The ghosts of Leinster past came back to haunt them in a stunning finale to a topsyturvy Heineken European Cup match at Donnybrook. An inability to close down the match - they led by 17 points with just 12 minutes remaining - saw them cough up a 10-point advantage in injury time, permitting the Edinburgh Reivers an extraordinary escape.
It was no more than the Scottish side deserved for a remarkable second-half display, full of ccharacter, excellent rugby an a tremendous never-say-die approach. They will feel miffed not to have won given they suffered a dreadful refereeing gaffe that cost them seven points.
Leinster's failure to establish any sort of control in the second half and therefore enjoy a modicum of continuity proved their downfall. They lacked the precision of execution in the basic aspects of the game, kicked aimlessly and committed a litany of errors. It all ensured that next Saturday's trip to Biarritz will require a victory to allow them progress to the knock-out phase.
Leinster's aggressive defence, a hallmark of their first-half performance, yielded a couple of early penalty opportunities. Unfortunately scrumhalf Brian O'Meara missed both opportunities, but his kicking improved as the match progressed.
Undaunted Leinster demonstrated commendable patience, shifting the focus of attack and gradually the gaps appeared in the Reivers' defence. O'Meara was the first to profit, scampering over for a try on six minutes after some typically neat footwork by Brian O'Driscoll in the visitors' 22 kept the move alive.
The scrumhalf converted as he would do so again on 14 minutes when Robert Casey grabbed the second try. It owed much to a wrong decision by referee Ashley Rowden. O'Driscoll's attempted drop goal drifted wide and Edinburgh fullback Chris Paterson fly hacked the ball over the dead-ball line. It should have been a 22 drop-out but Rowden gave a five-metre scrum to Leinster. And a clever backrow move allowed Casey a swallow dive in celebration as he plunged over untouched.
Reivers gradually managed a foothold in the match and by the interval outhalf Duncan Hodge had landed three penalties. They were enjoying a greater share of possession and Leinster's bouts of defending were increasing, attributable partly to a spiralling error rate. It would prove a portent of things to come.
Leinster's greater incisiveness and potency, however, was illustrated further on 23 minutes when some glorious footwork from Denis Hickie took him past a defender, he accelerated into the gap and timed his pass to the supporting Eddie Hekenui perfectly for the outhalf to cross for a fine try. O'Meara converted and added a penalty to leave Leinster 24-9 ahead at the break.
Reivers started the second half positively and their endless recycling of possession began to stretch the Leinster defence. Hodge kicked a penalty and David Officer then grabbed a try.
Leinster responded gamely, with replacement second-row Leo Cullen demonstrating a wonderful shimmy and stretch to touch down. O'Meara converted and the priority for his team was to take the pace out the game. They needed to retain possession but didn't.
Instead errors continued to undermine them and this, allied to a stunning closing 20 minutes from the Reivers, produced a sensational finish. Paterson grabbed a try which Hodge converted and Leinster's 10point advantage, 34-24, looked shaky. It was further reduced to just three when centre Kevin Utterson wriggled out of a tackle to cross close to the posts in injury time.
Leinster were now clinging on by their fingernails - the outstanding Hickie produced two try-saving tackles - and eventually lost their grip completely: two failed touch finds would haunt them. Reivers worked their way to within inches of the line six minutes into injury time and when the home side were penalised, Hodge converted the straightforward penalty - a surprising decision given that the draw is not good enough to sustain Edinburgh's knockout aspirations.
Scoring sequence: 6 mins - O'Meara try, O'Meara conversion, 7-0; 14 mins - Casey try, O'Meara conversion, 14-0; 20 mins - Hodge penalty, 14-3; 23 mins - Hekenui try, O'Meara conversion, 21-3; 27 mins - Hodge penalty, 21-6; 34 mins - Hodge penalty, 21-9; 36 mins - O'Meara penalty, 249. Half-time - 24-9. 48 mins - Hodge penalty, 24-12; 50 mins- O'Meara penalty, 27-12; Officer try, 27-17; 66 mins - Cullen try, O'Meara conversion 34-17; 68 mins - Paterson try, Hodge conversion, 34-24; 80 mins - Utterson try, Hodge conversion, 34-31; 86 mins - Hodge penalty, 34-34.
Leinster: G Dempsey; D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, G D'Arcy; E Hekenui, B O'Meara; R Corrigan, P Smyth, E Byrne, R Casey, M O' Kelly, T Brennan, V Costello, L Toland (capt). Replacements: S Byrne for Smyth (59 mins); L Cullen for Casey (59 mins), D O'Brien for Brennan (69 mins); G Halpin for Corrigan 69 mins.
Edinburgh reivers: C Paterson; C Murray, D Officer, K Utterson, C Joiner; D Hodge, G Burns; A Jacobsen, S Scott, B Stewart, I Fullarton, R Metcalfe, D Mackinnon (capt), M Leslie, I Sinclair. Replacements: G Dall for Sinclair (54 minutes); C Smith for Stewart (69 mins).
Referee: A Rowden (England).
