Leinster and Exeter set up December qualification shoot-out

DECEMBER’S double-header against Exeter will decide how far Leinster’s Champions Cup pretensions can stretch after both teams took a firm grip on their proceedings in their pool.

After a second successive maximum-points haul, Leinster’s destiny is in their own hands; recent history might suggest that, after playing only a third of their pool games, they are already halfway to the necessary points total required for a home quarterfinal.

The December double-headers against Exeter Chiefs will be the hinge upon which the exit doors of Pool Three will swing open; mindful that the opening game is in Sandy Park, Leinster will, at the very least, seek to emerge from those with, perhaps, a 5-5 split.

Montpellier’s interest will now be decided by their December devotion; given that Glasgow coach Dave Rennie all but conceded that his side will divert their attention to domestic fare, the French side’s antennae may also not remain as keen. Stuart Hogg did reference Bath’s historic achievement a couple of years ago, when they reached the knockouts after losing their opening two games, as Toulon did last term.

CONTRAST

They were much easier pools, though, and both were far better balanced sides. Leinster, in stark contrast, literally couldn’t ask for more from their opening two games. Ten out of ten.

“We still have a long way to go,” Cullen cautions as this pool suddenly concertinaed into a straight shoot-out. “There can still be a lot of twists and turns in this pool. What my experience will tell me is not to get too excited by the first two rounds. There are lots of things we can get better at.

“This group has a lot of ability but some of them are still young and some of them are trying to build up that level of experience.

“There are a lot of games to take place before play our next Champions Cup game and that will be against a very difficult team in Exeter. They are a very efficient team and they don’t give up much cheaply, if at all. They are very dangerous opposition.”

The English champions proved as much in France yesterday by pulling off their finest win of their European history which, effectively, also may have eliminated Montpellier, after a stunning 27-24 win.

December will decide all.