Blues cruise for Leinster
Reigning Heineken Cup champions Leinster marched into this year's semi-finals with a 34-3 hammering of Cardiff in Dublin.
By Rob Lancaster - Twitter: @SkySportsLanny
Last Updated: 07/04/12 7:53pm
Leinster issued a warning to their Heineken Cup rivals that they are in no mood to relinquish their grip on the trophy with a 34-3 hammering of Cardiff at the Aviva Stadium.
The reigning kings of Europe set up a semi-final showdown with either Saracens or Clermont, who are the last side to beat the Irish province in the competition back in 2010, by crushing their RaboDirect PRO12 rivals.
Rob Kearney crossed twice and Brian O'Driscoll marked his Heineken Cup return with a try as the hosts piled on the points in a one-sided first half.
The Blues did better after the break, though an already tough week - one in which they lost Jamie Roberts for the rest of the season and dispensed with the services of Gavin Henson after issues on a return flight from Glasgow - ended with a right good thumping in Dublin.
Hope
Thankfully there were no issues for the club on their journey across, though the absence of both Roberts and flanker Sam Warburton meant they always travelled in hope rather than expectation.
The early signs were at least promising when Leigh Halfpenny wiped the blood from his nose to kick a penalty in the opening minutes, but all that blow seemed to do was anger Leinster into action.
A Sexton penalty levelled matters and the fly-half was then twice involved in the move that led to Isa Nacewa going over, Kearney opting to give the ball to the winger on his outside rather than any of those in support on his left.
Cardiff's creaky scrum gave away a further three points and when full-back Kearney broke through some paper-thin tackling to waltz in under the posts, the race was run for the visitors after just 30 minutes.
A sublime line-out move allowed O'Driscoll to get his name on the scoresheet, Luke Fitzgerald offloading to the centre after being set free by a no-look inside ball from Sexton that drew gasps from the crowd as they watched the replays on the big screen.
The conversion made it 27-3 at the break, suggesting a repeat of the 52-9 mauling the Blues suffered at the RDS earlier this season was on the cards.
Defensive stand
It took just six minutes of the second half for a fourth try to arrive too, Kearney on hand to take O'Driscoll's offload and Sexton adding the extras.
However that proved to be the last points of the evening as both teams showed off their defensive capabilities, albeit a little too late in the day for Cardiff.
Martyn Williams thought he'd got across the line for the Blues but the TMO ruled the veteran flanker had not grounded the ball properly, denying the Welsh side even a consolation effort.
To their credit, though, they refused to be breached again at the other end of the field, despite Tom James seeing yellow in a frantic final few minutes.
Leinster certainly made a case for their defence in the second half, even if they may have wanted to be more clinical. Still, they remain on course to become just the second team to win the trophy in successive seasons.
