Jonathan Sexton scored all of Leinster’s points, chalking up a try, a conversion and six penalties, as they outfought Saracens for a 25-23 win in Saturday’s historic clash at Wembley Stadium.
With back-to-back wins in Pool 2, Leinster are now four points clear of Clermont Auvergne at the top of the table.
Speaking afterwards, man-of-the-match Jonathan Sexton said: “It feels good (to win) but we made it hard for ourselves at the end because we gave away too many penalties.
“The key when you’re playing away from home is to build your scores and that’s the case against a quality side like Saracens.
“A week’s (kicking) practice under my belt did me the world of good and, looking back, last week’s rest was the right thing for me.
“We have to play Clermont Auvergne back-to-back in December, so we’re by no means home and clear now because we know that we’re in a very tough pool.
“I thought that it was a really good squad effort and we have full confidence in our squad. I felt that some of the younger players like Fergus (McFadden) really stepped up again today.”
Leinster really stepped up to the mark in the dying minutes. They held their discipline in defence to keep Saracens out of scoring range, amid an incredible 30 phases of possession.
Sarries got as far as the Leinster ten-metre line, but the visitors’ defensive pressure forced a knock on in the final play and Joe Schmidt’s men were left to celebrate a precious away win in Europe.
45,892 spectators, a record crowd for a pool match in the UK and Ireland, ventured to the iconic Wembley Stadium for this Anglo-Irish clash.
Leinster were bidding to follow up on last weekend’s bonus point victory over Racing Metro 92, while Saracens, 25-10 losers to Clermont Auvergne seven days ago, had ground to make up in the pool.
Gordon D’Arcy and his new centre partner Luke Fitzgerald got early ball in hand, and the Leinster forwards added their weight to the surge after a wayward Saracens lineout. Play went back and forth before Sexton opened the scoring in the seventh minute.
Stand-in captain Jamie Heaslip did well to force the penalty at the breakdown and Sexton watched his 47-metre penalty from the left bounce over off the crossbar.
Saracens, with number 8 Ernst Joubert the pick of their forwards, hit back after out-half Derick Hougaard booted a long range penalty into touch. From the lineout, they muscled their way through a series of rucks and with Leinster lacking bodies on the right, a quick switch of play ended with full-back Alex Goode grabbing the game’s opening try.
The Watford-based side did well to create the overlap on the right, although Isa Nacewa almost got a man-and-ball tackle to halt the attack. Hougaard, who struck the post with an earlier penalty, missed the conversion.
The battle for territory was a fascinating one as the forwards launched a ferocious battle up front, and Sexton and Hougaard probed with kicks.
Shane Horgan, in his 80th Heineken Cup game, showed some nice touches under the high ball and looked eager to make his mark on the game, as did assured full-back Rob Kearney.
Hougaard and Sexton swapped penalties as the first quarter ended with Saracens holding an 8-6 lead. Leinster went close to adding a try to their tally when prop Cian Healy was denied from a close range ruck. Saracens captain Steve Borthwick just about held him up.
However, good carries from the busy Sean O’Brien, Horgan and Fitzgerald in the build-up showed what the visitors could do with ball in hand.
Players like Nathan Hines and Saracens’ Namibian international Jacques Burger revelled in the physicality of the game, and Leinster regained the lead in the 27th minute when Sexton fired over his third successful penalty.
An offside call against Leinster then allowed Hougaard kick Saracens ahead, but the vocal travelling support had something to cheer about before half-time, as Sexton launched over a fine kick from just inside the Saracens half for a 12-11 advantage.
Saracens failed to gather the restart and Leinster enjoyed the better of possession and territory in the opening minutes of the second half.
A Devin Toner lineout take and maul saw the forwards drive into the 22, Horgan’s claim of a cross-field kick from Sexton kept the pressure on and although possession was then lost, Shane Jennings’ foraging at the breakdown won a penalty which Sexton knocked over.
Saracens responded well, with their back row proving particularly effective, but an Achilles tendon injury for out-half Hougaard, who had to be stretchered off, robbed them of a key presence in the back-line.
Fitzgerald also shipped a knock and had to be replaced by McFadden, a late try scorer in the win over Racing.
In the 52nd minute, Leinster engineered some space on the left, through Sexton and Kearney, for Nacewa to break clear along the touchline. The winger broke towards the 22, linked back inside with McFadden and he offloaded for Sexton to slide over in the left corner.
It was a high quality try, created and finished at pace, and Sexton capped it off with a tremendous touchline conversion. Now leading 22-11, Leinster seemingly had the game within their grasp.
Goode, who stepped in at out-half, kicked a 57th minute penalty for Saracens after O’Brien was whistled up for a lineout infringement.
The Sarries forwards punched some holes in the Leinster defence, but Hines ripped the ball free in a tackle and Heaslip gained good territory for his side with a kick chase.
A succession of penalties against Leinster at the breakdown gave cause for concern and after Heaslip was issued with a team warning, a subsequent offence by Richardt Strauss saw the South African hooker sent to the sin-bin.
The resulting kick was sent through the posts by Goode, edging Saracens back within five points and punishing Leinste for a worrying loss of concentration.
Referee Christophe Berdos penalised Saracens for crossing, allowing the pinpoint Sexton to boot Leinster’s lead out to 25-17. But there was no sense of Schmidt’s charges being able to pull away on the scoreboard. Saracens dug their heels in and made it a real dogfight.
While Strauss was still off, a fine catch and run from replacement Noah Cato took Saracens back into the Leinster 22 and another penalty was nailed by Goode, setting up a nail-biting final 11 minutes.
The timely introduction of regular captain Leo Cullen, making his seasonal debut after shoulder surgery, helped Leinster steady the ship somewhat. His fellow replacements, Isaac Boss and Jason Harris-Wright, were both involved before Sexton sent a drop goal attempt to the right of the posts.
In a dramatic finale, Goode slotted a 75th minute penalty to make it a two-point game after Leinster were again let down by some indiscipline at the breakdown.
But through sheer commitment and will to win, Leinster’s gritty defending paid off for them in the end. They made a barrage of tackles as Saracens tried to pummel their way into the visitors’ half, with a knock on from Goode, in the 30th phase, bringing this gripping encounter to a close.
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