Leinster suffer defeat at home to Bath

Leinster 19 Bath 22

Leinster's hopes of emerging from Heineken Cup Pool Five took a massive dent as Bath bravely held on for an away victory at the RDS.

Nine months ago, the Irishmen earned a late smash-and-grab win at the Recreation Ground as they stung Bath for 14 points in the final 10 minutes.

Tonight there was no such reversal as John Connolly's men, defending a three-point lead, kept the home side's backline at bay.

Stand-in skipper Felipe Contepomi was Leinster's only scorer, converting his own 12th-minute try and firing over three penalties and a drop goal.

But it was not enough as Bath's superior forwards laid the platform for kickers Olly Barkley and Chris Malone to post 17 points between them.

Man-of-the-match Andy Beattie collected a cross-field kick from Malone and scored the visitors' only try on 46 minutes, but Bath rode what luck came their way and Malone's drop goal on 71 minutes was enough to sneak them home.

It had all begun so well for Michael Cheika's Leinster. Their new home ground, packed with 13,152 expectant supporters, looked pristine and with Argentinean Contepomi pulling the strings in the opening stages, they raced into a 10-0 lead.

Fly half Contepomi racked up his full house of points by the 18th minute.

First he watched gleefully as his third-minute drop goal soared down out of the Dublin sky and over the bar from 45 metres.

England centre Barkley pummelled his first shot off an upright five minutes later and both Martyn Wood and Lee Best had to act sharp to hold up Leinster scrum half Brian O'Riordan over the try line.

Leinster did not have long to wait for what proved to be their only try - Bath's backline frailties were exposed on 12 minutes when Contepomi scooted over from Gordon D'Arcy's pass.

Contepomi's conversion was cancelled out by Barkley's first of four penalties and the visitors gradually settled down.

Bath's England locks Steve Borthwick and Danny Grewcock were on song at the set piece, robbing Cheika's side of any go-forward ball.

A listless second quarter saw Barkley hit two penalties to Contepomi's one as Bath ominously trailed 13-9 at the break.

Both kickers missed shots either side of half-time, but Bath were celebrating a cheeky try on the restart as a quick penalty tap and high kick to the left corner saw Leinster asleep and flanker Beattie making full use of a fortunate bounce to score.

Barkley drove the conversion low and over for a 16-13 lead, and with Leinster hooker David Blaney having been sin-binned a minute early for a ruck offence, a priceless away win looked on.

And so it proved as a penalty from Barkley and Malone's lengthy drop goal, set up by a Beattie steal, secured the points for Bath. Girvan Dempsey and Jonny Hepworth were both swamped for space when a late try looked on for Leinster, who could only manage two penalties from Contepomi in the second half.