CARDIFF BLUES 19 LEINSTER LIONS 24

The Cardiff Blues picked up their second bonus point in a week, but fell to a record ninth consecutive Heineken Cup defeat as Leinster continued their recent dominance of Welsh sides.

Flanker Keith Gleeson was dominant at the breakdown as Leinster ground down a gutsy Blues side, who refused to lie down at any stage. The loss means Cardiff's hopes of making the Cup quarter-finals are slim.

They now face the prospect of playing French side Biarritz away to end their awful run. Last season, Biarritz put 75 points past Cardiff.

It was a nervous start for the Blues in miserable conditions, with French referee Joel Jutge penalising the home pack at the first scrum, echoing their first-round nightmare against Sale.

Outside-half Iestyn Harris couldn't find touch to save himself, but went from zero to hero when a deft kick forced a Blues lineout 5 metres from the visitors'
try-line. An accidental off-side ruined that chance, but Jutge penalised Leinster for off-side and Harris gave the Arms Park side a 3-0 lead.

Leinster scrum-half Brian O'Meara equalised a moment later when Harris failed to release in the tackle in front of his posts, and the visitors streaked ahead when winger John McWeeney took advantage of a Cardiff lapse in concentration to
score untouched.

Referee Jutge continued to penalise Blues prop Darren Crompton at the scrum, but O'Meara missed his shot at goal. Moments later, Harris made no mistake to narrow the margin to four points and then kicked a superb long-range goal in the driving rain to make it a one-point contest.

A clever break from Leinster fly-half Christian Warner set up O'Meara's second penalty goal to give the Lions a 13-9 lead at the halftime break.

O'Meara took his side out to a seven-point lead with his third penalty goal early in the second half, before Harris made up for a rare miss to drag it back
to four points.

Leinster's Australian-born flanker Gleeson charged down a Harris kick to score a brilliant individual try, but Blues winger Tom Shanklin scored in the
corner as the home side refused to lie down. Harris added a superb sideline conversion to narrow the gap to two points.

O'Meara's fourth penalty goal kept his side in front, and the Irishmen held out a late Cardiff onslaught to hold on to a five-point victory.

Cardiff Blues 19 Leinster Lions 24
HT: 9-13 Attendance: 5,000
Cardiff Blues: Try - T Shanklin; Con - I Harris; Pens - I Harris (4)
Leinster Lions: Tries - J McWeeney, K Gleeson; Con - B O'Meara; Pens - B O'Meara (4)
Match points: Cardiff Blues 1pt; Leinster Lions 4 pts
Heineken Man of the Match: Keith Gleeson (Leinster Lions)