Leinster produced their best performance of the season at Donnybrook on Friday
to see off Bristol and extend their unbeaten run in the Heineken Cup to 10
games.
Their half-time lead of 19-6 flattered Bristol who, apart from two brief
spells inside the Leinster 22, rarely threatened.
With just one win in the Zurich Premiership, against Heineken Cup champions
Leicester two weeks ago, Bristol's play again centred round their enigmatic
outhalf Felipe Contepomi.
His two kicks were all Bristol could muster in the first period as Leinster
went into overdrive in the second quarter.
Contepomi's first kick of the night on eight minutes but he had to wait
another 16 minutes for his next penalty when he cancelled out two Brian O'Meara
penalties to level the scores at 6-6 before the Leinster man edged his side
ahead again.
Leinster crossed the Bristol line after 35 minutes after a superb piece of
play - launched by Shane Horgan's break from the halfway line - gave Girvan
Dempsey the chance to plough forward. He was hauled to the ground but offloaded
to Gordon D'Arcy who freed Denis Hickie to touch down.
O'Meara's conversion made the scores 16-6 and a 38th-minute kick from the
former Irish half back gave Leinster a more comfortable cushion.
Leinster immediately launched another attack with Horgan, Hickie and D'Arcy
again taking the home side to within metres of the Bristol line.
Aidan McCullen, in for injured flanker Eric Miller, came into the line but
Bristol survived with their line intact.
After Contepomi reduced the arrears five minutes after the half-time break,
Leinster pounced for their second try two minutes later.
Christian Warner created the opening with a run down Bristol's left flank but
the change of direction from Costello made all the difference with Bristol
helpless to prevent the former Ireland number eight from going over.
O'Meara converted to make it 26-9 but Bristol responded and Daryl Gibson
crossed with 10 minutes to go with Contepomi converting.
With O'Meara off, D'Arcy took over the kicking for the hosts and his second
attempt found the target to make it 29-16.
But Bristol fought back and were just six points adrift when Contepomi forced
his way through for a try under the posts with two minutes to go before adding
the extras himself.
Teams:
Leinster: Dempsey, D. Hickie, O'Driscoll, Horgan, Darcy,
Warner, O'Meara, Corrigan, S. Byrne, Wallace, Cullen, O'Kelly,
McCullen, Gleeson, Costello.
Not Used: E. Byrne, Smyth, Kearney, Dillon, O'Riordan, Quinlan,
Magro.
Tries: D. Hickie, Costello.
Cons: O'Meara 2.
Pens: Darcy, O'Meara 4.
Bristol: Drahm, Rees, Shaw, Gibson, Christophers, Contepomi,
Pichot, Crompton, Nelson, E. Bergamaschi, Archer, A. Brown,
Short, Lipman, Sturnham.
Not Used: Rowland, Carrington, Higgins, Johnstone, Sheridan,
S. Morgan, Oakley.
Tries: Gibson, Contepomi.
Cons: Contepomi 2.
Pens: Contepomi 3.
Att: 8,000
Ref: Andy Ireland (SRU).
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