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Reigning champions Leinster know only a bonus point win over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park will keep their chances of defending their title and a Heineken Cup quarter-final place alive. - 17/01/2013 17:32
Reigning champions Leinster know only a bonus point win over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park will keep their chances of defending their title and a Heineken Cup quarter-final place alive.
The three-time Heineken Cup winners need all the points on offer to qualify as one of the two runners up for the knock-out stages for European club rugby’s premier tournament.
The Dubliners, who have won three of the last four Heineken Cup finals, managed to come away with a 33-14 bonus point victory over the Scarlets in Dublin in the last round.
Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll was a late replacement against the Scarlets as he continues his comeback from an ankle injury and Leinster will need all of his experience at this stage of the tournament.
The Irish province, who lifted the trophy in 2009, 2011 and 2012, will be wary of their away trip to face the Chiefs who have an impressive reputation on their home ground.
The English Premiership side only lost 9-6 when they two sides met in Dublin in the opening game of this Pool and they would relish the chance to become the side that knocked the champions out of the competition.
Leinster are facing the prospect of missing out on a place in the last eight of the Heineken Cup for the first time in five years – they last failed to reach the quarter-finals back in 2008.
Match Facts
- Exeter Chiefs have won six ERC matches and lost only two at Sandy Park.
- Leinster have not been defeated in a Round 6 encounter since they visited Leicester Tigers in 2007/08.
- The only Heineken Cup holders to have failed to make it out of the pools since 2000 are London Wasps, who faltered twice in 2004/05 and 2007/08.
- The only time that Leinster have not made it to the last eight since 2003/04 was in 2007/08.
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Leinster have won their last seven contests against English opponents since drawing 11-11 with London Irish at Twickenham in Round 6 in 2009/10.
Reigning champions Leinster got the bonus-point victory they needed over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park to keep their chances of defending their title alive for the time being. - 19/01/2013 20:08
Reigning champions Leinster got the bonus-point victory they needed over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park to keep their chances of defending their title alive for the time being.
The triple Heineken Cup winners needed all the points on offer to stay in the hunt to qualify for the knockout stages of European club rugby's premier tournament as one of the two best runners up.
Leinster now have to wait to see the results of the games between Leicester Tigers and Toulouse, Saracens and Edinburgh and Munster’s match with Racing Metro 92 to find out if they make it through behind Montpellier as the final pool runners up.
Joe Schmidt’s men could still miss out on a place in the last eight for the first time in five years despite their fourth win of the campaign – they last failed to reach the quarter-finals back in 2008.
The Irish province won the title in 2009, 2011 and 2012 but they could still find themselves in this season’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals if results don’t go their way on Sunday.
Centres Gordon D’arcy and Brian O’Driscoll, full back Rob Kearney and No8 Jamie Heaslip got the vital tries for Leinster against a spirited Chiefs outfit who refused to lie down.
Leinster made a perfect start when centre D’arcy crossed for the first try after only four minutes of the game and fly-half Sexton added the extras with the conversion.
But the Chiefs hit back with a well-worked try from a lineout by hooker Neil Clark to draw level midway through the first half before Kearney replied with the visitor’s second try.
Exeter then took the lead when they were awarded a penalty try by French referee Roman Poite when he penalised Leinster for bringing down a Chiefs driving lineout near their own line.
Gareth Steenson, the former Ulster fly-half, added the conversion and a penalty on the stroke of half-time to make it 17-12 to the Chiefs before Leinster replied at the start of the second-half.
Centre O’Driscoll scored his 32nd Heineken Cup try and Leinster’s third four minutes after the restart before new Ireland skipper Heaslip got the vital bonus point try after 53 minutes.
Leinster led 26-17 at that stage but couldn’t push on to further boost their try tally, with a penalty apiece from Steenson and Sexton the only remaining scores.
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