Leinster loss puts them out of Cup

Biarritz 32 Leinster 21

Leinster today missed out on Heineken Cup quarter-final qualification for the first time in three years, as they collapsed to defeat at Olympique Biarritz.

The French side, who lost 18-13 to the Irish side in the last eight of 2003, claimed the Pool 3 top spot with a stunning five-try performance.

Full-back Nicolas Brusque helped himself to two touchdowns in the first half, and scrum-half Dmitri Yachvili kicked seven points – having missed his first four kicks of the afternoon.

Apart from their solid line-out, Leinster were comprehensively beaten in all other sectors of the field.

French international Brusque crossed for his first try 11 minutes into the game through the double tackle of Brian O’Meara and John McWeeney.

The visitors should have been level two minutes later – but following a hat-trick of hacks forward by wing Brendan Burke, McWeeney failed to touch down with the line in sight.

Yachvili hit his third kick wide by the mid-point of the half. But Biarritz, devastating in open play, sent Brusque over for his second on 31 minutes – after an unforced error from O’Meara saw his midfield kick picked up by Brusque who blitzed through to score.

O’Meara turned hero three minutes before the break as his incision saw Welsh referee Nigel Williams award a penalty try.

But all Leinster’s good work was undone two minutes into the second half when McWeeney erred to let left-wing Jimmy Marlu over for Yachvili to convert for a 17-7 lead.

Crucially Lions’ second row Ben Gissing was sin-binned within sight of the hour mark, and with Leinster down to 14 men Biarritz cut loose.

David Couzinet picked off their fourth try for a deserved bonus point before man-of-the-match Serge Betsen rounded Burke for their fifth.

Leinster full-back Girvan Dempsey collected a consolation nine minutes from the end, converting his own score from the touchline and then flanker Keith Gleeson’s in injury time.

For the French it was party time, and perhaps for Leinster number eight Victor Costello it was a farewell to European rugby on his 50th appearance at this level.