Cheika focused on home advantage

Qualification for the European Cup quarter-finals won't diminish Leinster's appetite for next Friday night's clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm. Coach Michael Cheika wasn't the only one to express a determination to finish the pool in style, but the Australian was unequivocal in his view of what he wants from that match.

"We're nearly there, but we still have a week's worth of business to take care of to be in charge of where the quarter-final is going to be. It's important to us, because I'd prefer not to be going to someone else's backyard. It's very important to us to finish first."

He will bring his strongest squad to Gloucester and is confident that would include captain Brian O'Driscoll and Girvan Dempsey, both of whom missed Saturday night's victory over Edinburgh - Dempsey has been out for a little longer - and Gordon D'Arcy, who limped off with what looked like a groin injury.

On D'Arcy, Cheika was adamant he had taken off the centre only as a precaution, and medical opinion suggested there was no serious damage.

The Leinster coach was particularly pleased with the second-half display. "As far as achieving the qualification from the pool is concerned, we are very happy," he said. "I was particularly happy with the way they played in the second half.

"Often when you are under pressure to do something, or achieve something, you might not follow your identity in terms of the style of football you normally play. I was happy they did tonight and played the running football."

Fullback Rob Kearney, who grabbed one of Leinster's six tries, took a few minutes out from a happy home dressingroom. "We're very pleased, came to do a job in that our goal was to qualify and top the pool. We started a little bit slow. At the start of the second half we realised that there was a great deal more to do and we looked to up the pace and we got what we deserved. We are a professional side and our priority will be to do the same (on Friday)."

Shane Horgan, who plundered a hat-trick of tries, picked up the theme of not alone a better second 40 minutes but the contribution of the pack on the night. "I thought our performance in the second half was up a lot from the first. We probably threw a few balls on the ground - and me included in that - so it was nice that we picked it up in the second half. We retained possession a bit better and as a result the scores came.

"I thought Trevor Hogan and Stephen Keogh were both exceptional and that laid a good foundation for our attacking play in the backs. I thought Trevor was the real stand-out player today, not just because he got a couple of breaks. He works extremely hard and when he tackles guys they know that they have been tackled."