Depleted Leinster lose battle

Edinburgh Gunners 20 Leinster 14

The Dubliners, however, should feel satisfied that so many of their second stringers performed well, indicating that Leinster have the strength in depth to sustain them through this season’s campaign.

Leinster could hardly have made a quicker start to their points quest as Felipe Contepomi kicked a penalty with barely ten seconds gone after Edinburgh were caught offside from Ally Hogg’s knock-on.

A blistering multi-phase handling reply by Edinburgh ended with skipper Chris Paterson levelling matters with a similar effort but it was Contepomi who then nudged ahead in the kicking contest with his second goal, this time from wide out.

Edinburgh again looked dangerous as they used their pacey backs to attack near the touchline only for rising star Ross Rennie to blow his chance of a try with a knock-on one metre out from the Leinster line.

Leinster, replacing Kieran Lewis with Christian Warner after 24 minutes, had to defend tenaciously against continuous attacking play from Edinburgh — the pressure ultimately forcing a penalty and allowing Paterson to kick his second goal.

A yellow card shown to prop Roan McCormack for illegally preventing an Edinburgh tap penalty reduced Leinster to 14 men but it proved not to be a handicap for the visitors who all but grabbed the game’s first try with a kick ahead and follow-up by full-back Rob Kearney. Despite that, Leinster went into the interval 9-6 ahead courtesy of a third penalty goal by Contepomi.

After the break, Edinburgh eshewed the chance of an easy penalty and instead opted to run the ball, resulting in four phases of play before Hogg plunged over from short range for the game’s opening try, Paterson converting for a 13-9 advantage.

It was the confidence lift Edinburgh needed, the Scottish side adding a further try from a burst through midfield by Hogg and the support of replacement outside half Duncan Hodge, the veteran cap having the strength to reach the line despite the attentions of the Leinster defence.

Paterson added the conversion to put Edinburgh 20-9 ahead but Leinster, refusing to capitulate, hit back against the Scots, who were reduced to 14 with the sin-binning of Hogg.

From the ensuing penalty Leinster set up a maul from which prop McCormack exploded to score his side’s first try and the final points of the game.

Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries: Hogg, Hodge Cons Paterson (2) Pens Paterson (2).

Leinster: Tries: McCormack: Pens Contepomi (3)

EDINBURGH: H Southwell; C Paterson, M Di Rollo, R Dewey, S Webster; P Godman, M Blair; A Jacobsen, D Hall, C Smith, M Mustchin, S Murray, A Strokosch, R Rennie, A Hogg.

Subs:A Kelly for Hall (76), A Dickinson for Smith (52. , F Pringle for Mustchin (52), G Laidlaw for Blair (68), D Hodge for Godman (60), B Cairns for Webster (52)

LEINSTER: R Kearney; G Brown, K Lewis, M Berne, L Fitzgerald; F Contepomi, C Whitaker; R McCormack, H Vermaas, W Green, T Hogan, O Finegan, S Keogh, N Ronan, J Heaslip.

Subs: B Jackman for Vermaas (60), A Byrnes for Hogan (40), S O'Brien, C Warner for Lewis (24)

Referee: N Owen (Wales)