Leinster beat Toulouse in semi-final classic

Yoann Maestri and Census Johnston tackle Brian O’Driscoll at the Aviva Stadium

Leinster clinched their place in the Heineken Cup final with a hard-fought win over Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium.

The Irish province led 16-13 at half-time thanks to a Jamie Heaslip try and 11 points from Jonathan Sexton.

Florian Fritz scored a try for Toulouse, with David Skrela kicking eight points during the first period.

After the break Brian O’Driscoll scored a try and Sexton kicked a further 11 points while Louis Picamoles crossed the line for the four-time champions.

Skrela knocked over a conversion and Nicolas Bezy kicked a penalty.

Toulouse raced into an early lead when Fritz touched down under the posts in the fifth minute.

A Skrela penalty rebounded off the left hand upright and Fritz reacted quickly to score the try after the ball took a wicked bounce over the head of Brian O’Driscoll. Skrela added the conversion.

Sexton reduced the Irish province’s deficit with a 10th-minute penalty but a wonderfully executed Skrela drop goal two minutes later restored Leinster’s advantage.

Heaslip scored his ninth Heineken Cup try after half an hour when he completed a fine move which included 17 phases.

The number eight bulldozed his way through the Toulouse defence and touched the ball down, Sexton converting.

O’Driscoll was yellow-carded in the 36th minute and fly-half Skrela knocked over the resulting penalty to level the scores.

An injury-time penalty by Sexton made it 16-13 to Leinster at half-time.

Five minutes after the break the defending champions made good ground from a scrum, Jean Marc Doussain bounced off Eoin Reddan and he offloaded to Picamoles who dived over unopposed. Skrela again added the two points.

Sexton responded with two successful penalties to nudge the 2009 champions ahead by two points.

O’Driscoll crossed the Toulouse line for Leinster’s second try on 59 minutes.

Mike Ross and Nathan Hines were held up before O’Driscoll nipped in between Vincent Clerc and Census Johnston to score, Sexton adding the conversion.

Replacement Bezy landed a penalty but Sexton completed a fine kicking display by kicking his sixth penalty in the final minute of the game.

Leinster will now have the chance to reclaim their place at the top of the European pedestal, which they occupied two years ago.

Leinster: I Nacewa; S Horgan, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen (captain), N Hines, K McLaughlin, S O’Brien, J Heaslip.

Replacements: J Harris-Wright, H Van Der Merwe, S Wright, D Toner, S Jennings, I Boss, I Madigan, F McFadden.

Toulouse: C Heymans; V Clerc, F Fritz, C Poitrenaud, M Medard; D Skrela, J Doussain; J-B Poux, W Servat, C Johnston, Y Maestri, P Albacete, J Bouilhou (captain), Y Nyanga, L Picamoles.

Replacements: V Lacombe, D Human, J Falefa, T Dusautoir, N Bezy, Y Jauzion, S Sowerby, G Lamboley or R Caucaunibuca.