‘There are things we can tighten up on and we’ll need to’

Toulouse and Leinster. Leinster and Toulouse. There was a time when these two giants of European rugby would meet on a regular basis but not lately. The last time they met was in 2011 in the Heineken Cup semi-final as Leinster triumphed to set up a final showdown with Northampton Saints.

In 2010, at the same stage, it was Toulouse that held sway at home and they would finish the job a few weeks later against local rivals Biarritz in front of 78,962 supporters at the Stade de France. It was a quarter-final in 2006 and a magic 35-41 win away from home for Michael Cheika’s men.

November 2007 and a 33-6 loss in the Stade Ernest Wallon was followed by a brilliant 20-13 win in the RDS the following January with a bleach-blond Luke Fitzgerald touching down twice and Felipe Contepomi adding ten points with the boot. 2001 and a commanding 40-10 win at home in Donnybrook in front of just over 7,000 but revenge wasn’t far away as Toulouse swatted Leinster to one side by a similar score in January.

There are not many Leinster players left that have experienced what the four-time champions bring to the competition but Cian Healy is one. He has lined up against them on three occasions – in January 2008 and in the two semi-finals and while he has enjoyed victory on two of those occasions he also knows what it’s like for things to go badly.

“It’s a long time ago now but I remember being hauled off early in the 2010 semi-final, so not a good experience that day. Scrummaging has changed hugely since then but the lessons I took with me that day stood to me.”

Former Leinster hooker John Fogarty, who also started that game in 2010 beside Healy, spoke earlier in the week about “an badault on the senses” when playing Toulouse in France. It’s the same of all French teams, agrees Healy.

“Everything is different. The fans, cheering during kicks, it’s actually a brilliant atmosphere to play in and you have to embrace it for what it is. But for lads maybe experiencing that for the first time, it can catch you off guard but hopefully on Sunday we will have enough experience to help us through all of that.”

Monkey

Many of Leinster’s likely 23 on Sunday will have tasted defeat in France most recently against Clermont in the semi-final in 2017. But a year later they would account for Montpellier in the pool stages as well as Racing 92 in the Champions Cup final in Bilbao. The monkey is off the back.

“The last two pre-seasons we have played French teams away from home because I think we all see the benefit of exposing young lads to that environment. Perpignan last season, Montauban this season. Those experiences will stand to lads as they then look to make inroads into the senior team. Going on the road anywhere is tough in Europe but I suppose France does still have that aura attached to it and when going to a proud club like Toulouse, probably all the more so.”

Toulouse are of course aristocrats of the Heineken Champions Cup and like Leinster have four titles to their name with their last title coming in 2010 and previous titles won in 2005, 2003 and 1996. But they had to endure a year in the wilderness last season playing in the Challenge Cup instead. Now fully restored to the top table and with an away win against Bath already to their credit, they will relish a first home game of the European season against the reigning champions.

“For us, it was great to get up and running against Wasps but for them going away from home to Bath, to a place that is very difficult to win as we saw a few years ago, they got the job done and that sets them up for this game perfectly.”

What was it about that win in Bath that impressed him the most?

“Bath had chances to win that game. People are focused on one mistake by Freddie Burns obviously but Bath should have won that game before then, but they didn’t. Toulouse hung on. Battled and battled. And they never let Bath get so far ahead of them that they couldn’t be caught.

“Traditionally, you might have thought a French team, 17-7 down, that was game over but this is a very different Toulouse. Look at the work-rate from Maxime Medard to fight for every last play and to knock that ball out of Burns’ hand? Many would have stopped and let him run it in. That’s a clear sign of their attitude. It’s a never-say-die attitude.

“They have beaten some really good teams already in the Top 14 in Racing and La Rochelle and have only lost two games so they are playing well and are competitive home or away. And now they have had the perfect start to the European season. An away win. Every club focuses on their home games in Europe. You have to win them to give yourself a shot and they will look forward to this game like no other, especially having been out of the Champions Cup for a bit.”

Leinster go there in the knowledge that they too are playing well.

“We were happy enough last week. At the end of the game when you look at that score, you have to be happy. Getting a win like that in front of a sold-out RDS was pretty special but when you peel it back it was 7-3 in the 40th minute until their yellow card and we managed to strike for Luke’s try just before the break.

Managed

“If it stays 7-3 and if they keep 15 on the pitch for the second half, who knows then what might have played out? And that is what we have been looking at. What could we have done better in those opening 40 minutes and at times in the second half to have managed the game that little bit better? There are definitely things that we can tighten up on and we’ll need to do that on Sunday.”

Two unbeaten teams. Something has to give on Sunday. “It’s been different having such a long lead-in and having two down days during the week but it’s been good as well. We know the challenge that lies ahead, as do they, and it should be a good game. It’s days like this that gets you excited.”

Irish Independent