Leinster quell French resistance

Brian O'Driscoll scored with the last play of the game to earn Leinster a bonus-point victory over Brive at the RDS.

O'Driscoll stormed over in the right corner for his side's fourth try to seal a 27-10 win and condemn Brive to a fifth straight loss in Pool Six of the Heineken Cup.

Leinster led 7-0 courtesy of a penalty try after a disappointing first half but the game improved as a spectacle after the break as Isa Nacewa, Gordon D'Arcy and O'Driscoll all got on the scoresheet.

Brive produced a determined defensive effort in marked contrast to some of their earlier Heineken Cup matches this season and scored two tries of their own through Retief Uys and Scott Spedding, although they were always chasing the game.

Defending champions Leinster now sit top of Pool Six with 20 points, five clear of London Irish, who play the Scarlets on Sunday.

Battle

Brive stand-off Luciano Orquera pulled an early penalty chance wide and thereafter both sides struggled for continuity in their play during a scoreless, instantly forgettable opening 20 minutes.

Leinster, playing their first game for three weeks, belatedly came to life in the 23rd minute when left winger Nacewa's chip ahead forced the covering defender to carry the ball back over his own line.

And following a second infringement from Brive's pack at the resulting five-metre scrum, referee Andrew Small lost patience and awarded a penalty try.

Fly-half Jonathan Sexton, on his return from a hand injury, added the conversion and Leinster were immediately back on the attack and pressing for a second score.

Brive, however, remained resolute close to their own line and managed to hold out until half-time without further damage.

Sexton added a penalty early in the second half to stretch Leinster's advantage to 10 points, although the TMO was required to determine the ball had actually gone between the uprights.

And, two minutes later, the Irish side assumed total control when a flowing move ended with Nacewa crossing from short range for his maiden try in the Heineken Cup.

Slick handling from Rob Kearney, Kyle McLaughlin and O'Driscoll created a simple finish in the left corner for the Kiwi flyer.

But Brive once again showed resilient qualities that had been hitherto lacking in their European campaign, battling their way back into the contest with a 59th-minute try.

Second row Uys broke straight through the middle of a maul and dived over the whitewash despite the attentions of a trio of tacklers.

Horacio Agullo missed the conversion from wide on the left to leave Brive trailing 15-5 entering the final quarter.

Response

Leinster's response was impressive, a sustained period of pressure ended with D'Arcy rounding the midfield defence on an arcing run for their third try.

Sexton's conversion was successful to open a 22-5 lead and leave quarter-of-an-hour to chase the bonus point.

Spedding added Brive's second try in the 76th minute, the full-back side-stepping his way out of traffic before sprinting to the line.

However, there was just enough time left for O'Driscoll to have the last word, diving over in the right corner from Shane Horgan's sublime offload to bag the bonus point and keep his team firmly on course for a place in the last eight.

Leinster will qualify for the quarter-finals if they beat London Irish at Twickenham in their final pool game on January 23.