopefuls, both capable of turning the match with a single moment of brilliance.  At scrumhalf, Jamison Gibson-Park’s speed and precision will be tested by Alex Mitchell’s sniping threat and tempo control.  However, the spotlight may shine brightest on the fly-halves - Leinster’s Sam Prendergast and Northampton’s Fin Smith.  Two of the brightest young playmakers in the game both possess exceptional poise and vision, and whichever of the pair can control territory and tempo may well lead his side to victory. The match is streaming live on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States and all of North America. When Do The Investec Champions Cup Playoffs Begin In 2025?The Investec Champions Cup Playoffs kick off with the Round of 16 on April 4 as the Northampton Saints take on Clermont Rugby The remaining seven games of the round will be played April 5-6 The quarterfinals will follow from April 11-13 with a short break until the semifinals on May 2-4 The Champions Cup Final will take place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff Catherine Kay at her desk in her office at Community Legal Aid in Northampton with items she felt were important to her — a letter from her parents the Constitution a sheet of music with notes from her teacher “I think the eighth grade Cathy would be proud of what I’ve done with my life in music and in law,” she says NORTHAMPTON — Some people are led by answers but Catherine Kay’s life has unfolded around a guiding question: What can I do “It’s always been clear to me that we don’t live our lives just for ourselves but that we all have gifts and that it’s our purpose in life to use those gifts in the service of others,” Kay said The answers brought Kay to legal services nonprofit Community Legal Aid and its predecessor for two separate careers in law practice and management — in the beginning and at the end of her career she shelved her legal pursuits to follow her passions as a musician she’s volunteered her time at the First Congregational Church in Amherst Northampton Board of Registrars and Dollars for Scholars She’s raised three children with husband Rich Cooper the retired owner of Cooper’s Corner in Florence and State Street Fruit Store in Northampton and always offered her support of his businesses alongside her own career aspirations Kay once again finds herself asking a question: What’s next Kay worked her final day on Friday for Community Legal Aid where for the last eight years she has overseen the organization’s Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime (CLAVC) program a statewide initiative that provides supplementary legal services to survivors of crimes Friday also likely marked her last day in law altogether Kay says her community work is far from over “I realized it was kind of these experiences building on themselves,” Kay said “I was saying ‘yes’ and embracing new opportunities I was listening to myself and what’s going on around me and reacting to that I was learning from every opportunity and responding As an undergraduate history student at Smith College Kay spent more time at the piano bench than in the history department She would accompany several choral and music groups for her work-study program Her path turned a corner when Betty Fredian inspired her to return to her home state of Illinois and campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment along with her volunteer work at Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation in Chicago “There are practical ways that I see music and lawyering intersecting,” Kay said “You have something you want to communicate and you figure out how you’re going to tell that story whether it’s in the music or it’s in the legal case you start with what you know and you build off that.” Building off the foundation of Kay’s legal knowledge and life experience was key to developing Community Legal Aid’s version of the CLAVC The program provides legal services for victims of crimes who may require additional expertise after their initial case is completed a victim of statutory assault may want to issue a restraining order or divorce their partner limited intervention or representation in court for these additional consequences of a crime “You see those ripple effects of that one crime flow out,” Kay said bringing CLAVC to Community Legal Aid was an uphill battle a managing attorney at Community Legal Aid said CLAVC was not even fully formed at the state level before Kay began working on the nonprofit’s version which the attorneys on staff had little familiarity with to educate everyone in the organization on what the program was and how it worked “It was really trying to figure out how this program that doesn’t really act like any other practice area fits into the (existing) programs,” she continued Nearly every aspect of the way that Community Legal Aid conducts business has changed since Kay began at her career in legal aid She remembers running handwritten notes out to the typist in the hallway and faxing documents between the Northampton and Pittsfield offices The nonprofit’s structure has grown and evolved Worcester County and all four western Massachusetts counties the core of the organization remains the same as well as its mission to provide legal assistance to those without the capital to pay for these services paralegals and administrative support staff in 1987 and there are that same quality of people now,” Kay said Kay returned to two other core values of her life: music and family A mother-daughter music class at the Northampton Community Music Center laid the seed for her second music career as a choral instructor Kay taught and conducted choral groups at the music center and at Williston Northampton School while raising her three children She also returned to Smith as the college’s choir accompanist “Everything I learned in the legal world really enhanced the work I was able to do with my students,” Kay said “I was sharing that music with them and letting them see that here I was a mom and lawyer and also a music teacher.” It wasn’t until she began volunteering with the Williston Northampton School We the People team that her passion for law reignited took her back to her eighth grade constitutional unit Despite taking a 15-year break from the legal aid field Kay remained a staple of the western Massachusetts legal aid scene How can we do the thing that people want to do even when it doesn’t seem like there’s capacity or an ability