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Leinster player ratings vs Glasgow | 2025 Investec Champions Cup QF
By Ian Cameron at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Leinster player ratings: Another week, another team flattened by the Leinster steamroller. At times, this 52-0 Champions Cup quarter-final win felt like a training run against the B team, but the reality is that a second-string Leinster side would likely have proved far tougher opposition.
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Here’s how the players rated:
1. Cian Healy – 8
Did what Cian Healy does in a rare start for the loosehead legend. Utterly dominated Sam Talakai in the early scrums, although he didn’t get a chance to truck it up in the loose before being taken off after just 31 minutes. Still, what a 31 minutes.
2. Ronan Kelleher – 7
Back from injury, Kelleher was reliable at the lineout and lively around the park. His no-nonsense carrying in the first half reminded everyone he’s not just here to throw the ball in.
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3. Tadhg Furlong – 7
Back in the starting team and clearly eager to get on the ball early, even if he’s still shaking off a bit of ring rust. Got the better of Nathan McBeth in the scrums too.
4. Joe McCarthy – 8
A big performance from Big Joe, who carried through the heart of the Glasgow forwards at will. Didn’t dominate every single collision on defence, but you wouldn’t fancy running down his channel either.
5. RG Snyman – 8
A cut above in the tight exchanges. Whether it was disrupting lineouts, swatting would-be tacklers to offload, or just looming ominously in the backfield, the 131kg lock looks like a man very much at home in blue.
6. Max Deegan – 8
Pitched in across the park and worked hard in the trenches. It didn’t take long for his efforts to pay off with Leinster’s first try. He picked up a second before the close of play. One of Deegan’s best performances in blue.
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7. Josh van der Flier – 7.5
One of those days where he just got through a mountain of work. Tidy at the breakdown, tireless in defence, and still had the legs to hit rucks in the 75th minute.
8. Jack Conan – N/A
Set the tone early with a couple of physical carries but left the field after just 14 minutes and didn’t return.
9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 8
Snappy service and always a threat around the fringes. His tempo control made life easier for those outside him, especially under Glasgow pressure. Put Lowe away with a superb long pass and was the lubricant that kept the Leinster machine well-oiled throughout.
10. Sam Prendergast – 9
A booming spiralled touchfinder early on settled the nerves, and his passing was pretty slick too. Targeted early and often by Darge and co., but it was water off a duck’s back. Went about the business of picking Glasgow apart with both feet and hands. The odd brainrot tackle attempt aside, this was Prendergast at his very best. With Andy Farrell in the crowd to witness this masterclass, you’d expect this has put him right back in Lions contention, with the French Six Nations blip very much in the rear-view mirror.
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11. James Lowe – 8
Got a decent early run that sent Glasgow into panic stations. His booming left boot was useful, but it’s his general menace with ball in hand that poses such a problem for opposition sides.
12. Jordie Barrett – 9
Shipped a big hit early and very nearly gave away an intercept but settled after that. Unlucky to have a try scrubbed off and was pure class covering back following Kyle Rowe’s break in the first half. Every bit the All Blacks superstar this evening — seemingly everything, everywhere, all at once.
13. Garry Ringrose – 8
Marshalled the midfield defence well and linked neatly with both Barrett and the outside backs. Was having a relatively quiet outing before deciding to blast his way past five Glasgow defenders to score on 47 minutes.
14. Tommy O’Brien – 8
Eager but never looked out of place. Got a bit of egg on his face trying to chip over Kyle Rowe, only for the Glasgow fullback to run it 60 metres down the pitch. His steal set up Leinster’s second try (it wouldn’t be his last), and he got a huge cheer when he smashed his way over for one of his own. We’ll turn a blind eye to his comically bad between-the-legs pass just after half-time.
15. Hugo Keenan – 7.5
Does what he always does — clean under the high ball, composed in defence, and picks his moments in attack. Scored off a delightful kick from Prendergast.
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16. Dan Sheehan – 8
It would have been a shock to the system if Sheehan didn’t score, and he duly obliged — with a weird somersault thrown in for good measure. He may have got a second were it not for a forward pass from Luke McGrath.
17. Andrew Porter – 7
Anchored the scrum after coming on for Healy at 31 minutes.
18. Rabah Slimani – 6
Slotted in nicely and played his part in keeping Glasgow honest at the set-piece.
19. Diarmuid Mangan – 7
Got his minutes, and the big fella didn’t look out of place. A good learning outing at this level.
20. Caelan Doris – 7
Got absolutely milled by Alex Samuel after coming on for Jack Conan but popped right back up and made a number of telling contributions, alongside the odd error.
21. Luke McGrath – 6.5
Closed things out calmly with the sort of game management you want from a senior replacement nine.
22. Ross Byrne – 6
Prendergast was a tough act to follow but Byrne was lively, even if the substitute half-backs felt a little pedestrian in the final third.
23. Robbie Henshaw – 7.5
Made his 100th appearance for Leinster and it was a fine effort — tackling his guts out and making yardage with ball in hand.
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Prendergast, cannot be 9/10.
3 missed tackles. His defence is very suspect and he tackles like a 14 Yr old.
Work in progress only.
Easy ride with the 8 forwards
And Barrett missed 7 but bagged motm. If you can’t take your fixation off tackle success rate rugby must be such a boring game.
Big Jordie was embarrassingly good.
I assume JVDF lost a few points because Jordie started to play as an open side for a good spell.
Ridiculous.
The Quins boys will be sleeping a little better tonight.