Leinster 52 Glasgow Warriors 0
The blue procession continues towards Cardiff, where Leinster hope to end a seven-year wait for another Investec Champions Cup crown. This victory, setting up a Dublin semi-final at the beginning of May, was another dominant one that deprived the opposition of a single point.
Glasgow Warriors were horribly depleted by injuries to fine players in key positions, but Leinster dismissed them easily. Leo Cullen’s team consolidated a clinic against Harlequins with eight unanswered tries, bringing their aggregate score across two knockout rounds to 114-0.
Someone has to conduct the march, and Sam Prendergast delivered another polished audition for the British and Irish Lions tour in front of Andy Farrell and attack coach Andrew Goodman. There is an argument that one cannot learn too much about players in vastly superior sides. Prendergast, however, oozed quality indisputably.
He is cocooned by class in the Leinster team, of course. Jordie Barrett was staggeringly good at inside centre, plundering turnovers at will and conjuring beautiful touches in attack. Jamison Gibson-Park is a long distance ahead of the competition as front-runner for Lions scrum-half.
Others, such as Tadhg Furlong, Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose, would have nudged Farrell as well. Ireland’s flat finish to the Six Nations already feels like a long while ago.
Arguments against bringing Prendergast to Australia are fading away. Yes, he endured inevitably tricky patches during his maiden Six Nations. England started a trio of back-row scavengers and disrupted Ireland’s rhythm for an hour or so before an exceptional bench, including Jack Crowley, won the day.
Wales were on top for long periods at the Principality Stadium and France deserved their comfortable win at the Aviva Stadium. The eventual champions gave Prendergast a difficult afternoon; of that there can be no doubt. Yet the 22-year-old has emerged from those trials impressively.
There were perhaps two mistakes in his hour-long outing on Friday evening, which ended with Leinster 47-0 ahead. He failed with one of his six conversion attempts and, in the 32nd minute, he struck a penalty that was intercepted before crossing the touchline. That was about it.
Otherwise, he made smart and unselfish decisions on the ball, demonstrating a glittering array of skills. Prendergast was serene. He had an armchair ride, but it takes serious talent to look that good in any sort of vehicle. And even the most devastating of juggernauts have to be directed.
Barely 90 seconds had elapsed before Prendergast fielded a Jamie Dobie clearance in his own 22 and ...
