Leinster 28 Edinburgh 14: Leinster outwitted Edinburgh to move up to second in Heineken Cup Pool 6 but they were denied a bonus point by a determined second half display from the Scots.
Boosted by a packed-out RDS, Leinster were lethal off first phase ball in the opening half and turned the game in their favour with tries from back-row duo Jamie Heaslip and Keith Gleeson.
However, Edinburgh stuck to their task and closed the gap to 21-14 thanks to a John Houston try and a penalty each from Phil Godman and David Blair.
Leinster wrestled back some control to put man-of-the-match Felipe Contepomi over for a 72nd-minute clincher but their search for a fourth try was in vain.
The Magners League leaders had an early effort from full-back Rob Kearney ruled out by television match official Daniel Gillet and Edinburgh held firm at 3-3 after successful penalties from Contepomi and Godman.
The Scots, who lost winger Andrew Turnbull to illness before kick-off, tried to force the issue with some swift offloading and angled runs, but their high-risk rugby brought them little joy in the first half.
Leinster regained the lead in the 16th-minute when Edinburgh's defence was ruthlessly exposed and Heaslip powered over the line from close range after sustained bout of pressure from the hosts.
Contepomi nudged the conversion through the uprights and, while Andy Robinson's visitors pressed and probed, with scrum-half and captain Mike Blair central to their every move, they were unable to make much headway.
Edinburgh were pinged for killing the ball coming up to the half-hour mark, allowing Contepomi to kick his side 10 points clear.
Things got even better for Leinster in the 31st-minute when openside Gleeson hit the line at pace to round off a sweeping move sparked by Brian O'Driscoll and Shane Horgan. Contepomi's missed conversion left the home side 18-3 ahead for half-time and with the promise of more to come.
Edinburgh turned around with the wind at their backs and missed an opportunity to close the gap when Godman sent a 45th-minute penalty to the left and wide.
But, just seconds later, winger John Houston was over for his second try in three Heineken Cup games.
O'Driscoll failed to find touch, Matt Mustchin took the ball on, and quick thinking from Ross Rennie and the impressive Nick De Luca sent Houston haring over for a sucker-punch score.
Godman missed the conversion and a subsequent penalty attempt as Leinster suddenly fell off the pace.
Even after Edinburgh lost Calum MacRae to the sin-bin for a professional foul, the Scots answered a Contepomi penalty with two successes from Godman and his replacement Blair.
Having let their intensity drop, Leinster coughed up try-scoring chances when Ollie Le Roux and Heaslip failed to convert from close range.
A Gordon D'Arcy burst forward paved the way for Contepomi to work his way over for the hosts' third try and the Argentinian added the extras.
Nonetheless, the hosts' push for a bonus point never really came and it was Edinburgh who got closest to the whitewash in the dying embers when replacement Ben Meyer almost sniped over.