to do it That’s been really great in all of the areas.” an attorney at Legal Aid who had an office next to Kay for years often overheard the seasoned attorney exercise extreme patience kindness and polish with difficult clients in high stress circumstances Manzanares describes Kay as the office’s “trusted adult” because she and her colleagues stop by Kay’s office whenever they need advise on a legal issue personal problem or even just an outside opinion “She’s everything I want to be when I grow up.” Manzanares said “She does everything with this really deep integrity that’s steeped in Midwestern kindness I can’t imagine doing this work without her.” It’s the community of attorneys across the Community Legal Aid offices that kept Kay afloat on her hardest days and it’s community she will continue to seek out as she closes out this chapter of her life Kay says she’ll spend more time with her family and once again immerse herself in music will continue to fall into place as she seeks answers to the “What’s next?” question “I think that young teenager would be amazed and proud of the life that unfolded,” Kay said in a post-interview email I had the same four foundation points as I do now at retirement — family Those core values have held firm all these years and have supported a rewarding and always interesting career path that has blended it all together.” Members of the Mountain River Taiko play drums during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton on her shoulders during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton walks during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton A crowd member watches the Hampshire Pride parade from a rooftop Saturday in Northampton Spectators cheer during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton Volunteers from The Common School toss necklaces during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton Members of the Expandable Brass Band perform during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton Spectators watch the Hampshire Pride parade from a bridge Saturday Members of The Hartsbrook School float ride along during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton Members of the Drag Queen group Bien Latina perform during the Hampshire Pride festival Saturday in Northampton and Sativo Green read a book during Drag Story Hour at the Hampshire Pride festival Saturday in Northampton eat breadsticks during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton A drag queen runs down Main Street during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton Drag Queen Miz Rebel performs during the Hampshire Pride festival Saturday in Northampton performs amongst crowd members during the Hampshire Pride festival Saturday in Northampton A dancer twirls down Bridge Street during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton Parade members walk on stilts during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton performs during the Hampshire Pride festival in Northampton The Hampshire Pride parade continues down Bridge Street Saturday in Northampton performs down Main Street during the Hampshire Pride parade Saturday in Northampton People walk between booths during the Hampshire Pride festival Saturday in Northampton NORTHAMPTON — Hampshire Pride 2025 was a day of celebration in Northampton — and according to director and founder Clay Pearson unapologetic” and “united in our demand for justice and liberty for all” in the wake of recent political attacks on the LGBTQ+ community This was the third year of Hampshire Pride; Pearson along with Celina Almendarez and Kayla Abney founded and organized the first Hampshire Pride in 2023 in just nine weeks after the former NoHo Pride fizzled following the pandemic The first gay pride march in Northampton was held in 1982 This year’s Hampshire Pride was the biggest yet The parade on Saturday included 98 contingents and nearly 2,000 participants according to Pearson — up from about 1,800 participants in 2024 — ranging from school affinity groups to health care groups who walked from Sheldon Field to Crafts Avenue nondiscriminatory experience,” said Morgan Trenholm of Northampton “It’s a great way to get to know your community and feel loved and supported and reciprocate that same love and support toward other people.” who is originally from Europe and lives in Northampton now “I think everyone can be just the way they are and everybody’s accepting and fine with it I’ve never found a town where you can do that so I just absolutely love the community here and the people There were 20-30% more vendors this year in the fair behind the E there were projected to be 15,000-20,000 attendees but Pearson estimated that dropped to 10,000-15,000 in town on the day of the event due to the weather This year also marked the first collaboration between Northampton Resists and Hampshire Pride A rally held on the main festival stage featured several LGBTQ+ speakers we rise louder,” Pearson said at the start of the rally We resist the erosion of our trans siblings’ rights We resist the idea that any of us must be quiet to be accepted or be grateful just to be tolerated Northampton Resists co-founder Mary Wang-Boucher pointed out the political left’s tendency to “eat our own” and pursue the perfect at the expense of the good leaving space for the political right to “steamroll right over us” and follow Trump’s orders in lockstep and more about those who believe in common decency and those who don’t,” Wang-Boucher said health insurance; all these things bring us together.” who couldn’t attend Hampshire Pride in person sent a video message to rally attendees and affirmed that “trans rights are human rights,” to cheers from the crowd “My father used to say: you can’t beg for your rights,” Markey continued Markey and congresswoman Pramila Jayapal have introduced a Transgender Bill of Rights at the federal level that would guarantee certain rights for transgender and nonbinary people Markey committed to continuing to fight for those rights Other rally speakers included Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra Northampton Resists co-founder Carla Imperial Alongside the seriousness of the current political climate and calls to action by rally speakers many Pride attendees were joyous and celebratory set up in the alley between the parking garage and Thornes Marketplace and there was a craft station for kids and families Vendors handed out swag