Beaten Leinster facing European survival battle

Three-time winners Leinster were left battling for survival in this season's European Champions Cup when they slumped to a 19-16 defeat at Bath on Saturday, their second successive loss.

The defeat, which followed last week's 33-6 mauling at the hands of Wasps in their Pool 5 opener, left the Irishmen facing back-to-back games with defending three-time champions Toulon to keep their hopes alive.

Fly-half star George Ford kicked the match-winning penalty for Bath from 40 metres with three minutes left at the Recreation Ground.

It was his fourth successive kick of the game and came just moments after Johnny Sexton had missed a difficult 55-metre penalty for Leinster which fell just short with the match level at 16-16.

Bath, whose opening game in the tournament in Toulon was called off last week in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks, and their Irish visitors were level at 9-9 deep into the second half.

But Bath edged ahead on the hour through a penalty try awarded by French referee Jerome Gacres as Leinster's scrum continued to buckle.

Ford popped over the extras before replacement Josh Van Der Flier went over for Leinster just two minutes after coming onto the pitch.

Ford had the last word with his 14-point haul to condemn Leinster to their first back-to-back opening losses in Europe in two decades.

The victory was also sweet revenge for Bath after they had lost 18-15 to the powerful Irish side in last season's quarter-finals.
Four-time champions Toulouse lost their opener 32-7 at Saracens last weekend but hit back on Saturday with a 24-18 win over fellow French side Oyonnax.

All of the game's five tries came after the interval with Timoci Matanavou, Maxime Medard and Gael Fickou all scoring for Toulouse.

Two-time champions Leicester defeated Stade Francais 33-20 last week and followed it up on Saturday with a 36-3 win at Pool 4 whipping boys Treviso with Tongan winger Telusa Veaninu grabbing a brace of tries and only denied a hat-trick by a TMO decision.

It was the Tigers' second successive bonus-point win in the tournament.

On Friday, Saracens fought back from 9-0 down to defeat Ulster 27-9 at a rainswept Belfast to make it two wins from two in Pool 1.

"You don't underestimate anybody," said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall whose side next face Oyonnax in back-to-back matches.

"We've now got to go and do a real professional job there and then bring them back to our place. If we can win those two games then we're in a really good position."

Champions Toulon will make their bow in the competition away to Wasps on Sunday.
Source: AFP