Bridgend 18 Leinster 39
Defending Celtic League champions Leinster brought the curtain down on their campaign for this season with an emphatic win at the Brewery Fields today.
Three defeats earlier in the pool stages when they were hit by international calls had ended Leinster's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
However with all their stars back in the fold they finished with a flourish, carrying on where they left off at Swansea in the Heineken Cup the previous week.
Bridgend, also out of contention for the knockout stages led 15-10 at the interval thanks to two tries from Wales and British Lions three-quarter Dafydd James.
James had a point to prove to the Welsh selectors after controversially being omitted from the squad for next month's Test matches against Fiji, Canada and New Zealand.
Shane Horgan scored Leinster's first-half try and both sides were reduced to 14 men when home lock Mike Powell and visiting centre Brian O'Driscoll were sin-binned following a mass brawl.
Bridgend also lost international Andy Moore with a suspected fracture of the eye socket.
In the second period Leinster cut loose and Bridgend had no answer as the visitors scored 29 points with wing Denis Hickie scoring two tries and O'Driscoll and Malcolm O'Kelly one apiece.
Referee Andy Ireland also brandished two more yellow cards, to Bridgend flanker Richard Bryan and Leinster prop and captain Reggie Corrigan.
Elsewhere, Newport defeated Borders 24-8 while Swansea were too strong for Ebbw Vale, winning 33-20.
PA