including necklaces condoms and rainbow-adorned bags and bracelets Many said they were happy to be in community which provides outreach services and comprehensive care for people with HIV and AIDS happy celebration of many of the people that come to us for support,” Shally-Jensen said finally — we used to be in the closet because there was too much stigma attached to people living with HIV and AIDS.” “We come out (to Pride) to keep our community having fun and staying safe,” she said Walking through the vendor fair after the rally Pearson said they were glad the rain held off — a few Pride participants backed out last minute due to possible thunderstorms in the forecast Pearson was appreciative of the community support “People have been really outspoken about there being a really great political rally going on we’ve got the drag stage going up right now with a drag story time — so far everything is coasting really well together,” Pearson said NORTHAMPTON — The City Council on Thursday rejected a proposal that would have given it the authority to increase the school budget with tense discussions highlighting the way school funding has divided city politics called for the council to adopt Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1987 a state law that would allow the council to increase the budget beyond what the mayor recommends the council can only reduce parts of the budget but cannot increase the budget for any item beyond the mayor’s recommendation “This is the council deciding to take responsibility and accountability for the largest department that we almost all agree is in perpetual crisis,” Maiore said on Thursday and our entire existence on council is to be a check.” The issue of the school budget has roiled the city over the last year and half with advocates of higher school spending pushing back against Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s handling of the budget the mayor originally proposed a 4% increase for the school budget for the current fiscal year but ended up more than doubling that amount when the budget was adopted Mid-year appropriations to the schools have brought that increase up to 9.8% The budget still led to more than 20 positions being cut though several of those jobs were restored over the course of the school year Sciarra intends to increase school spending this year by 5.8% though school funding advocates are asking for much more a proponent of higher school spending and in favor of the opt-in budget The council has been sharply divided over the issue of school spending with the vote on the current year’s budget being delayed by several weeks due to the school issue it doesn’t commit any of us to break with how we feel,” Dubs said but I feel like we can agree that a robust and full conversation is worth having and that all of our options on the table are worth having.” the council voted down the opt-in measure by a 5-3 vote with At-Large Councilor Marissa Elkins not present at the meeting The vote was split largely along the lines of councilors who supported higher school spending Ward 3 Councilor Quaverly Rothenberg joined Dubs and Maiore in voting for the measure Those voting against were at-large member Garrick Perry Alex Jarrett of Ward 5 and Marianne LaBarge of Ward 6 “This is not a panacea and just to say that by opting in we’ll have some magical ability [to fund the schools],” Perry said “I really am not seeing how this one thing will relieve that pressure.” The council discussions over the proposed order showed that tensions still exist within the council on the issue gave a hypothetical scenario where the council could agree to reduce the budget for the mayor’s office in order to force the mayor’s hand in a school budget dispute “That’s why we have that power,” Rothenberg said “These are the tools that councils use to get the mayor to revise a budget the way they want it to be for the community.” Rothenberg’s statements were met with a strong rebuke from Moulton “We don’t threaten to take away the mayor’s staff in order to get something that we want.” Rothenberg then called for a five-minute recess “Recesses can certainly be used if people are feeling a lot of emotion and need to cool down,” Jarrett said after the council resumed activity Northampton Public School Superintendent Portia Bonner previously told the Gazette that the increase in next year’s school budget although it would lead to a reduction in some services and elimination of several positions through attrition Sciarra is expected t  o present the budget for fiscal 2026 Everything changed when Charlie Edwards took over the Northampton boys lacrosse team in 2024 The Blue Devils had five straight seasons with a losing record prior to Edwards’ arrival and interest in the program was low from prospective athletes Edwards—who previously was the head coach at Amherst Regional for seven years—has turned Northampton right around The Blue Devils won 13 times and hosted a MIAA state tournament game in 2024 Edwards has Northampton in an even better spot The Blue Devils are undefeated (11-0) and look to be one of the most balanced teams in Western Massachusetts with depth scoring and quality defense abound we got 11 seniors so I think that’s a big part of it,” Edwards said on what he thinks has been key to the Blue Devils’ perfect start our goalie and then a lot of midfielder and offensive guys are really where our experience is and it’s been a big difference.” The Blue Devils’ senior class has stimulated their success and the nearly dozen 12th-graders felt this season could be a special one “We knew that this was going to be the year that everything led up to,” Jackson Oravec said Oravec is part of Northampton’s seasoned offensive group along with Jack Carpenter and Keller Mahoney The trio have been constants on the field for the Blue Devils since as far back as their freshman year and their maturation as lacrosse players lined up perfectly with Edwards’ onboarding at Northampton “I lucked into a good batch of upperclassmen,” Edwards said All three have surpassed double figures in goals-scored this spring as well Edwards credited a couple names from a newly-formed co-op with Hampshire Regional that have been a stabilizing presence The team has allowed more than five goals in a game just twice all season had no idea [how good he is]” Edwards said While Edwards’ first go-around as head coach for the Blue Devils was a success four straight losses to end the season dampened