Leinster grab crucial win

Leinster got the defence of their Heineken Cup title back on track with a comfortable 36-13 victory in Brive.

After last week's shock home defeat by London Irish, the champions knew they could not afford another slip-up in southern France.

No side has ever reached the last eight after losing their opening two pool games, so the pressure was on Leinster.

They responded with a dominant display, winning almost every battle in the contact area and punishing Brive's frequent infringements with the unerring boot of Jonathan Sexton.

Brive were playing their first Heineken Cup game at home for more than a decade, but they had won all eight of their previous games in the competition on this ground.

They got off to a decent start, with England fly-half Andy Goode nudging them ahead after Leinster were caught off their feet.

But Sexton replied on seven minutes following an offside and that was the signal for Leinster to take control.

The visitors enjoyed a spell of concerted pressure and their patience was rewarded when Rob Kearney's brilliant line of attack took him through the defence following Luke Fitzgerald's run-around move and the full-back scored unopposed.

Sexton added the extras and with Brive struggling to compete - particularly at the scrum - the fly-half quickly added two more penalties.

Contact area

Goode replied for Brive after a late hit by Fitzgerald but yet another penalty at the contact area gave Sexton the chance to stretch the lead to 19-6 at the break.

Brive were quickly in at the side after the re-start and Sexton again punished them, but on 48 minutes Leinster were down to 14 men when Isa Nacewa was somewhat harshly yellow-carded for a high shot that seemed to start around the chest.

Despite that setback, Leinster were so confident that they turned down the next kickable penalty, putting the ball into the corner with half an eye on a possible bonus point.

But it was Brive who crossed next 15 minutes from time, Gerhard Vosloo crashing over from a ruck a metre out with the Leinster defence looking for an obstruction whistle.

Brive's glimmer of hope lasted just a minute, a knock-on from the kick-off giving Macewa the chance to break up the left wing and his inside pass gave Kevin McLaughlin a run to the line, where he produced a fine finish under pressure.

There was still time for Leinster to grab a third try and again it came from their total dominance at the scrum, as the Brive set-piece disintegrated and McLaughlin dived over for his second score.

After two defeats, Brive already look to be also-rans in Pool 6, but Scarlets' surprise win at London Irish suggests this section is set to be fiercely contested by the other three teams.