Leinster complete impervious Pool A campaign

Last season’s finalists had to work hard for their fourth straight bonus-point victory in the pool, crossing through Jimmy O’Brien (2), Hugo Keenan (2), Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose.

Racing were well in contention on the hour mark, with Janick Tarrit and Christian Wade getting over either side of half-time but were overrun in the closing stages.

Leinster started strongly and got over for the first try of the game on 14 minutes as a brilliant backs move released centre Ringrose, whose offload allowed wing O’Brien to splash over out wide.

But the four-time champions struggled to find their rhythm following that score and saw wing Jordan Larmour yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on on 27 minutes.

Racing were enjoying a long period of pressure and eventually got over with Larmour in the sin bin, hooker Tarrit burrowing through a maul and planting down.

Fly-half Finn Russell was unable to add the extras, as Leinster counterpart Ross Byrne had earlier, and the hosts ultimately went into the break with a two-point lead.

Russell was off target again with a penalty shortly after the restart but was the creator of Racing’s second try as he ghosted through the Leinster defence superbly before slinging the ball out to wing Wade, who finished with ease.

Leinster found a response on 52 minutes when replacement hooker Dan Sheehan made an industrious carry towards the Racing line and managed to get an offload away to full-back Keenan, who dotted down to put the Irish province back in front.

And they would eventually take control in the final quarter of an hour, with a well-worked lineout drive putting flanker van der Flier over before O’Brien’s mazy run and offload saw Keenan cross for a second time, securing the bonus point.

The floodgates were well and truly open as Leinster dotted twice more late on, Ringrose setting up O’Brien for his second with a cracking offload before finishing himself in the final play to cap a supreme performance.