the spirits of the group in a hurry Northampton lost in the first round of the Western Mass then fell to Auburn in the preliminary round of the Division 3 state tournament at home That experience proved to be a learning opportunity for the Blue Devils and they do not want a repeat performance once the postseason rolls around this time “We hadn’t had that experience in a long time,” Carpenter said “We kind of went into that not really knowing we can learn from that experience and apply those things to this season Hopefully that will bring us farther in the tournament this year.” Edwards’ first focus is capturing a Pioneer League title “Another win or two I think could clinch the league Regardless of what Northampton is able to achieve this season when it’s all said and done it’s safe to say Edwards has brought respectability back to the Blue Devils boys lacrosse program that respect was reflected in the first MIAA power rankings of the spring season which saw Northampton ranked 15th in all of Div “We used to be a really good team,” senior goalie Henry Fallon said “Northampton was sort of a giant lacrosse school We’re just trying to get the whole school culture back to lacrosse The past two years [beforehand] haven’t been great It’s sort of got people to not want to play lacrosse We love the game so we’re trying to perpetuate the winning [culture].” Building programs back up usually takes some time but Edwards has cracked the code and appears to be the right person to guide Northampton for years to come moving forward “It’s not just about the success this year but it’s about making sure that after I leave that we’re still leaving the guys with a good sense of community and connection and continue to get those extracurricular because those are one of the big things that really helped us this year,” Carpenter said I trust that Charlie is going to be able to keep the team going in the right direction keep these winning years and continuing a prosperous program in the future.” Kalli White has scored in each of Granby’s 11 games this season The sophomore attacker has filled the net a remarkable 73 times as of the end of April which is six shy of her single-season career high of 79 she set as a freshman last season White’s lowest output in a game was a hat trick during the Rams’ season-opener on March 28 against Mount Greylock White has only gotten better finding the back of the net including potting 11 goals in two of the last three games The Rams have put more than 20 goals on the board twice this season while three of their five losses have been by five goals or fewer White is rapidly approaching 200 career goals and will likely get it over the course of Granby’s final six regular-season games only Amherst’s Kiko Bhowmik is close to White in the goal-scoring department The Hurricanes’ junior has 44 tucks to date NORTHAMPTON — City schools will avoid layoffs next fiscal year under a budget proposal announced earlier this week by the mayor though Superintendent Portia Bonner said Wednesday that other reductions in services are expected Although the Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s planned $43.8 million budget for the schools falls below what Bonner had previously indicated the district would need for a “level services budget” — a budget that avoids staff cuts — the superintendent said that she met this week with school principals and other administrative staff to come up with a plan that would prevent layoffs “It’s not necessarily the level services budget but it brings us closer to it,” Bonner said “We were looking at the worst-case scenario and then when we got word that this was changing we looked at areas in which we could reduce that would not impact staffing.” According to a spreadsheet provided by Bonner to the Gazette the reductions amount to $655,722 and are spread across the district’s six schools several positions will be eliminated through attrition and retirements including a fifth grade teaching position at Leeds Elementary School and a technology teacher at JFK Middle School Part-time secretary positions at Leeds and Ryan Road elementary schools will also not be replaced after the employees in those roles now retire this year A technology integrationist position at Northampton High School will also be eliminated but Bonner said the integrationist would be transferred to another position in the district “This was a collaboration with the administration working together taking a look at how we can really continue the work that we’ve been doing and not affect our employees,” Bonner said Other funds being reduced include more than $20,000 for school gardens located across the district’s four elementary schools Bonner said that she would look to apply for a Northampton Education Foundation (NEF) grant to keep the gardens at the schools “I’m already beginning to reach out to individuals to look for some volunteers that can help sustain the program over this year and then apply for an NEF grant to help sustain that,” Bonner said The reductions also include $70,000 in transportation for students facing homelessness and foster care Bonner said she hoped to be able to receive some reimbursements from the state and emphasized the transportation programs were not being eliminated entirely “It’s not a complete elimination of those areas just cutting down on the costs,” Bonner said Other cuts include principal office supplies at Jackson Street School professional development stipends and expenses at Bridge Street School and a reduction in the dual enrollment program at NHS that allows students to take community college courses The school budget has been a point of contention in Northampton with numerous protests last year that led to the mayor to double her original spending amount for the schools but still leading to staff cuts The school budget announced by Sciarra on Monday is less than half of the budget recommended by School Committee members although several had acknowledged that such a budget would be nearly impossible to achieve president of the Northampton Association of School Employees union said in an interview that she knew of at least one person who had received a layoff notice and that several staff members worked on contracts that had the possibility of not being renewed “Saying there is no layoffs is just word salad,” Egitto said We’re still losing positions and we’re losing supplies.” Egitto also said the reductions did not take into consideration