Crossword Genius

Sacrifice of old boy left country leaderless (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

oblation

'sacrifice' is the definition.
(oblation is a sacrifice or offering to a god)

'old boy left country leaderless' is the wordplay.
'old boy' becomes 'OB' (abbreviation for a private school 'old boy').
'left' becomes 'l' (common abbreviation).
'country' becomes 'nation' (synonyms).
'leaderless' means to remove the first letter.
'nation' with its first letter taken away is 'ation'.
'ob'+'l'+'ation'='OBLATION'

'of' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for oblation that I've seen before include "Ritual offering" , "To Albion, with an offering to the divine" , "Part of Eucharist" , "Religious or charitable offering" , "Offering to divinity" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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