O'Driscoll and Hickie on fire

Leinster 31 Pontypridd 18: Even not playing particularly well, they're good to watch. Decidedly rusty, on the back foot for much of the night, such is Leinster's rapier-like cutting edge, they scored four of their five cracking tries off loose Welsh kicks.

A near-vintage Brian O'Driscoll and Denis Hickie, like two caged lions let out after a month in training camps, were Ponty's tormentors in chief, repeatedly leaving a trail of flailing opponents in their wake. The leading try scorers in this competition last season helped themselves to a brace apiece, O'Driscoll then laying on the fifth for Malcolm O'Kelly and leaving to a standing ovation to gather yet another man-of-the-match award.

With these two in their ranks there's surely never been a more dangerous Irish side off broken play. They've plenty of kindred spirits in Girvan Dempsey, Gordon D'Arcy and co, and it's so good that it's clearly not just off the cuff but the product of good work on the training ground as well as innate talent."

The defence and line-outs were good; unusually, though, the scrums were in trouble. Eric Miller had a towering game, Victor Costello put himself about immensely and Chris Warner, a clever and skilful Aussie, looks an astute acquisition.

Worked upfield by Ceri Sweeney's mammoth 70-metre touch find, it was Ponty who came knocking first. The tone set earlier by Costello's huge hit on Geraint Lewis, Leinster withstood seven phases before Brett Davey's opening penalty.

Ponty were still knocking when a typical piece of Leinster opportunism had the Welsh visitors behind. A nice move freed Mathew Nuthall up the left but his loose pass inside was snaffled by Warner for O'Driscoll to lead a footrush upfield. Dempsey was up in support, Leinster recycling for Andy Dunne and Warner to put Hickie over.

The biter was soon bitten, however, when Ponty subsequently scored against the run of play. Davey's quick penalty earned the attacking line-out and having thrown to the middle up until then, Ponty worked a maul off the tail for Lewis to score, Davey converting.

They added another when Leinster turned over the ball after Dunne ran from deep, Gareth Wyatt stepping inside a few tackles and despite some poor handling Lewis's deft one-handed flick put Duncan Bell over. Leinster were looking a bit dishevelled for a while, whereupon they scored. Just like that.

Warner gathered Sweeney's bouncing up and under, turned and offloaded to O'Driscoll, whose acceleration through a thicket of Ponty jerseys lifted the place as he sped away from half-way. Dunne converted, and Leinster were relieved to be only 12-15 down at the break.

Leinster were much improved on the resumption. Within seven minutes, they regathered off a seemingly defensive ruck on their own 10-metre line, O'Driscoll probed and Warner released the elusive Hickie to gallop upfield and infield. O'Kelly and Miller were in support, the latter driving on for the line and O'Meara had the presence of mind to switch back inside and send O'Driscoll through a huge hole under the posts. Dunne converted.

Ponty's response was impressive but Leinster's desire, defence, a huge scrum, Miller's superb tackle on Mefin Davies and a trademark tackle turnover by Keith Gleeson withheld the siege before Ponty settled for a Davey penalty. Cue Neil Jenkins' arrival. With his first touch he missed touch, Dempsey then chasing Hickie's towering return kick to deflect the ball down, Hickie gathering for a stealthy try in the corner to net the bonus point.

When Davey then miscued a kick infield to Dempsey, Ponty still had 15 men between him and their line. But no matter. D'Arcy counter-attacked speedily on the switch, then worked another switch with O'Driscoll for a thrilling bit of sidestepping to find O'Kelly in try-scoring support. Dunne converted both.

Scoring sequence: 13 mins Davey pen 0-3; 16 Hickie try 5-3; 30 Kelly try, Davey con 5-10; 38 Bell try 5-15; 40 O'Driscoll try, Dunne con 12-15; (half-time 12-15); 47 O'Driscoll try, Dunne con 19-15; 62 Davey pen 19-18; 64 Hickie try 24-18; 74 O'Kelly try, Dunne con 31-18.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; G D'Arcy, B O'Driscoll, C Warner, D Hickie; A Dunne, B O'Meara; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, P Wallace, L Cullen, M O'Kelly, E Miller, V Costello, K Gleeson. Replacements: D Dillon for Cullen (65 mins), P Smyth for Byrne, B Willis for O'Meara (75), N Treston for Wallace, D Quinlan for Dunne (78), A McCullen for Costello, K Lewis for O'Driscoll (both 81).

PONTYPRIDD: B Davey; G Wyatt, S Parker, J Bryant, M Nuthall; C Sweeney, P John; G Jenkins, M Davies (capt), D Bell, B Cockbain, R Sidoli, N Kelly, G Lewis, R Parks. Replacements: N Hennessy for Bell (27-34 mins), M Owen for Kelly (53), N Jenkins for Sweeney (63).

Referee: T Spreadbury (England).