ongoing contract negotiations between NASE in the district which could lead to higher wages for staff but more funds required for the district budget Once the mayor introduces a budget later this month the City Council can reduce the total amount The council however is expected to vote on an order during its Thursday meeting that would allow them to adopt Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1987 which if passed and approved by the mayor would give them the ability to increase the school budget Bordeaux-Begles star Joey Carbery is dreaming fondly of adding another Champions Cup trophy to his collection later this month after a thoroughly entertaining semi-final victory over Toulouse on Sunday who won the European prize in 2018 with Leinster entered the field of play with 10 minutes remaining as Matthieu Jalibert took his well deserved rest It was a comprehensive victory for Bordeaux as they downed their fellow countrymen 35-18 Carbery said: “It’s pretty incredible it just shows that all our hard work is paying off It’s great for us and it’s great to get one over Toulouse as well.” Taking place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff Bordeaux will face a confident Northampton Saints side that on Saturday dumped out the mighty Leinster on home turf “It was a crazy game really in the end I think they played the perfect game,” reflected the former Munster star Guido Petti: ‘Not surprised’ by ‘amazing’ Saints and ‘dominance’ v Toulouse “It was great for them to get one over Leinster I think they’re going to be a huge challenge but I think they’re very similar to us they’ve got threats all over the park so it’s going to be a good final.” Praising the 16th man for always being so vocal and loud the out-of-favour Irish international reflected on the fans’ impact on their form: “We play for ourselves So it feels like there’s a lot more than just this team and the 15 that are on the pitch And I think how far it’s come in the last maybe 20 years as well but it’s still so special to be part of and you can feel like there’s a proper meaning behind it all It’s an incredible team to play for.” With the sheer star-power in the Bordeaux line-up it’s difficult to pick out one particular player that stands out above the rest Louis Bielle-Biarrey is doing a good an extremely good job of getting himself noticed including one almost length of the field effort saw the flying winger pick up all the plaudits once again – but what do his teammates think about him “He’s incredible,” said Carbery “For a 10 to be able to know that him and Damian [Penaud] are on the wings And then he’s got blistering and incredible finishing on the back of it So he’s a pretty special player.” he’s not too shabby from the boot either: “Even yesterday in the captain’s run “I think they’re very similar to us,” Carbery noted “And I think that’s as big of a compliment as I can give “I even saw a stat yesterday that all their tries came from unstructured play We know they’re dangerous from anywhere I’ve played against them a couple of times throughout the years and they’re a really difficult team.” READ MORE: Lewis Moody Team of My Life: Springboks ‘artist’ and Richie McCaw Life in the south of France is treating the Irishman well by all accounts telling reporters after the game that “It’s not the worst place to live And the weather’s a little bit better than Ireland He admitted that getting to grips with the language was a little difficult but noted that he couldn’t have asked for a better first year in the city Discussing his relationship with fellow fly half Carbery said: “We have a bit of competition there as well but I’ve played a few times with him at 15 He was very good today – he’s got it all.” Bordeaux will face Northampton Saints at in the Investec Champions Cup final at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday 24 May 2025 Munster defence coach Denis Leamy has opened up on Bordeaux-Begles fly-half Joey Carbery's inside knowledge of his team ahead of their Champions Cup quarter-final on Saturday Following Bordeaux-Begles' 43-31 victory over Ulster in the Investec Champions Cup here are our winners and losers from the Stade Chaban-Delmas You are not hallucinating; you have not been transported back 12 months and you certainly are not living in a parallel dimension the Northampton Saints will take on Leinster Rugby in Dublin in an Investec Champions Cup semifinal clash Returning an abundance of players from their clash at the same stage last season one could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu.  It's another Premiership club heading to Dublin to take on one of the professional true Galactico sides.  while this clash remains somewhat of a David vs Goliath event in which the home side once again is heavily tipped to progress to a fourth consecutive final While the English Midlands club arrives in Dublin further down the Premiership table it is a side that did claim a title last season - something the vaunted hosts have not done since the 2020-2021 season infuriatingly inconsistent opening two-thirds of the season the Saints have been on a heater of late.  Such has been their form that they can now realistically harbor hopes of a move back into the Premiership top 4 with three matches remaining.  their sole focus is on pulling off what would be the biggest upset in recent memory over a side hurting from three consecutive final defeats Leinster Rugby has named Caelan Doris as captain for Saturday’s encounter with head coach Leo Cullen making three changes to the side that beat Glasgow in the quarterfinals Doris will be joined in the back row by Max Deegan and Josh van der Flier.  RG Snyman starts in the second row alongside Joe McCarthy while Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong pack down with Dan Sheehan in the front row Jamison Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast continue in the halves with Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose in midfield.  and Jordie Barrett are among a strong bench The Saints have named a largely unchanged lineup for the match with just one alteration to the side that beat the Bristol Bears last weekend Northampton Director of Rugby Phil Dowson welcomes tighthead prop Trevor Davison back into the starting XV after his late withdrawal last time out.  He joins Emmanuel Iyogun and Curtis Langdon in the front row both of whom were try-scorers in the six-try win over Bristol.  