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Dai Young's side have reached the last eight for the second successive season
Leinster need to collect all the points on offer against the Scarlets at the RDS if they are to keep the defence of their Heineken Cup title alive until the final round of the Pool stages.
Leo Cullen's reigning champions managed a bonus point but suffered a 28-21 defeat to Clermont Auvergne in their last Pool game in front of a 48,964 crowd at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The Dubliners are eight points adrift of Pool 5 leaders ASM Clermont Auvergne, who are many people’s favourites to finally lift the biggest prize in European club rugby, and need a bonus-point victory over the Scarlets.
But the Irish province, who have won three out of the last four Heineken Cup finals, are facing being knocked out of the Pool stages of the tournament for the first time since 2008.
Leinster have only missed out on the knock-out stages twice in the last nine seasons, but they are facing a Scarlets side which has seen its form dip dramatically in recent weeks.
The Welsh side, who have slipped out of the top four play-off places in the Pro12 for the first time this season, are still looking for their first win of their European campaign.
Match Facts
- Leinster have triumphed in their last three Heineken Cup meetings with Scarlets, though Scarlets did grab a losing bonus point in their match earlier this season.
- Leinster have turned over the least amount of ball (10 conceded per game) this season and have retained possession at a competition high 97% of rucks and mauls.
- Leinster’s Jamie Heaslip has completed the most tackles without missing any, boasting a 100% success rate by making 50 in four appearances.
- Jonathan Sexton, Leinster’s top points-scorer in this tournament, could reach 400 for the province if he scores 13 points this weekend.
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The Welsh side are on a run of four consecutive defeats in this competition and have seven losses in their last eight.
Reigning champions Leinster secured a 33-14 bonus point victory over the Scarlets in Dublin to keep their slim chances of a Heineken Cup quarter-final place alive ahead of their final pool game. - 12/01/2013 20:05
Reigning champions Leinster secured a 33-14 bonus point victory over the Scarlets in Dublin to keep their slim chances of a Heineken Cup quarter-final place alive ahead of their final pool game.
Prop Cian Healy, flanker Shane Jennings, wing Luke Fitzgerald, full-back Rob Kearney and replacement Ian Madigan crossed for Leinster’s tries as they bounced back from successive defeats to Clermont Auvergne in December.
But, with pool leaders Clermont having secured a quarter-final place with their win over Exeter Chiefs in France, Leinster – who have won three out of the last four Heineken Cup finals – still face the prospect of being knocked out at the pool stages of the tournament for the first time since 2008.
The triple champions still have to come away with all the points on offer when they travel to face Exeter in their last Pool 5 game next weekend to give themselves a chance of a best runners-up place.
The Scarlets, who had nothing to play for but pride, have still to win in this season’s Heineken cup and slumped to their seventh defeat in eight games in all competitions at the RDS.
Fly-half Aled Thomas slotted an early penalty for the Scarlets to give them a three-point lead before Leinster’s Irish international prop Healy burrowed over from short-range to secure a lead his side would never surrender.
Sexton added the conversion before the Scarlets full-back Liam Williams landed a speculative drop goal from long range to make it 7-6 to the home side midway through the first half.
But it wasn’t long before Leinster crossed for their second try when openside Jennings barged his way over from the back of a driving maul after a well-worked lineout on the Scarlets line to make it 12-6.
Fitzgerald claimed Leinster’s third try before Scarlets centre Scott Williams’ cross-kick found his full-back and namesake, Liam, for a try that made it 19-11 at half-time.
Kearney’s try just after half-time secured the vital bonus point before replacement fly-half Ian Madigan crossed for Leinster’s fifth try to put a gloss on the win late on.
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