Montpellier 16 - 16 Leinster: Sexton’s boot saves blushes against new boys keen to make their mark

Leinster were missing the injured Brian O’Driscoll, Cian Healy and Shane Horgan from the team that won last season’s Heineken Cup final, with Heinke van der Merwe, Fergus McFadden and Rob Kearney the men to replace them.

Summer signing Damian Browne, no stranger to this kind of environment after his year spent at Brive, partnered captain Leo Cullen in the second row in the absence of departed lock Nathan Hines, while Isaac Boss was preferred to Eoin Reddan at scrum-half.

Montpellier were able to recall captain Fulgence Ouedraogo and Francois Trinh-Duc for the first time since the Rugby World Cup and, having moved the game to the city’s larger football stadium, were keen to make an early impression.

There was a near-capacity crowd at the Stade de la Mosson and they were in full voice when Benoit Paillaugue kicked last year’s Top 14 finalists in front after four minutes. Jonathan Sexton soon replied for Leinster though and he fired over a second penalty from distance after 16 minutes.

Isa Nacewa tried a grubber kick through to the right corner, only to be blocked by Montpellier’s full-back Lucas Amorosino. The chase was on for the line then and Amorosino found the onrushing Ouedraogo, who slid home under the posts.

Paillaugue converted and when he struck home a long-range penalty, Montpellier suddenly found themselves 13-6 in front with half-time approaching.

Shane Jennings and Eoin Reddan replaced Kevin McLaughlin and Isaac Boss early in the second half but the home side stretched their advantage to 16-6 through Trinh-Duc. A couple of minutes later, Cronin finished off a sweeping Leinster move out wide. Sexton was successful with an extremely tricky conversion attempt, meaning Leinster trailed 16-13. They continued to batter the Montpellier rearguard, finally rewarded when Sexton slotted over to salvage a draw.