Temo Mayanavanua and Alex Coles continue their partnership in the engine room Juarno Augustus and 2025 Player of the Year nominee Henry Pollock is retained Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith start together in the halves for the 10th time this season while captain Fraser Dingwall and Rory Hutchinson form a familiar midfield pairing.  Tommy Freeman and James Ramm remains unchanged Tom James is in line for his 100th appearance from the bench as part of a 6-2 forwards-heavy split Labeled an audition for the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour of Australia there are fascinating head-to-head matchups as far as the eye can see Saints upstart Henry Pollock will face his biggest test to date when he takes on former World Player Of The Year Josh van der Flier.  James Lowe and Tommy Freeman could form a powerhouse partnership down under but will face off in the tramlines on Saturday Jamison Gibson-Park against Alex Mitchell is the equivalent of a super featherweight title eliminator the showdown between two of the game’s brightest young fly-half talents in Sam Prendergast and Fin Smith makes for a superb subplot It is this final matchup that we are most interested in following with a player cam style focus Having already squared off with another young gun Irish fly-half in Munster’s Jack Crowley this season it’s fair to say that Smith and Crowley were the key orchestrators in the Saints’ narrow pool-stage victory Facing a near all-international superstar squad this week Smith likely will have less front-foot ball to operate with Prendergast is all too aware of the threats his ‘cool customer’ opposite number poses Speaking about his burgeoning rivalry with his former U20 international opponent "I didn't actually know much about him at that time and we've stayed in touch very loosely and always sort of wished each other well," Prendergast said "He messaged me after the [semifinal] at Croke Park last year and sort of said I actually caught up with him just after England had played Ireland [in the Six Nations] chatting about stuff that fly-halves chat about Smith was equally effusive in his praise of Prendergast "Since he's sort of taken to professional rugby Smith pointed out where he felt the Irishman was at his best and said that the former U20 Six Nations Grand Slam winner has it all and he just seems like a real calm customer." Although there is little doubt both players have strengths of their own Smith is a stout defender and a top-notch facilitator while Prendergast is almost rugby league-esque in his ability to trot up to the line before unfurling a long-range pass.  with the big-game mentality and authoritative manner in bossing their squad around the park Prendergast should have the easier time of the two playmakers with Leinster's power game but if the Saints are to pull off the upset it will likely be down to Smith putting his side in positions to succeed this match will depend on whether the Northampton pack can handle Leinster's power game the Saints will have to be perfect for the full 80 minutes with Leinster's bench full of world-class international talent Leinster will have a full international pack at every juncture of this fixture.  outside of former Ireland U20 captain Tommy O’Brien Leinster once again will have a full international deck to choose from with All Black star Jordie Barrett being their ace of spades the Premiership champions return to Dublin without the experienced international duo of Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam These departures ramp up the pressure on young Henry Pollock to take the fight to Leinster's back row Building their success on an ability to ensure quick ruck ball the Leinster pack blow through opposition in this department Unlike his more flashy moments so far this season Pollock will need to stick to going down some dark alleys if he has ambitions of slowing down Leinster with the general perception being that he will be replaced 20 minutes into the match by Andrew Porter.  before one of the most powerful players in world rugby tags in Reflecting on the Leinster bench as a whole not since Edge and Christian in the WWE has there been a more intimidating 1-2 in pro than Porter and Barrett.  the sight of Ireland’s first choice loosehead and quite possibly the best current All Black trotting on One area the Saints will feel they are uniquely positioned to punish Leinster is their ability to get around the blitz defense Just a week removed from a second-string Leinster side suffering just their second defeat of the season the Saints will draw inspiration from what the Scarlets pulled off in Round 16 of the URC Turning Leinster’s lightning-quick line speed against it Scarlets employed a clever short-range kicking game and a narrow carrying option to keep the Leinster line honest This put a split-second hesitation in some of the Leinster defenders’ minds and allowed the Scarlets to make yards before working the ball wide Gary Ringrose is often Leinster’s dedicated shooter while James Lowe is renowned for jamming in and shutting off the outside pass.  If Smith can pull the trigger at the right moment with the likes of Tommy Freeman the possibility of getting the Leinster defense backpedaling is there then it will come down to their ability to capitalize and Leinster’s ability to scramble Of course this is all well and good in theory no side has been able to effectively do this bar perhaps Bath for the opening 20 minutes of their pool match Most bookies have made Leinster a 20-point favorite in this clash when one considers that through two playoff matches Leinster has scored 114 points and conceded 0 the Saints have the panache to take advantage of opportunities and in attack coach Sam Vesty they have one of the best attacking minds in the game we don’t see the Leinster machine coming unstuck this week with the firepower they can keep on the park for the full 80 minutes but the Leinster power game will eventually tell The Northampton Post 28 Senior Legion baseball team (19U) will be holding tryouts on Saturday call Mike Noonan (413-320-9403) or Mike Quinlan (413-923-7794) The Aviva Stadium truly was the perfect venue for what was a scintillating game of European rugby today Northampton Saints came away 34-37 eventual victors over their hosts Leinster in front of an almost packed out crowd Here’s how we rated the Northampton players 15 James Ramm: For a man that’s supposed to stand at the back of the field