European Champions Cup: Montpellier 14-23 Leinster

Sean Cronin's score was Leinster's 22nd try in Europe this season

Leinster will be the top seeded team in the last eight of the European Champions Cup after a 23-14 win over Montpellier at the Altrad Stadium.

The Irish province had already secured the top spot in Pool Three but tries from Ross Byrne, Robbie Henshaw and Sean Cronin sealed their sixth win.

It was Leinster's first success in France in three years.

Montpellier needed a bonus point victory to reach the quarter-finals but were held scoreless in the second half.

The Top 14 leaders were punished for a decision to launch an early attack from their own try line as Leinster got the opening score in the fifth minute.

James Lowe burst onto a pass from Jamison Gibson-Park and the winger did well to hold onto the ball when he realised he would not be able to cross the line himself.

Leinster recycled quickly and Byrne was one of two players standing on the sideline waiting to score in the corner.

Montpellier's desperation to chase a try-scoring bonus point repeatedly cost them during the opening quarter as the hosts were guilty of a series of errors in promising positions, including a forward pass to Ruan Pienaar when the former Ulster scrum-half had a clear sight of the try line.

Byrne made amends for his early conversion miss with a 35 metre penalty to push the visitors further ahead before Montpellier struck for their opening score.

The home side turned down a kickable penalty in favour of an attacking lineout and were immediately rewarded as hooker Bismarck du Plessis scored from the tail of the resulting maul.

Emboldened by their success, Montpellier took the lead just before half time with a similar move.

The French side once again ignored a penalty opportunity to kick into the left corner and flanker Yacouba Camara scored directly from the lineout.

The visitors regained control during a blistering start to the second half - scoring 15 unanswered points in the third quarter.

Henshaw dived over in the corner after Leinster had shown admirable patience to retain possession inside the opposition 22 before quick hands by Rob Kearney allowed his outside centre to score.

Byrne missed the conversion but he kicked a penalty from in front of the posts just minutes later, which pushed Leinster back into the lead.

Having regained the momentum, Leinster sealed their first win in France since 2014 as hooker Sean Cronin barged over at the back of a rolling maul.

Post-match reaction:

Leinster hooker Sean Cronin on Sky Sports: "A big thing for us was to try and get a win here and prove to ourselves as a squad that we are going in the right direction."

"They are top of the [Top] 14 and it was important for us to match them in the scrum and the lineout."

Montpellier: B Fall; T Nagusa, F Steyn, J Serfontein, N Nadolo; A Cruden, R Pienaar; M Nariashvili, B Du Plessis, A Guillamon, N Van Rensburg, K Mikautadze; K Galletier, Y Camara, L Picamoles

Replacements: R Ruffenach (for Du Plessis, 73), Y Watremez (for M Nariashvili, 60), M Haouas (for A Guillamon, 54), J Delannoy (for N Van Rensburg, 73), F Ouedraogo (for Y Camara, 60), G Aprasidze (for R Pienaar, 76), J Tomane (for F Steyn, 67), J Mogg (for T Nagusa, 54).

Leinster: R Kearney; J Larmour, R Henshaw, I Nacewa (capt), J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; C Healy, S Cronin, T Furlong; D Toner, J Ryan; D Leavy, J van der Flier, J Conan.

Replacements: B Byrne (for S Cronin, 65), J McGrath (for C Healy, 46), A Porter (for T Furlong, 65), R Molony (for J Ryan, 74), J Murphy (for D Leavy, 67), L McGrath (for J Gibson-Park, 57), J Carbery (for R Kearney, 57), F McFadden (for J Lowe, 68).