This was straight out of the Rocky movies. Leinster, having produced their worst first half Heineken Cup display in a number of years, were down and out at the interval.
Behind 22-6, you had to be a real optimist to see any hope of them turning the situation around. Most crucially, their scrum was taking an absolute pounding.
What happened in the second half can only be described as astonishing. Leinster got off the floor to score 27 points without reply and win the trophy for a second time in three years.
Had this series of events happened in a movie, you would have said, great, but there's no chance of such a thing occurring in real life. It was the greatest comeback ever in the Heineken Cup, and compared with anything in more recent history in any sport.
But that's exactly what makes sport so great. In the lead-up to Saturday's encounter, Leinster coach Joe Schmidt has described how "finals are two sets of 40 minutes."
Little did he expect that he would see two such 40 minutes. Nor, in his worst nightmare, could he have envisaged that he would be talking to a battered and bruised team that were trailing by 16 points at half-time.
Consequently, his half-time talk was going to be vitally important. So, was the short time that scrummaging coach Feek had with his forwards.
But few could have anticipated that Sexton would take such a leading role in that Millennium Stadium dressing-room. The out-half argued that a victory would be all the more memorable if they could turn things around.
What's more, he stressed, it could be done. Hadn't Liverpool come from 3-0 down to overcome AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League soccer final in Istanbul?
He was right. But one hugely important aspect still had to be rectified if Leinster were to have any chance.
That was sorting out a scrum that had been decimated, mainly by Northampton's huge Tongan prop Soane Tonga'uiha, in the opening period. Most observers would have said that Leinster should have made a change in the front-row.
But Feek knew that it could be sorted. In the words of Schmidt he made "a little tweak.
"It wasn't much, but at this level, it was the difference between going forward and going backwards."
That little tweak, and possibly the fact that the Northampton pack tired somewhat in that second half, changed the match. So, it has to be said, did the fact that every Leinster player lifted their game with Sexton giving a Man of the Match performance.
The out-half finished with 28 points, scoring two tries, and kicking four penalties and three conversions. It was an effort that surely put to bed some of the ridiculous criticisms of him during the Six Nations campaign.
Importantly, he had the self-belief not to let that bother him. He proved as much by his Man of the Match performance in helping Ireland beat England in their final Six Nations outing, and he proved it again in spades with his efforts last Saturday.
Not only is this guy a smashing player, made for the demands of the current game, but he is also proving himself a real leader. And, in the circumstances they found themselves in, Leinster badly needed leaders on Saturday.
Skipper Leo Cullen was one, Sexton another and O'Driscoll, as usual, was right up there. This, despite the fact that he is not fully fit after damaging his knee the previous weekend against Ulster.
In the first half, he was far from his normal self, uncharacteristically missing a tackle for one of Northmapton's three tries.
But even an injury-hit O'Driscoll is worth his place because of the impact he has on his colleagues. He is a warrior who leads from the front, and that's exactly what he did in the second half.
Leinster fans looked on in disbelief as Phil Dowson, Ben Foden and Dylan Hartley crossed for those Northampton tries. To compound matters, out-half Stephen Myler landed two of the conversions and kicked a penalty.
All that a shell-shocked Leinster could manage in reply were two penalties from Sexton. But all was to change when Leinster came out for the second half. Suddenly, the scrum problems were solved and Leinster's high paced off-loading game was blowing Northampton away.
It was an astonishing turnaround. This was Leinster at their absolute best, with Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip running at the Northampton defence and substitute Shane Jennings also making a big contribution in the back-row.
But it was Sexton who was pulling the strings. Within seven minutes of the restart, he had scored and converted two tries, and amazingly, Leinster were now just 22-20 behind.
No one could have foreseen such a dramatic turnaround. Leinster now had the momentum and were producing rugby of the very highest level.
Northampton never recovered. There was now only going to be one winner with Leinster driving forward in search of further scores.
They came in the shape of two more Sexton penalties and a try from second-row Nathan Hines which Sexton converted to make it 33-22. At the end of it all, Leinster fans celebrated one of the great victories of all time.
It was the sort of victory that was celebrated throughout Ireland, whatever the sport, but perhaps Connacht took an added bit of satisfaction. At last, it means that Connacht will play for the first time alongside Leinster, Munster and Ulster in Heineken Cup.
Going in as outsiders, they only have to reflect on what Leinster achieved in the second half in Cardiff.
Leitrim newbies upset Sligo
THE second great sports story of the weekend, after Leinster's triumph in Cardiff, came at Markievicz Park in Sligo.
Not all of Sligo may agree, but the performance of Leitrim in defeating them by 1-10 to 0-10 in the opening round of the Connacht Senior Football Championship, represented a fantastic achievement.
It followed the tragic loss of one of their players Philly McGuinness last year, and subsequent death of skipper James Glancy's father Michael two weeks ago. So, emotions understandably ran very high at the Leitrim team celebrated an overdue success.
Seven of their side were playing their first championship game. Yet, they looked capable of upsetting the odds right through, attacking from the start.
When they were pegged back to 0-8 each in the second half, after leading by three points at the interval, it looked as if this could be another day of recounting a brrave but usuccessful Leitrim effort. But this Leitrim outfit is made of sterner stuff.
The all-important goal came from their 19-year-old full-forward Conor Beirne in the 57th minute. Unfortunately for Sligo, they couldn't make the required response.
To be fair, they weren't helped by injuries but nothing should be taken from Leitrim's efforts. Skipper Glancy unsurprisingly paid tribute to the influence of the Philly McGuinness.
"I hope Philly is looking down now. We'd a 16th man out there today," he stressed.
But Glancy was also careful not to get carried away with last Sunday's surprise victory.
"This was just one day. I'm not going to get carried away and say we're a powerhouse of Connacht football. we'll take it one day at a time."
Next up for this young Leitrim team is a semi-final meeting with Connacht champions Roscommon at Carrick-on-Shannon on June 12. Sligo, on the other hand, have to wait for the All-Ireland qualifiers which start on on June 25.
Sligo manager Kevin Walsh feels that they didn't help themselves on Sunday:"We completely controlled the game after half-time but then had some bad wides. We should have got our noses in front and started asking questions."
Leitrim, it should be said, were particularly good in the opening 20 minutes and then showed the necessary composure when things seemed to be going against them in the second half.
Their defence was outstanding with wing-back Wayne McKeon giving a Man of the Match display. Conor Beirne, with 1-4, was clearly a big influence, as was his 22-year-old brother Tomas in midfield.
Sligo finished with 13 men after Brian Curran and Eamonn O'Hara got their marching orders late in the game. But really they could have no complaints.
