Leinster Dominates Sale to Secure Champions Cup Semi-Final Against Toulon
Leinster's journey to their 17th semi-final in the Champions Cup is set after they decisively defeated Sale. The former champions will face Toulon at the Aviva Stadium in a highly anticipated match in two weeks. Despite the scoreline, Leinster's performance left some doubt as they struggled against a Sale team missing many key players. For 50 minutes, Sale proved to be a challenging opponent before Leinster's four tries in the final half-hour sealed their fate. Match Highlights: First Half: - Only one try from Dan Sheehan in the 10th minute kept Leinster ahead as they dominated possession but failed to capitalize fully. - George Ford scored a penalty for Sale, leaving them just four points behind at halftime. Second Half: - Two yellow cards for Sale shifted momentum; Dan du Preez and Si McIntyre received cards that left Sale down to 13 players. - Leinster quickly capitalized, with tries from Hugo Keenan, Rieko Ioane, and Tommy O’Brien. - Sale managed a late consolation try from Alex Wills, but a penalty from Harry Byrne extended Leinster's lead to 23 points. - Jamie Osborne capped off the match with Leinster’s sixth try just before the final whistle. While Leinster's victory looks convincing, they will need to elevate their game against a formidable Toulon side that will not underestimate them in the upcoming clash.
Source: The Guardian Sport - 2026-04-11