NEW Scotland hero Tim Visser was at the centre of an injury scare last night, just a month before the start of the Six Nations campaign.
The Dutch-born winger was taken off with a shoulder problem just after half-time as Edinburgh crashed to another Pro12 defeat at Murrayfield.
The Visser situation will be a major concern to national supremo Scott Johnson, who was watching from the stand.
He lay motionless for at least two minutes after a collision with Leinster’s Fionn Carr, and though he was able to walk off, he looked dazed and in pain.
Despite ideal conditions, the opening exchanges were jittery and mistake-ridden.
The strength of the Leinster pack was underlined when the home scrum disintegrated, allowing the Irishmen to set up the first meaningful raid.
But a heroic tackle by Greg Tonks handed Edinburgh the opportunity to clear the danger.
Having weathered the storm, the hosts seemed to grow in confidence and they were rewarded with a Greig Laidlaw penalty after the Leinster front row offended 30 metres from their posts.
It took the Dublin outfit only one minute to level with a strike by Jonny Sexton when Allan Jacobsen felled Brian O’Driscoll with a high challenge.
Sexton was back in the spotlight to line up another shot at goal, but this time he sent it wide.
The half ended in disastrous fashion for Edinburgh and for Scotland break-away forward Dave Denton in particular.
Not only was he yellow-carded for collapsing a maul in the shadow of his own posts, Leinster were gifted a penalty try, goaled by Sexton.
Two minutes later centre Gordon D’Arcy capitalised on the stretched home defence to score again.
Sexton added the extras to put his side firmly in control, although Laidlaw repaired some of the damage with his second penalty.
Piers Francis slotted a fine drop-goal to give the home side fresh hope as Visser departed.
But when Sexton converted his own try, the contest was over.
Substitute Ian Madigan bagged the bonus-point touchdown, but Edinburgh refused to buckle and prop Willem Nel powered over for a consolation effort, Francis converting.
Attendance: 3,821
Edinburgh: Tonks, Fife, Scott, Atiga (King 41), T Visser (Rees 47), Francis, Laidlaw, Jacobsen (Hislop 61), Titterrell (Lawrie 61), Nel (Cross 74), Gilchrist, Cox, McInally (Grant 46), Basilaia (Parker 55), Denton. Replacement: S Visser.
Leinster: R Kearney (Conway 61), Carr, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy (Boss 68), Fitzgerald (Madigan 62), J Sexton, Reddan, Healy (van der Merwe 61), Cronin (Dundon 68), Ross (Bent 62), Cullen, Toner (Denton 58), McLaughlin (Jennings 47), O’Brien, J Heaslip.
Ref: I Davies (WRFU).