European Rugby: Leinster and Connacht lose

Connacht and Leinster both came out on the losing side after hard fought European ties.

Leinster got off to a flying start when Shane Horgan went over in the first minute after getting on the end of a loose ball. Jonathan Sexton converted to put the Irish province seven points in the lead – a lead that would only last five minutes.

Julien Malzieu went over after being played in by Aurelien Rougerie after a flowing passing move by Clermont. Morgan Parra and Sexton popped over a penalty each before the break, and the two teams went into the break level.

The French side were the first to get on the scoresheet in the second half, when Anthony Floch beat Fergus McFadden. Parra and Sexton scored a penalty each, and while both teams pushed for it there were no more scores in the match. It finished 20-13.

Despite the loss, Leinster boss Joe Schmidt was satisfied with his team’s performance. "I'm proud of them,” he said after the match.

“Sometimes you don't get what you set out to try to achieve and it is frustrating but you can keep your head up when you try to your maximum. They deserved it.

"I'm learning the whole time and I have confidence in these players. I think they sense that. If anything, if there is something in a good defeat, it's the one point and the belief that they will get from this."

Despite fly-half Miah Nikora putting over three penalties, Harlequins were to prove too strong for Eric Elwood’s battling Connacht, winning 20-9. Tom Guest scored a try early in the contest for the Guinness Premiership team which the in-form Nick Evans converted.

A Mike Brown try in the second half put the tie beyond doubt, while Evans was also successful with two penalties. Despite the victory, Harlequins lost top place in their Challenge Cup group. Bayonne are the new leaders after hammering Italian team Prato 65-7.