Obano red ends Bath hope of an upset win

BATH gave it a determined rattle at the Aviva for an hour but eventually succumbed to Leinster's sheer abundance of quality players and strength off the bench.

- By BRENDAN GALLAGHER

An unlucky red card for Beno Obano_on_the hour for a second yellow card, when Bath were 26-21 down, pretty much signalled the end of their resistance which took the edge off a fine game.

Obano copped a yellow in the first half when despite making a marked effort to hinge and tackle low against the diminutive and Jamison Gibson-Park he made head contact, the kind of challenge that until five or six years ago scarcely constituted a penalty sidestepping But then came the really contentious one at a scrum 50-yards upfield from Bath's line. With no imminent danger and no final warning that anybody can remember, he was done for folding. A straightforward penalty yes but Leinster had been penalised a couple of times since the break as well, it was hardly persistent. Everybody including Leinster looked a little perplexed.