Leinster stay alive with win

Leinster kept alive their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup with a 20-13 victory over Toulouse in Dublin.

Nick Fitzgerald scored both tries - one in each half - for the Magners League side as they stretched their unbeaten home run in the competition to eight games.

However, it was Toulouse that claimed a crucial bonus point, meaning they head home to face Edinburgh in the last round of fixtures knowing a victory will secure them a place in the last eight.

The French outfit may sit top of the 'group of death' but they looked nothing like potential European champions in the opening 40 minutes, barely managing to get out of their own half for long periods.

Fortunate

They were fortunate to go in only 10-3 down at the interval such was the superiority of Leinster, particularly up front.

Felipe Contepomi kicked the hosts ahead after what was the first of many penalties conceded by Toulouse and although the fly-half missed a second shot at the posts, he made amends with a superb inside pass for Fitzgerald to score his first.

It was no more than the hosts deserved for their dominance, though they were helped out by having an extra man after referee Wayne Barnes finally ran out of patience with the Toulouse forwards.

Lock Gregory Lamboley was sent to the sin-bin after yet another infringement in the loose, giving Leinster the chance to increase the pressure.

They twice rejected kickable penalties to go for tries - their attacking policy eventually paying off thanks to Fitzgerald's neat finish.

Valentin Courrent's penalty just before the break got Toulouse on the board and then the game changed completely in the second half, going from a tight arm wrestle up front to a free-flowing, error-strewn affair.

Chances

The introduction of Jean-Baptiste Elissalde from the bench seemed to suddenly kick Toulouse into life and they went close to crossing on two occasions in the opening couple of minutes.

Courrent slotted over one of two penalty attempts to narrow the deficit down to four and put the game, so one-sided in the opening 40 minutes, back in the balance.

Fitzgerald's second of the afternoon, this one coming out wide on the right, briefly stopped Toulouse in their tracks.

But the three-time champions dug deep, Cédric Heymans setting up sub Yves Donguy on the left to score a crucial try that secured a precious point.

Contepomi's injury-time drop goal sealed victory for Leinster and leave them facing a do-or-die clash against Leicester at Welford Road next.

Even a rare away win will not be enough for Brian O'Driscoll's troops if Edinburgh cannot do them a favour in France and upset the odds.