Leinster cap awful Champions Cup weekend for English clubs by relieving Exeter of their year-long unbeaten home record
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Exeter blew their year-long unbeaten home record to cap a miserable Champions Cup weekend for English clubs.
The kings of the Premiership had not lost inside their Sandy Park fortress since Bordeaux-Begles’ triumph a year ago today.
But Stuart Lancaster-coached Leinster put an end to all that with a richly deserved Pool Two victory capped with a sensational team try dotted down by Jack Conan.
The three-time former European champions kept the ball for FORTY-FOUR phases before their big No.8 muscled his way over to end Chiefs’ resistance.
Never before had their been six English defeats on one weekend in northern hemisphere rugby’s premier club competition.
Yet with only ‘snowed off’ Saracens still to play, English clubs have all lost and of the five only Bath, beaten 24-20 to a late try at Toulon, emerged with any credit.
Chiefs were never going to go the same way as Northampton, Leicester, Harlequins and Wasps, none of whom threatened to get a result.
That said, the English champs never led and would have lost by more but for the video ref disallowing tries by Luke McGrath and Devin Toner in the first 13 minutes.
Leinster eventually got a try decision when Johnny Sexton crossed at the start of the second quarter and for all Exeter’s huff and puff it was a lead they held until just before the hour mark.
Which was a nonsense given the high tackle by Sean Cronin that denied Jack Nowell a try and should patently have been punished with a penalty try as well as the yellow card he did receive.
Exeter kept working - mainly in defence it should be said - and James Short brought them level when put away superbly by Gareth Steenson and Olly Woodburn.
Steenson’s conversion miss was his first goal kicking failure in 25 attempts and it meant Exeter would never get their noses in front and their tails truly up.
So it was that Leinster came again and, after captain Isa Nacewa had restored their lead from the penalty spot, Conan finished the job to give the Blues a stranglehold on Pool Two.
EXETER - Try: Short. Pen: Steenson.
LEINSTER - Tries: Sexton, Conan. Con: Nacewa. Pens: Sexton, Nacewa.
SUNDAY WRAP-UP
Harlequins took the fast track out of Europe, losing Chris Robshaw and Danny Care to concussion along the way.
Quins crashed out of the Champions Cup at the earliest possible opportunity as Ulster won 17-5 at the Stoop to hand the Londoners their third loss in as many Pool One matches.
But pool rivals Wasps were unable to take advantage - getting walloped 49-29 by runaway leaders La Rochelle , despite scoring five tries of their own.
Quins’ game was played in a blizzard on a day in which the treacherous conditions claimed Saracens ’ home clash with Clermont Auvergne .
An understandably messy contest was decided by a Jacob Stockdale try and four penalties from man of the match John Cooney.
Robshaw and Care failed HIA tests either side of half-time and, due to the mandatory six-day return-to-play protocol, are unavailable for Friday’s return match at Ravenhill.
England prop Kyle Sinckler provided the only consolation for Quins, scoring a try on his first start back from his gouging ban.
Wasps shipped 30 points before half-time against the French Top 14 leaders, though second half scored by Elliot Daly, Joe Simpson and Will Stuart secured them a four-try bonus point.
Leicester were beaten by four tries to one at Munster , Harry Thacker scoring Tigers' consolation try in a 33-10 defeat.
SATURDAY'S ACTION
Northampton were abandoned by their fans as the crisis at Franklin’s Gardens stretched to a ninth loss in 10 games.
Just 8,105 turned up at Franklin’s Gardens to see the former English champions put to the sword by Ospreys.
And many of those had left before Dylan Hartley’s side rallied from conceding six tries in 60 minutes to turn a 43-8 deficit into a 43-32 defeat.
Under-fire Saints boss Jim Mallinder admitted: “The first 60 minutes showed a team clearly lacking in confidence.
"We've got some good players there and we're all asking why we're not playing well.
“We said last week we were in a hole and we needed to win. We can’t keep losing games.”
Bath also lost but they emerged with great credit from their 24-20 defeat at three-time former champions Toulon.
Tries by England duo Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph allied to a fine defensive shift looked to have given them an historic win.
But Toulon super sub Anthony Belleau produced a moment of magic to plunder a late winning try.