LEINSTER HOST BATH this Saturday for what will be the seventh meeting between the sides in European competition.
However, after five Leinster wins, this will be the first knockout encounter between the sides as they compete for a place in the Champions Cup’s final four. Here’s how the other six games went.
2004-05
Leinster 30 Bath 11
The second round of group fixtures brought Bath to Lansdowne Road to commence hostilities with Leinster. David Holwell started the feud off as it would go on, with Leinster in the lead.
Tries from Denis Hickie, Gordon D’Arcy (who also poached a drop goal) and Shane Horgan gave the hosts a comfortable win to ge the ball rolling.
Source: INPHO
Bath 23 Leinster 27
It was a great day for fans of yellow Leinster jerseys as the guests at the Rec left it late, scoring 14 points in the final minutes to snatch victory from Bath.
Shane Jennings had got the scoring under way early and Malcolm O’Kelly sealed the win with a 78th minute score. Holwell supplied 17 points in the interim period.
2005-06
Leinster 19 Bath 22
The second part of the trilogy is always the best. And so the second season of Leinster v Bath had us all on the edge of our seats after the Premiership side came to Dublin and claimed their only win against the eastern province.
Felipe Contepomi scored all 19 of Leinster’s points, but only two penalties in the second half as the Somerset side came from 13-9 down to win thanks to Andrew Beattie’s try and 14 points from the boot of Olly Barkley.
Leinster looked doomed.
Source: INPHO
Bath 23 Leinster 35
With their backs to the wall in the final round of fixtures, Leinster needed to win against their unbeaten hosts.
They did so in serious style.
Source: Conor Ryan/YouTube
Shane Horgan chipped in with two of the five tries. Brian O’Driscoll and Will Green grabbed two more while Contepomi converted all five tries, including his own impressive show of pace on an intercept.
Much more on that game, here.
2011-12
Bath 13 Leinster 18
Normal serviced resumed for Leinster, Joe Schmidt’s reigning champions beating Bath with a gritty away display.
Source: nzallblacksrugby8man/YouTube
Five second half penalties from Jonathan Sexton did the trick after Bath had led 6 – 3 at the interval and 13 – 12 after Matt Banahan’s try with 15 on the clock.
Leinster 52 Bath 27
Round two of the Christmas head-to-heads found Leinster in the mood to land a knockout blow.
Source: joekdp/YouTube
A 10-try thriller of a game was only ever going the way of the hosts en route to a second straight Heineken Cup title.
Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald and Sexton all scored in the first 40 to put Leinster out of sight at 24 – 6. But they barely eased off the pedal in the second period, running in four further tries; Rhys Ruddock the only forward to make it on to the board.
Can Bath take a second win away from Dublin this weekend? Or are Leinster about to go 6 from 7?
The Champions Cup semi-final venues are out so if you’re a bullish Leinster fan, get bookingDo you remember the time Leinster travelled to Bath and played the perfect game of rugby?
