Leinster player ratings vs Harlequins | 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup

Leinster player ratings: After a slow start, Leinster simply blew Harlequins away at Croke Park, recording a frankly embarrassing 62-0 hammering for the ages.

Here’s how we rated the Leinster players:

1. Andrew Porter – 7
A decent shift from the loosehead against 141kg tighthead Titi Lamositele, even as the other side of the scrum was crumbling. Had an early charge-down on Marcus Smith and kept busy in the loose.

2. Dan Sheehan – 7.5
Much-improved darts. Bustled around the park like a man on a mission, throwing in the odd deft offload for good measure. Rumbled over for the obligatory ‘Dan Sheehan’ try in the 55th minute, by which time Harlequins’ fight was well and truly extinguished.

3. Rabah Slimani – 5
Didn’t hold up terribly well against England rookie Fin Baxter. Twisted his ankle on a carry in which he passed the ball to a Harlquins player, but managed to carry on. Knocked it on in his next carry just before half-time.

4. Joe McCarthy – 8
Helped restore the established order in Dublin when he strolled over for Leinster’s second try. Kept the lineout stable and the contact areas honest. Almost telepathic in his understanding with Snyman, forming a reliable boilerhouse partnership.

5. RG Snyman – 6
Started with a knock-on but the towering South African was a menacing sight. Didn’t produce many highlight-reel moments in what was one of his quieter games in a blue jersey, even if he softened up a few Quins’ forwards.

6. Jack Conan – 7,5
Took every carry with real purpose. Brought a certain bully boy energy, too, which the Croke Park crowd seemed to feed off. Always up for the physical stuff.

7. Josh van der Flier – 8.5
Never stopped working. Hammered rucks, hunted breakdowns, and put in a Trojan shift from start to finish. Another day, another huge effort, with some vintage ball-carrying thrown into the bargain. Fully deserved his try off a catch-and-drive maul just after halftime.

8. Caelan Doris – 7
Composure personified at the back of the scrum. Repeatedly found soft shoulders in contact and offloaded like he’d been practicing behind closed doors.

9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 7.5
The conductor of the orchestra. He fizzed passes off both hands at will and kept the tempo high. Top marks for orchestrating a few breathless tap-kicks that rattled Quins’ defence. A couple of miscues aside, a fine afternoon.

10. Sam Prendergast – 7
A confident showing after what might have been a difficult few post-Six Nations weeks for the young gun. Scored Leinster’s first try to settle nerves off a powerful Dan Sheehan break. Varied his kicks smartly and dealt well with the attention of Harlequins back-row.

11. James Lowe – 8
The Leinster crowd loves him, and he gave them reason to cheer. The odd duff kick aside, his big left boot generally gained territory and he tested Quins with a few barnstorming runs on the wing, which eventually reaped rewards with two 5-pointers just before full-time.

12. Robbie Henshaw – 6.5
The pride of Athlone carried like a midsized SUV when the mood struck, keeping the Gallagher Premiership side’s defence honest. His decision not to pass just after half-time probably cost Leinster a try.

13. Garry Ringrose – 8
Smooth operator. His timing on the pass was spot-on, putting teammates into space at just the right moment. Defensively, he held that channel on lockdown, even if there were no rib-rearranging hits on this occasion. His 46th-minute try was like the brushstroke of a Renaissance master at his peak.

14. Jamie Osborne – 7.5
Nearly stole an intercept in the sixth minute and did brilliantly to finish off Leinster’s sweeping third try as the home side kicked up the gears. Looked eager to spark something every time he got it, injecting a bit of unpredictability out wide. One conspicuous knock-on aside, it was a bright performance.

15. Hugo Keenan – 7
Solid under the high ball, an area which Quins tried to exploit more than once. Always seemed to have an extra second or two, such was his composure in the backfield.

REPLACEMENTS:

16. Gus McCarthy – 6.5
Brought some fresh momentum off the bench. Piled into mauls and rucks with real intent and absolutely milled Danny Care with one tackle.

17. Jack Boyle – 7
Shored up the scrum nicely, adding weight at a crucial stage. Put in a couple of sturdy tackles to keep the Quins pack from gaining any head of steam.

18. Tadhg Furlong – 8
The Wexford man delivered a cameo full of trademark soft hands and bull-like rumbles. Even in a brief spell, he reminded us why he’s so highly rated.

19. Ryan Baird – 6
He soared in the lineout and backed it up with a few heavy hits in open play. Got stuck in but you still feel there’s more to come from the rangey back-row.

20. Max Deegan – 6.5
Ran a good support line or two, and never shied away from the dirty work around the fringes.

21. Luke McGrath – 7
Kept the pace ticking over when Gibson-Park took a breather. Secure in his passing, sharp around the fringes, and always chirping away at his forwards. Made a wonderful break only to force a pass with the Harlequins line beckoning. He was kicking himself.

22. Ross Byrne – 7
Brought calm authority in the late stages, even if the game was very much a fait accompli. Took his try well.

23. Jordie Barrett – 7.5
Looked comfortable on his first Croke Park outing and showed a few glimpses of that Barrett family brilliance – not least an amazing chip and collect that should have resulted in a try.