Leinster beat Edinburgh to advance through to Champions Cup quarter-finals

PA Sports Staff

Leinster booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Investec Champions Cup with an entertaining 49-31 victory over Edinburgh in a 12-try affair.

Leinster scored twice in the first six minutes to give them an early 14-point advantage courtesy of a couple of tries from Tommy O’Brien but Edinburgh replied with two of their own, firstly when Charlie Shiel raced away before Ross Thompson crossed over to cut the deficit back to two points.

Leinster hit straight back with their third try when Jimmy O’Brien stretched out in the corner but Edinburgh were not going away, and they replied with their third try when Thompson went over for his second of the afternoon.

Both sides still had time to get another try in an electric first half.

Hugo Keenan re-extended Leinster’s nine-point advantage before Matt Currie cut the lead back to two again in a breathtaking opening half.

Edinburgh hit the front for the first time in the game 11 minutes into the second half through a moment of magic from Darcy Graham, who dinked the ball over the top and had the beating of Jamison Gibson-Park to touch down.

However, the side from Ireland retook the lead through Josh van der Flier and scored twice more in the space of two minutes courtesy of Thomas Clarkson and Rieko Ioane, who sold the dummy on Graham to finish off a chaotic afternoon.