Bath blown away by Leinster in second-half onslaught to crash out of Champions Cup
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Prop Beno Obano was sent off as Bath were knocked out of the Champions Cup by a heavy loss away to Leinster. The Gallagher Premiership leaders will be playing Challenge Cup rugby come the spring after a seven-try defeat in Dublin, combined with Benetton’s surprise 32-25 win over La Rochelle, saw them slip to fifth place in Pool 2.
Leinster, who have finished runners-up in the Champions Cup in each of the past three seasons, progress to the last 16 as group winners with a 100 per cent record. Bath raced into a 14-0 lead inside eight minutes at the Aviva Stadium thanks to Finn Russell converting tries from No 8 Alfie Barbeary and full-back Tom De Glanville.
Robbie Henshaw’s quickfire double and a score from captain Jack Conan then turned the match in the home side’s favour. Yet Johann van Graan’s visitors hit back and were 21-19 ahead at the break following De Glanville’s second touchdown of the evening and a further two points from Scotland fly-half Russell.
Leinster took control in the second period after replacement RG Snyman and Garry Ringrose crossed, either side of Obano being dismissed for a second yellow card. Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park broke clear to increase the advantage, before World Cup-winning Springbok Snyman powered over following a line-out to register the Irish province’s seventh try.
Replacement Ross Byrne slotted the extras on the final two scores to add to four successful conversions from starting fly-half Sam Prendergast. Bath’s scoreless second half was compounded by news from Treviso, where Benetton overturned a six-point deficit in the final 20 minutes to upset Ronan O’Gara’s two-time winners and seize fourth spot.