He saw plenty of action from the first minute to the last providing an attacking flair that more than made up for the missing George Furbank but worked well to quash most of the Leinster attack alongside his wing partners 14 Tommy Freeman: With over a try in every two games it’s easy to see why Freeman has become such a valued winger for both club and country A hat-trick today against the great Leinster – something truly special about this boy Andy Farrell may well look his way on Wednesday 13 Fraser Dingwall: Worked hard in defence against a Leinster side that often threatened to break the line But alongside centre partner Rory Hutchinson the two defused most of the attacks through the middle 12 Rory Hutchinson: Tackled hard and topped the charts for turnovers won for his side He led the Northampton defensive effort with an unmatched intensity 11 Tom Litchfield: Difficult to rate such a quiet performance perhaps he should have forced his way into the game 10 Fin Smith: The rising star in English rugby displayed yet another complete fly-half performance He controlled the game throughout as he created plenty of space for the fast men outside 9 Alex Mitchell: The England first choice nine will be hoping to make the cut on Thursday when Farrell announces his 2025 British and Irish Lions squad while not one of the best he’s ever played will have done nothing to have hurt his chances the rest of his performance was classy as he efficiently played heads up rugby against one of the most organised clubs in world rugby Leinster v Northampton: 5 takeaways as Saints reach Champions Cup final 8 Juarno Augustus: In last year’s semi-final match between these two mammoth sides causing plenty of errors within the Leinster attack 7 Henry Pollock: The future international star and possible Lions bolter had another storming game today Dominating the mighty Leinster in all aspects scoring a try and topping the tackle count 6 Josh Kemeny: Not one of the busier players with ball in hand but Kemeny still held his own in the breakdown where he would proved to be a menace all afternoon long 5 Alex Coles: Guilty of conceding a couple of turnovers and a received a yellow card at the death hitting double figures in his overall tackle count 4 Temo Mayanavanua: He went about and did his business but will nevertheless be satisfied with his performance 3 Trevor Davison: A couple of huge hits in the first half signalled a big game for the former Falcon but sadly his impact dwindled as time went on The aging prop was replaced early into the second half 2 Curtis Langdon: Besides a couple of lineout mishaps and a yellow card for Northampton’s persistent fouling the 27-year-old cut a very solid figure out on the Aviva Stadium turf proving to be a defensive menace with 14 tackles 1 Emmanuel Iyogun: The young England hopeful has found his feet in the elite level game over the past couple of years and today’s performance shows just how far he’s come he tackled everything that moved and helped to secure a solid Northampton scrum His youth came in handy as he remained on the field until the end Replacements: Northampton were well in control before the replacements entered the field and it almost felt that because the intensity was so high READ MORE: Finn Russell ‘desperate’ to clinch British & Irish Lions spot in final audition Owen Doyle has insisted that Leinster should have been awarded a game-winning penalty try in the final minute of their Champions Cup semi-final A review of Ross Byrne's disallowed try in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final Following a breathtaking two days of semi-final action in Europe it's time for James While to select our Investec Champions Cup Team of the Week Alex Mitchell hailed Northampton Saints' players as being "fearless" after they clinched a 37-34 win over Leinster in Saturday's Champions Cup semi-final British and Irish Lions hopefuls Sam Prendergast and Fin Smith Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock and Jamison Gibson-Park and Alex Mitchell will go head-to-head in this weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final head coach Leo Cullen has benched in-form Jordie Barrett and Andrew Porter for the clash at the Aviva with Robbie Henshaw and Cian Healy preferred in the starting XV Barrett has not played since their 52-0 drubbing of Glasgow in the previous round For Leinster Hugo Keenan once again starts at full-back with Tommy O’Brien and James Lowe named on the wings Garry Ringrose starts at 13 alongside the aforementioned Henshaw while Gibson-Park and Prendergast again start in the halves Caelan Doris leads the side from number eight with van der Flier and Max Deegan on the flanks James McCarthy partners returning Springboks star RG Snyman in the locks and Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan start alongside Healy in the front-row Barrett and Porter are joined by Ronan Kelleher Leinster legend warns Henry Pollock over putting ‘target on his own back’ as Northampton eye ‘greatest win’ in their history Northampton have also named as strong a side as they can; however are unable to call upon the likes of George Furbank and Ollie Sleightholme with Tommy Freeman and Tom Litchfield on the wings Smith and Mitchell once again partner in the halves South African powerhouse Juarno Augustus starts at eight with Pollock and Josh Kemeny starting on the flanks Alex Coles and Temo Mayanavanua start in the engine room Curtis Langdon and Emmanuel Iyogun named in the front-row Champions Cup: ‘New kid on the block’ set for biggest British and Irish Lions test while prolific French wingers threaten Toulouse’s crown Tom James is in-line to make his 100th appearance for the club off the bench and is one of just two backs as Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson adopts a 6:2 split READ MORE: ‘I need to perform’ – Fin Smith raring for Leinster ‘Test match’ in final British and Irish Lions audition Leinster’s attempt to reach their fourth successive Champions Cup final in a row spectacularly came a cropper in the Saturday evening Dublin sunshine as Northampton deservedly won a 10-try 71-point semi-final thriller in front of an attendance of 42,207 Here is how we rated Leo Cullen’s Irish side in their breathtaking 34-37 loss 15 Hugo Keenan: Was looking for a polished outing to seal his expected British and Irish Lions tour selection we witnessed an error-strewn display where he defensively failed to adequately shut the