Bath failed to hold the three-time European champions andreach a first European Cup semi-final in nine years. The hosts, littered with players from the Six Nations winningIrish squad, outplayed the visitors and took advantage of their poor first - halfperformance.
At theinterval, everything looked very much as a one sided game, as Leinster had acomfortable lead of 15-5; the Boys inBlue capitalised on a series of penalties awarded to them and Ian Madigan wason target with all five attempts, while England fly-half George Ford made anexcellent touchdown for the visitors in the 21st minute.
Bath showedtheir revival in the second-half, and started to look dangerous; Leinsterwere hanging on for their life under waves of the visitors’ attacks brilliantlyorchestrated by Ford, who was at the core of everything the West Countrymen did.
In the 48thminute Stuart Hooper scored Bath’s second try, after he powered over from aclassy break by their stand-out player Ford, which he then converted, but fourminutes later Madigan’s sixth penalty put the hosts six points clear. Thevisitors then had a chance, when their full back Anthony Watson made a breakbefore passing the ball to Ford, who in turn handed it to Horacio Aquilla, butthe winger did not manage to score in a critical point of the match.
Ford thenreplied with a penalty of his own to set up the score to 18-15 with six minutesleft; the visitors thought they would land the drop – goal that would level thescores to bring it to extra-time, as Sean O’Brien handled in the ruck, butBath's Matt Garvey was harshly penalised instead. Three-time champions Leinster won and are nowinto the last four of the competition, as they are eying up the chance to getto their fourth trophy since 2009. IanMadigan’s six penalty goals atthe Aviva Stadium sent the Dubliners through to an away tie against Toulonor Wasps in Marseilles or Brighton in a fortnight.
Other semi-finalist willbe either Racing Metro or Saracens, who will play Clermont Auvergne, as thisrevamped tournament builds in double-quick time to the final at Twickenham on 2ndMay.
