James Lowe said Jamison Gibson-Park showed why he’s arguably the best scrum-half in the world during Leinster’s 20-17 win over Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals. Leinster led 20-3 but had to hang on in the closing stages to reach the final for the third year in a row and will play either Toulouse or Harlequins on May 25 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
James Lowe described Jamison Gibson-Park as “probably the best nine in the world” after the scrum-half was instrumental in Leinster’s nervy 20-17 victory over Northampton Saints in the semi-finals of the Investec Champions Cup.
More than 82,000 fans packed into Croke Park in Dublin to watch two juggernauts of European rugby go head-to-head and it was a classic game of two halves they were served up.
Lowe scored all three of Leinster’s tries to become the first player in history to bag a hat-trick at the semi-final stage of the competition, but Gibson-Park was the architect behind the first two, his quick thinking and pinpoint execution unlocking the Northampton defence.
It was just the latest example of his immense talent during a season in which he has been consistently one of the best players on the pitch.
While scrum-half Antoine Dupont is widely considered the best player in the world, Lowe believes Gibson-Park is every bit the Frenchman’s equal.
“I reckon I ran about 10 metres in total for all three of them, so that was a bit of craic,” Lowe told TNT Sports. “There’s a reason why Jamison’s probably the best nine in the world.
“There’s one other nine who I think everyone would compare him to at the moment and he’s playing shortly in the other semi-final.
“When our forward pack is going forward it makes it so much easier to run off. He puts you into space and sees space that no-one else sees and he’s got a pass that can put me through gaps.”
It wasn’t just Gibson-Park’s ability in attack that impressed in Dublin, but also his leadership when the tide of the match turned.
Saints rallied from 20-3 down entering the final quarter to set up a tense finale. Converted tries by George Hendy and Tom Seabrook made it a three-point game with five minutes remaining, and while Leinster players and supporters panicked, Gibson-Park guided his side through the closing stages and into a third straight final.
With Toulouse in the other semi-final against Harlequins on Sunday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, it sets up the prospect of Dupont and Gibson-Park squaring off for European glory.
“I think he [Gibson-Park] is right up there as one of the best nines in the world,” TNT Sports expert Lawrence Dallaglio said. “He’s been outstanding this season and is the talisman for this team.
“He created the first two tries, his vision and his game management in those last few minutes… he was the only one who was calm.
“And he was still on the pitch, which tells you everything you need to know about how important he is to this team.
“If Toulouse win, what a match-up that would be between I reckon the two best scrum-halves in the world.
“Quins could pull off a surprise. They’ll score tries, it’s just a question of whether they can contain Toulouse because it’s not just Dupont you’ve got to worry about because they’ve got so many quality players and you’d expect the home side to prevail.”
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