Pool Six:Another one of those frustrating Leinster rugby nights. Eight or even nine points from these two Edinburgh meetings may not be sufficient. Most importantly, last night's inability to claim a bonus point puts added onus on beating Toulouse in Dublin and Leicester at Welford Road in rounds five and six.
If Leinster's two main rivals can run through the motions when putting a troubled Edinburgh to the sword then Leinster must do likewise. The sterner tests coming in 2008 can only be met if the inferior Scottish opponents are dealt with accordingly.
The faces filing out of the RDS last night would have led a random onlooker to presume Leinster lost.
Coach Michael Cheika wouldn't say it but, after the comprehensive defeat in Toulouse, a 10-point return looked essential from this two-part duel. "I think we've got to take the win. In the second half we played poor and couldn't get the field position we needed. Our continuity was poor so we probably didn't deserve to get the fourth try at the end."
What went wrong? "I need to go back and look at the tape. We didn't have the correct numbers at the ruck. The basics of our game weren't there.
"We'll just go on and play the next game. Play whatever is in front of us. Concentration is paramount if we are to get a win up there next week. We know where we must improve."
A percentage kicking game has been unearthed to allow them play in the opposition 22. Rob Kearney slipped into outhalf - with Contepomi and O'Driscoll acting as decoys at blindside - to put in a decent touch finder.
Contepomi launched a few garryowens and even borrowed a favourite from Ronan O'Gara's repertoire by sending a cross-field punt that Kearney narrowly missed gathering.
After one false dawn, Jamie Heaslip bundled over for the opening try, coming from three drives after the cleanest of Mal O'Kelly lineout takes.
Sandwiched between two Contepomi penalties, the second touchdown duly arrived with Keith Gleeson scooping up possession after Brian O'Driscoll was felled yards from the line.
"If you look at the first two tries I don't think a tackle was missed," noted Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson.
Then came an inexplicable third-quarter meltdown, beginning when John Houston sneaked over for a 46th-minute try. With Calum Macrae sinbinned after 55 minutes and Leinster camped in the Edinburgh 22, Contepomi opted to kick a penalty despite Leinster needing two more tries.
Fourteen-man Edinburgh duly wasted 10 minutes down the other end. With the wind now behind firmly him, Phil Godman tacked on two penalties and the visitors were back in the game.
Two sparks of genius from Contepomi brought Leinster within touching distance of the bonus point. The first was a midfield break, the second a well taken try which he converted. Leinster ran out of time.
"It is a very tough pool," said the Argentinian man of the match. "All the teams are hard. Of course we would've liked five points but the first thing we wanted was a win. Edinburgh have some very good individual players.
"We need to focus on winning and not worry about maths after just the third round. The pack are playing really brilliant at the moment. When they are going forward it makes my life easy as an outhalf."
