The 2009, 2011 and 2012 Heineken Cup Champions scored five tries on their Amlin Challenge Cup debut as they booked a semi-final showdown with Biarritz Olympique in Dublin.

Ian Madigan produced a hugely impressive individual showing to finish with 28 points courtesy of a try, five penalties and four conversions, with Gordon D’Arcy, Mike Ross, Rob Kearney and Isa Nacewa also touching down for the visitors.

Wasps were well in the game throughout an enthralling first 40 minutes as wing Christian Wade displayed his prodigious talents with a brace of tries but Leinster built on their 20-15 half-time advantage with an 18-point burst in the third quarter.

Tom Varndell pulled two tries back for the 2003 Amlin Challenge Cup winners and double Heineken Cup kings but Leinster were good value for a commanding triumph that keeps them on track to win three European competitions on the spin.

It was Wasps who enjoyed the perfect start, though, as they crossed for a fine try with less than two minutes on the clock. Italian centre Andrea Masi sliced through in midfield, picking off Leinster prop Cian Healy and blindside flanker Kevin McLaughlin before handing Wade a simple run in.

Nicky Robinson was unable to add the extras from the right-hand side, however, and Leinster hit back to take the lead just three minutes later. D’Arcy cruised home from the 22 after the Wasps defence fell for Madigan’s wrap around run, with Fergus McFadden supplying the scoring pass with a delayed pop.

Madigan slotted the simple conversion from directly in front of the posts but was off target with a long-range penalty attempt before Wade brought the crowd to their feet once more with a quarter of an hour gone.

The 21-year-old flyer stepped inside McFadden’s attempted tackle following Robinson’s flat pass 35 metres out before rounding Kearney with a brilliant drop of the shoulder and another display of out and out pace.

Robinson succeeded with the conversion this time from a similar angle to his first attempt to make it 12-7 but the lead changed hands once more when Madigan matched Wade’s individual brilliance after 22 minutes.

The inform fly-half has been making the most of his chance in the absence of the injured Jonathan Sexton and he showed just why he is rated so highly in Ireland with a superb solo score. Madigan stepped in between Wasps forwards Joe Launchbury and Marco Wentzel after taking possession on the opposition 22 and the covering defence had no chance of halting his momentum once he had exploited the narrowest of gaps.

Madigan completed the seven-point score with a straightforward conversion before his first penalty pushed his side five points clear at 17-12 four minutes before the half hour.

Robinson struck from distance after 35 minutes to cut the gap to two points but Madigan followed suit to make it a five-point ball game to Leinster at the interval.

Leinster then took control in the third quarter as they added the decisive quick-fire points thanks to two more tries, two more penalties and a conversion in comparison to a single kick at goal from Robinson.

Madigan’s 45th minute penalty was almost immediately followed by a close-range effort from Ross after Nacewa’s fine break and chip ahead, with another Madigan three pointer then backed up by Kearney’s strong finish from Sean O’Brien’s powerful burst on the hour.

Wasps refused to give up the ghost and responded with two tries from Varndell after 65 and 70 minutes but Nacewa’s deserved score split the former England wing’s touchdowns to ensure the result was beyond doubt prior to the closing stages.

Fittingly, it was Madigan who had the final say as he sent over his fifth penalty with three minutes left to take his team to within a single strike of a half century.