door on Northampton time and time again His 70th-minute assist for the James Lowe score was an aberration 14 Tommy O’Brien: If Leinster had a backline full of Tommy O’Briens they would have comfortably advanced to the final Unlike his Test-playing Ireland colleagues Scored on 18 minutes and then produced some other lovely interventions Look at his penalty-winning kick and chase 12 minutes into the second half not long after he levelled Curtis Langdon in the tackle 13 Garry Ringrose: His limp performance illustrated the weakness in Leinster putting too much emphasis on defence in this Jacques Nienaber era than prioritising the lovely flowing attacking style of play they thrived on just a few seasons ago such as his 11th-minute clattering of Fraser Dingwall But he was ultimately dead on his feet as seen in the wrecked tired tackle of Alex Coles that he fell off in the lead to James Ramm’s 63rd minute try 12 Robbie Henshaw: So poor was the midfielder that we didn’t scribble down a single thing of positive note before he was called ashore on 50 minutes 11 James Lowe: He broke Northampton hearts a year ago in Croke Park with his try hat-trick but had his heart broken here with Tommy Freeman hitting back with a splendid first-half hat-trick Lowe’s defending lacked precision and while he did eventually score on 70 minutes that good moment was a rarity in an outing to forget And @SaintsRugby have a 27-15 lead at the break 👀 Follow the #InvestecChampionsCup SF live ➡️https://t.co/e9hzNa7SI1 pic.twitter.com/3xZefd7ZKY — Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 3, 2025 10 Sam Prendergast: This semi-final was touted as a Prendergast head-to-head with Fin Smith in the battle for Lions selection – and the Northampton player convincingly won the duel While there were splendid passes in the creation of two first-half scores his game had too many errors overall and the ultimate snub came when not getting asked to level the scores on 76 minutes off the tee Leinster went to the corner with the penalty fluffed the resulting play and Prendergast was hooked for the closing minutes 9 Jamison Gibson-Park: His speed of pass flummoxed the Saints in the opening half last year but there was no repeat in this rematch such as the quick tap to help create the 18th-minute try but Alex Mitchell generally managed the positional challenge put to him by the Leinster scrum-half who didn’t have enough willing helpers around him 8 Caelan Doris: Was looking for a massive individual performance to enhance his Lions captaincy credentials but he didn’t get it Failed to impress in a difficult first half he did fleetingly bounce back in the second by delivering a 47th-minute try and then executing a sweet rip and kick for a 50/22 he then took a knock and exited on 57 minutes a two-try scorer would have his praises loudly sung for his efforts but the 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year was eclipsed by the crazy energy of the wonderful Henry Pollock who has surely played his way into the Lions squad The evening finished in a gut-wrenching way for Van der Flier as he agonisingly lost the ball approaching the try line 6 Max Deegan: This biggest fixture in his slow-burning career was filled with regret While there were two exquisite pieces of handling including the offload to set Van der Flier up for his first half try lasting impact eluded him in his 44 minutes See the 20th-minute stolen lineout five metres out from the line or the way he was sucking air when Juarno Augustus snatched the loose ball to create Freeman’s hat-trick try 5 Joe McCarthy: Plenty of matches end with this chap’s name up in lights but this semi-final was a case of ‘Ordinary Joe’ his display was pockmarked by damaging errors We’ll point out two: his missed tackle in the Smith break that led to the first Northampton score and also getting the ball stolen by Pollock after carrying to a 76th minute ruck 4 RG Snyman: The double Rugby World Cup winner was signed to be the ‘decisive inches’ difference in season-defining matches like this but he was terrible His maul-leading was generally ineffective apart from the second-half Van der Flier score there were deflating handling errors and his soft attempt to tackle Pollock was a prime reason the visiting back-rower raced to the line on 29 minutes 3 Tadhg Furlong: Just his sixth club start in an injury-hit season and it showed There was no of the energetic bounce about the place that you see from him in his prime and while his scrummaging wasn’t a game-losing factor he didn’t do enough in his 54 minutes on the pitch 2 Dan Sheehan: Let’s give Northampton their due they recognised he was the Leinster dangerman and they took diligent steps to dilute his impact on this semi-final Sheehan still had his threatening moments in his 64 minutes but the Saints shackled the home team’s maul and that was critical 1 Cian Healy: Time waits for no man and this start was a game too far for the soon-to-retire 37-year-old Left clutching air when Smith broke to ignite move for opening score and was then like a scrapheap car arriving way too slow to a breakdown where Leinster conceded a penalty Replacements: Leinster dipped into their back-up with just 20 minutes gone hooking Healy and sending on Andrew Porter who started slowly as he took blame for the Pollock score Next came Jack Conan just minutes into the second half and his penalty win secured the possession for the Doris try Jordie Barrett was then summoned and soon involved in turning over Northampton’s ball with Rabah Slimani following on 54 minutes and Ryan Baird three minutes later quickly winning a turnover penalty and taking the lineout catch for van der Flier’s maul try Slimani getting hit high led to a 68th-minute yellow for Josh Kemeny The game ended with the ball getting pilfered on a Conan carry summing up the overall lack of game-changing bench impact READ MORE: Five takeaways as ‘heroic’ Saints condemn ‘champions elect’ to ‘another year of hurt’ in Champions Cup classic Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber fears the worst for Caelan Doris Ex-England hooker Brian Moore has published the rejigged British and Irish Lions squad he would like to see picked this Thursday by Andy Farrell Leinster have issued a concerning update on Caelan Doris just three days out from the British and Irish Lions squad announcement Leo Cullen has provided an injury update ahead of the Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints