Gloucester 14 – 49 Leinster

Heineken Champions Cup pool stage round 3: Former winners Leinster and Toulouse secured last-16 places in the competition a week early after comfortable away victories over Gallagher Premiership pair Gloucester and Sale Sharks

Leinster booked their passage to the Heineken Champions Cup last 16

Leinster and Toulouse have booked Heineken Champions Cup last-16 places after wins at Gloucester and Sale…

Gloucester 14-49 Leinster

Leinster cruised into the Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 after sweeping aside Gloucester at Kingsholm.

The four-time European champions were never seriously threatened as they followed up a 57-0 victory over the same opponents before Christmas with another comprehensive success.

The Irish heavyweights secured a bonus point by half-time through tries from wing Jordan Larmour, prop Michael Ala’alatoa, centre Jamie Osborne and number eight Caelan Doris.

Fly-half Ross Byrne converted all four scores and, although Gloucester claimed two penalty tries from collapsed mauls, it was damage limitation from an early stage.

Leinster full-back Hugo Keenan crossed early in the second period for a try that Byrne again converted, then flanker Josh van der Flier touched down, with replacement Harry Byrne adding the extras.

And Ronan Kelleher added a seventh Leinster try on the stroke of full-time, converted by Harry Byrne, leaving Gloucester to reflect on their heaviest home defeat in top-flight European competition.

With eight teams qualifying from each of two pools, though, Gloucester could still reach the Champions Cup knockout phase if they beat Bordeaux-Begles in France next weekend.

Sale Sharks 5-27 Toulouse

Sale will face a must-win Heineken Champions Cup clash at Ulster next weekend after a 27-5 home defeat to Toulouse in their Pool B third-round clash.

Sharks slipped to their second defeat in three matches in Europe’s elite competition, on a day when they were certainly hampered by Cobus Wiese’s red card in the first half when 5-0 up.

Toulouse’s third straight victory leaves them almost certain of a home last-16 tie.

Sale were looking good as the quarter-stage of the game approached, but they then lost Wiese to a red card
after much deliberation from referee Mike Adamson.

The South African star was penalised for a dangerous clear-out at a ruck, and from there Toulouse grew into dominating the contest, ultimately securing a comfortable win.