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          European Rugby Champions Cup 2018
          Montpellier HeraultMontpellier HeraultMON
          14
          21/01FT
          23
          LeinsterLeinsterLEI
          • Bismarck du Plessis(24')
          • Yacouba Camara(37')
          • Aaron Cruden(25', 38')
          • Ross Byrne(5')
          • Robbie Henshaw(46')
          • Sean Cronin(52')
          • Ross Byrne(54')
          • Ross Byrne(20', 50')
          • SummarySummary
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          • Match StatsMatch Stats
          • Player StatsPlayer Stats
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          Leinster cruise through to the quarter finals with sixth win

          Tadhg Furlong of Leinster is tackled by Kelian Galletier, left, and Antoine Guillamon of Montpellier during the European Rugby Champions Cup. Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
          • PA Sport
          Multiple Authors
          Jan 21, 2018, 02:30 AM
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          Leinster completed a clean sweep of Pool 3 with a 23-14 triumph at Montpellier to guarantee top seeding for the European Rugby Champions Cup quarter-finals.

          The three-time European champions made it six wins from six matches and made sure the star-studded French side would not progress at the Altrad Stadium.

          Ross Byrne's early score was cancelled out by Bismarck Du Plessis and Yacouba Camara after powerful forward drives.

          But quick-fire tries from Robbie Henshaw and Sean Cronin at the start of the second half put Leinster out of sight.

          They will now face the final team to sneak into the final qualification places, with so much still to be decided in the final round of pool matches.

          With Leinster already qualified as Pool 3 winners, Leo Cullen was able to rest six key players, including Johnny Sexton, who did not make the trip to France.

          Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park were tasked with directing Leinster's attack against Montpellier's star half-back pairing of Ruan Pienaar and Aaron Cruden.

          The ever reliable Isa Nacewa started in the centre while there was an acid test for new Ireland call-up Jordan Larmour, who went up against the 130kg Fijian wing Nemani Nadolo.

          Montpellier had only lost once at home this season and held slim qualification hopes of their own.

          They would have to beat the visitors with a bonus point and hope Exeter Chiefs slipped up against bottom side Glasgow Warriors.

          The Top 14 heavyweights were attacking from deep in their own half in the opening minutes, and it proved to be their downfall.

          Kiwi wing James Lowe burst clear after linking up with countryman Gibson-Park after a weak clearance from the hosts.

          Lowe was brought to ground five metres short of the try line, but Gibson-Park was on hand to find Byrne in space for an easy touchdown in the corner.

          The home support thought they had levelled the scores after 16 minutes when a flowing move saw Timoci Nagusa round Lowe and sprint down his right wing.

          Pienaar was in close support, but the scoring pass was adjudged to have gone forward out of the hands of the Fijian.

          They were punished two minutes later when Benjamin Fall failed to roll away at a ruck, allowing Byrne to extend Leinster's lead to 8-0.

          But the hosts flexed their muscles to score their first try after 24 minutes.

          Cruden sent a penalty to the corner before driving an unstoppable maul over the line for Du Plessis to score.

          Cruden landed the conversion from out wide to cut the gap to a single point.

          Vern Cotter's men continued to grow into the game but were almost further behind when Henshaw threw a long, cut-out pass to set Lowe free, but once again Luke Pearce blew for a forward pass.

          Tadhg Furlong then opened the door for Montpellier to construct another driving maul when he played the ball on the floor at a ruck.

          This time they sucked Leinster into thinking they would drive it over again, but Camara peeled off and fed Louis Picamoles, who offloaded back to his back-row colleague to score.

          Cruden knocked the conversion over to make it 14-8 two minutes before half-time.

          The hosts had the chance to sneak a third try before the half-time whistle, but some tireless defensive work from Furlong stopped Nadolo in his tracks just when he looked to be racing towards the corner.

          Hooker Cronin sparked an early second-half attack for Cullen's men and the pressure told when Du Plessis and Konstantin Mikautadze went offside at a ruck.

          They went to the corner and built the phases before Montpellier were finally caught short on the wing, allowing Rob Kearney to send Henshaw over for the try.

          Byrne was off target with his conversion that would have given Leinster the lead after 46 minutes.

          But they were ahead moments later through Byrne's boot after some heavy defensive pressure from Josh van der Flier forced Nagusa into playing the ball on the floor at a ruck.

          Only the boot of the covering Cruden denied Lowe a score after some fluid offloading play, but they did not waste their chance from the resulting lineout.

          The Leinster pack gave Montpellier a taste of their own medicine by driving themselves over the line for Cronin to score.

          It looked as if the hosts would use their driving power to cut the deficit once more, but a perfectly timed steal from Devin Toner at the lineout ensured Leinster would leave the south of France with four match points.

          Fall had one last chance to claim a losing bonus point, but the attack fizzled out and Leinster claimed top seeding for the Champions Cup quarter-finals with 27 points from a possible 30.

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          Standings

          Pool 1
          RTeamGPPDP
          1GLA4+4920
          2STA4+9412
          3SAL4-3811
          4SAR4+1310
          5SHA4-1010
          6ASM4-1080
          Pool 2
          RTeamGPPDP
          1BAT4+9116
          2RC4+1714
          3CAS4-810
          4EDI4-7110
          5MUN4-28
          6GLO4-276
          Pool 3
          RTeamGPPDP
          1LEI4+3518
          2HAR4+9815
          3STO4-814
          4LEI4+36
          5STA4-136
          6BAY4-1150
          Pool 4
          RTeamGPPDP
          1UNI4+7620
          2NOR4+4616
          3BRI4+5014
          4BUL4-687
          5SEC4-506
          6SCA4-543
          Full Table

          European Rugby Champions Cup 2018 News

          • Champions Cup match delayed after parachutist stuck on roof

            A Champions Cup rugby game between Toulouse and Sale was delayed for about half an hour on Sunday when a parachutist in a pre-match display was caught on the roof of the Stadium de Toulouse.

          • Parachutist trapped on roof before Toulouse v Sale game

            A Champions Cup rugby game was delayed for about half an hour on Sunday when a parachutist in a pre-match display was caught on the roof.

          • Toulouse win Champions Cup in thrilling final against Leinster

            Toulouse won a record-extending sixth European Champions Cup when a Matthis Lebel try helped them beat Leinster 31-22 after extra-time on Saturday.

          • Rugby Club World Cup set to be launched in 2028 - sources

            Plans for a rugby Club World Cup where the best northern and southern hemisphere club sides will compete against each other are in the offing, sources have told ESPN, with the tournament set to launch in 2028.

          • La Rochelle edge Leinster again to win back-to-back European crowns

            La Rochelle became the fifth team to win back-to-back European Champions Cups on Saturday when they clawed back a 17-point deficit to beat Leinster 27-26 at the Aviva Stadium in another breathless final between the sides.

          • Campo's call: Koroibete can get better still, Suaalii approach sends wrong message

            Wallabies great David Campese says Marika Koroibete is yet to hit the ceiling of his rugby talents, but the man who made the gold No. 11 jersey famous is displeased by talk Rugby Australia is lining up a mega-rich offer to teen sensation Joseph Suaali'i.