A WIN WITH a bonus point away from home.
Normally, you can’t ask much more from a team in the Heineken Cup. But the scenario Leinster left themselves, this was the minimum haul.
The three-time champions had overturned a half-time deficit and secured a bonus point by the 52nd minute thanks to tries from Gordon D’Arcy, Rob Kearney, Brian O’Driscoll and Jamie Heaslip.
Exeter, however, would not end their European adventure sheepishly and Leinster were held to just three more points as Leo Cullen and Jonathan Sexton’s thoughts returned to simply securing the win.
“I don’t know.” Heaslip responded when Sky Sports asked if the result would be enough to take Leinster to the quarter-finals.
“We went out there with our mission to win the game and after that chase the bonus point. We got that, hopefully we did enough.
“Exeter really stuck it to us. It was a great game to watch – absolutely knackering to play in. But I don’t know, it (qualification) is out of our hands.”
For now, their future is in the competition is in the hands of the side with perhaps most incentive than most to knock them out.
A bonus point win for Munster over Racing Metro today will dislodge the eastern province – a result that will make for some interesting exchanges when the Ireland squad gather on Sunday night.
“Exeter just weren’t letting up,” added the number eight. “And at times we were our own worst enemy in knocking it on in their half and then letting in some easy scores.
Racing
“Hopefully we’ve done enough. We’ve gone out there, we’ve got the win and got the five points and there’s nothing we can do now.”
Apparently unaware of Heaslip’s normal aversion to watching rugby in his spare time, Sky’s Miles Harrison suggested he ‘put on his Racing Metro jersey and shout himself hoarse’ like every other dyed-in-the-wool Leinster fan as events unfold at Thomond Park.
“They”re two great teams going at eachother.” Heaslip said with a knowing smile. “It’s out of our hands, but it will probably be the first time I watch a game of rugby now in a long time.”
