AFTER the excitement and intensity of the autumn Test matches and two European Cup weekends, it was back to earth with this low-quality Celtic League match featuring two understrength and below-par teams. A try in the opening minute and a cracker in the closing five just about earned the visitors their victory, despite being under the hammer for long stages against a spirited if somewhat unimaginative Blues team.

The long-term aim of the three Celtic nations must be to build a sustainable domestic league structure that helps develop their respective national teams. If the Celtic League is to become that vehicle, then the Irish provinces must be dragged screaming to the party.

They will argue that they are doing well enough in the League as it is, but their persistence in selecting weakened teams does nothing to lift the profile of the League — in fact, it emits some pretty negative messages in attracting crowds and is a somewhat self-centred and short-term approach.

Leinster’s visit to Cardiff Arms Park should have filled the place despite the abject recent performances of the crestfallen Blues, and especially when more than 10,000 people filed in last weekend to watch an academic contest against Gloucester. But when the visitors announced last week that their team would take the field minus the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Denis Hickie, Shance Horgan, etc, little wonder that the locals opted for the shops instead.

The Blues have been dire so far this season, with no glad tidings on the Arms Park horizon. The Cardiff coach, David Young, has fielded much of the criticism and has now been granted more resources. However, he seems to be falling into the trap of surrounding himself with ex-teammates instead of seeking wiser counsel.

There was no familiarity in the Blues defence in the opening seconds as the Leinster fly-half Felipe Contepomi waltzed through, and his kick ahead was latched on to by David Quinlan, who scored at the posts.

Contepomi converted.

Although the Blues steadied the ship after that shocking start, Leinster still looked the sharper, more incisive team, with the Argentinian Contepomi calling the shots and probing for openings in the home defence.

The Blues failed to threaten during the opening half hour, with the greater physical presence of Leinster in the greasy conditions controlling the play, although they didn’t create too much themselves.

Contepomi increased the advantage with a penalty on 25 minutes when the second-row Ben Gissing was up-ended at the lineout, and, most significantly, kept pegging the Blues back deep in their own territory with his astute positional kicking.

Whenever the Blues succeeded in venturing upfield, a dropped pass destroyed their good work. Cardiff managed to dominate the closing 10 minutes of the half with some solid running from Ryan Powell and Martin Williams in particular, but their only reward was a well-struck 40m penalty from fly-half Lee Thomas.

The Blues’ lineout was much improved with the return to form of Robert Sidoli, and it was through set-pieces that they clawed their way back into contention.

Thomas kicked his second penalty on 50 minutes and with Shane Byrne having a nightmare with his lineout throwing, the balance of power shifted towards the home side.

Scrum-half Ryan Powell relished the physical battles and a couple of his powerful breaks gave the Blues a platform and real hope of pinching a much-needed victory With the Blues dominant, a loose kick was fielded by replacement Gordon D’Arcy, who set off on a rare counter- attack that carved out a huge opening and was finished off by the supporting Girvan Dempsey, who touched down in the corner for the all-important Leinster score.

STAR MAN: Felipe Contepomi (Leinster)

Cardiff Blues: M Nuttall; D Dewdney, T Shanklin (T Davies 16min), J Bryant, C Morgan; L Thomas (N McLeod 68min), R Powell; J Yapp, G Williams, G Jenkins, D Jones, R Sidoli, K Schubert, M Williams (capt), J Malpas

Leinster: G Dempsey; J McWeeney, K Lewis, D Quinlan, G Brown (G D’Arcy 65min); F Contepomi, G Easterby; E Byrne, S Byrne, R Nebbett, M O’Kelly (capt), B Gissing, A McCullen, E Miller, S Jennings (V Costello 58min)

Penalties: Thomas (2)

Tries: Quinlan 1, Dempsey 76

Conversion: Contepomi. Penalty: Contepomi

Referee: M Changleng (Scotland).

Attendance: 3,300