Leinster 43 Saracens 20:THE HOTTER Leinster perform the more coach Joe Schmidt appears to take down the temperature. There was an unmistakable glow of satisfaction radiating from Schmidt and the crowd around the RDS on Saturday, but the Leinster coach wasn't allowing himself to fall into celebration mode just yet after Leinster blew Saracens off the RDS pitch, let them back in and then demolished them for a second time in the final 40 minutes .

Uneven? Yes. Magical? Yes. Impressive? Yes. Ideal for the pool standings? Yes. A spectacle? Yes. Perfect? No.

“We know it wasn’t a perfect performance and Saracens probably lost a little bit of interest towards the middle part of the second half,” said the pragmatic Schmidt. “I wouldn’t say they offered soft tries but some of the tries came relatively easy.”

In an open, running game that will have thrilled many around Ballsbridge, Seán O’Brien was again at the centre of the demolition and will force Ireland coach Declan Kidney into that place he loves to be prior to the beginning of a Six Nations Championship, the land of tough backrow decisions.

The impression was Leinster were rampant. Apart from that 10-minute phase just before half-time, as they cruised towards the break but tuned out as Saracens ran in two tries – through winger James Short, after Luke Fitzgerald misplaced a pass to Isa Nacewa, and backrow Kelly Brown touched down – the rugby was a delight.

There was quick recycling, some wonderful off-loading and support play but, best of all, confidence in their ability to break from defence with ball in hand and deliver cutting passes under pressure.

True, Saracens appeared to lose interest, or at least the body language told a story of a defeated outfit midway through the second half. But that crushing dominance was of Leinster’s making in the way they relentlessly took the ball on.

Jonathan Sexton was decisive and commanding. Fergus McFadden’s try shortly after the break illustrated that. The outhalf could so easily have kicked, but instead triggered the move from deep with a snappy carry forward. It went through Brian O’Driscoll, so often a conduit on Saturday more than the finisher, Seán O’Brien and to O’Driscoll again before Nacewa’s sidestep took him over for 30-15.

It was a day too in which some reversal of the norm took place, one in which the backs did a lot of the work but the forwards claimed much of the glory. Six tries, three from the pack with Dominic Ryan going over twice – something of a trend developing here with O’Brien and Dave Kearney scoring two tries in recent weeks – O’Brien once and, in the second half, backs McFadden, Nacewa and Eoin O’Malley all touching down.

A quarter-final assured, now all Leinster need to do is gather for the home draw, which will be absolutely pivotal to their thinking. The advantage of playing in Dublin is immeasurable and Schmidt will have some serious thinking to do.

It could be a different side, given Gordon D’Arcy pulled out before the match with a calf injury to force a rejig and Fitzgerald moved onto the wing, and Jamie Heaslip’s ankle a concern but expected to be strong enough for Friday’s match against Racing Metro.

Nacewa will hold the fullback position, but what of Fitzgerald and Heaslip, who will want action prior to going into camp with the Irish squad?

After next week’s final Heineken Cup pool match Leinster’s next game in the Magners League is scheduled for February 10th, while Ireland face Italy in their opening Six Nations match at Stadio Flaminio on February 5th.

That is not Schmidt’s concern, and given the way the less-heralded players have taken to filling sizeable holes, Schmidt can genuinely claim to have a squad of real depth.

McFadden and O’Malley again claimed attention and showed that they are not just bench players, while flanker Ryan also continued to move his career on.

Saracens allowed Leinster to play, which a big French team will try to prevent if it comes to that later in the tournament.

A side useful at killing ball and slowing down play would cause more problems for a Leinster team that enjoys daylight.

Hooker Richardt Strauss made the final pass for two of the tries as he stepped into the attacking line, but Leinster can also dog it when needs be. They will want to examine how they allowed Saracens come to within three points after Brown’s try on 33 minutes.

Another score from the Premiership side and it could easily have put a different complexion on the second half.

But that’s churlish. Must-win Heineken Cup matches are rarely beauty contests, although there was much that was pleasing to the eye this time out.

“We have put ourselves into a position now where it would be crazy not to go for a win in Paris,” said Schmidt.

After Saturday, that’s what most expect.

SCORING SEQUENCE

7 mins: S O’Brien try 5-0; 12: D Ryan try, J Sexton con 12-0; 24: J Short try 12-7; 28: Sexton pen 15-7; 33: K Brown try 15-12; 37: D Ryan try, Sexton con 22-12. Half-time. 51: F McFadden try, Sexton con 29-12; 57: O Farrell pen 29-15; 59: I Nacewa try, Sexton con 36-15; 62: E O’Malley try, Sexton con 43-15; 80: N Mordt try 43-20.

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; S Horgan, B O’Driscoll, F McFadden, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen (capt), N Hines, D Ryan, S Jennings, S O’Brien. Replacements: E O’Malley for Horgan, D Toner for Hines (both 60 mins); I Boss for Reddan, C Newland for Ross, H van der Merwe for Healy, K McLaughlin for Jennings (all 66 mins); I Madigan for Sexton (69 mins).

SARACENS: M Nordt; D Strettle, M Tagicakibau, B Barrett, J Short; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; R Gill, S Brits, C Nieto, S Borthwick (capt), S Wyvan, K Brown, A Saul, E Joubert. Replacements: G Henson for Tagicakibau (33 mins); H Smith for Wyvan (40 mins); N de Kock for Wigglesworth, J Melch for Saul (both 52 mins); P du Plessis for Nieto (61 mins); N Cato for Strettle (64 mins); J George for Brits (66 mins); J Saunders for Borthwick (78 mins).

Referee: R Poite (France).