Leinster stagger champions to set up all-Irish semifinal

Leicester's Leon Lloyd (right) loses his grip on Bath's Oliver Barkley during their match in Leicester yesterday. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Leinster stunned holders and three-times champions Toulouse 41-35 in France yesterday to set up an all-Irish European Cup semifinal with Munster, who beat Perpignan 19-10 in Dublin.

Bath earlier reached the last four for the first time since lifting the trophy eight years ago when they won 15-12 at Leicester.

They will face French league pacesetters Biarritz or English premiership leaders Sale, who were to meet in San Sebastian overnight.

Led by Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll, Leinster produced an organised and determined performance, controlling Toulouse's feared backs to triumph in a surprisingly one-sided clash.

They led 19-9 at the break and continued to look superior in every department in the second half.

Tries by O'Driscoll, Cameron Jowitt, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan underlined Leinster's domination and Argentine first five-eighths Felipe Contepomi did the rest with 21 points from five penalties and three conversions.

Toulouse had to be content with late tries from flanker Yannick Nyanga and centre Yannick Jauzion, a Frederic Michalak drop goal and 22 points from the boot of first five-eighths Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.

Looking clumsy under pressure and making many errors, Toulouse suffered during the first 40 minutes and managed only three penalties by Elissalde.

Toulouse looked determined when play resumed and soon earned two penalties, which Elissalde kicked successfully.

Cheered on by a partisan 35,000 crowd, Toulouse then closed the gap to one point from a drop goal from 30m by Michalak.

But Leinster fought back, lock Jowitt exploiting a Michalak blunder to score their second try in the 53rd minute, which Contepomi converted to give the visitors a 26-18 lead.

Winger Hickie then shattered Toulouse's hopes with a superb counter for another try before Horgan put the issue beyond doubt with Leinster's fourth try of the match.

Toulouse went down fighting, Nyanga and Jauzion giving them consolation tries before they bowed out.

Leinster will face Munster in what should be a memorable semifinal at Lansdowne Road after Munster's decision to switch their quarter-final tie against Perpignan from Thomond Park to the Dublin ground paid dividends in front of 48,500 fans.

Perpignan, who lost the 2003 final to Toulouse at Lansdowne Road, led 10-7 at the break thanks to a try by Mathieu Bourret, who also converted and added a penalty.

Munster had led 7-0 with a converted Paul O'Connell try and roared back after the break with four Ronan O'Gara penalties.

Fly half Chris Malone supplied Bath's points against Leicester with five penalties and opposite number Andy Goode landed four.

Bath were down to 13 men by the end after props Taufa'ao Filise and David Flatman were sent to the sin-bin in the last 10 minutes, forcing uncontested scrums, much to the disgust of Leicester and their powerful pack.

- REUTERS