Favourites Leinster on rocky road in URC

Irish powerhouse Leinster may be favourites for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship title this season, but the road ahead is exceptionally tough as they navigate their way between the knockout rounds of two competitions.

The pitfalls are very apparent to Leinster’s director of rugby, Leo Cullen, as he prepares his side for this weekend’s epic Heineken Champions’ Cup semifinal against French giants Toulouse in Dublin.

And while that game is front and centre on everyone’s minds at the moment, Leinster’s path in both tournaments is a tough one, and the memories of their losses last year in the semifinal stage of both competitions is still fresh.

“Everyone was waxing lyrical about the semifinal last year and it was as if we had to just turn up for the final.

“But you’re going up against a team like La Rochelle — unbelievably heavily resourced — you’re up against the top teams and they only lap up all that media stuff that all you guys have delivered.

“You’ve got to control the hype — that’s the game.”

Cullen is keen not to repeat the blowout of last season, where his team came unstuck in both tournaments and ended up without any silverware.

He even referenced Limerick’s

win in hurling to signify how important is was in the local circles that they got it right this year.

“I’m just worried internally. “Like, Limerick won last year, we didn’t and that’s all I remember,” Cullen said.

“All I remember is the disappointment of losing in Marseilles and losing at home in the RDS against the Bulls.

“That’s what is freshest in my mind.”

“It’s just disrespectful to everyone we play against.

“I’m sure it’s just winding up the narrative in their minds.

“I said it about hype, it’s week on week on week.”

Cullen said Toulouse were in the same boat, having missed out on the Champions’ Cup win last season, and were preparing for an epic battle at the Aviva Stadium.

“Toulouse are the most successful team in the competition; they lost at this stage last year.

“What do you think their motivation is?

“It’s through the roof. “They didn’t send their starting XV to Paris [against Stade Francais] last week, so what do you think their motivation is?

“We’ve tried to narrow the gap and we’re still chasing them.

“They’re still the most successful team in the competition and it will have stung them losing last year.

“It’s clear what their focus is — it’s coming after us.

“We need to make sure we’re ready for it and do everything we can to deliver on the big days.”

There are several big days ahead, as Leinster will face the Cell C Sharks in the URC quarterfinal next weekend, and a possible semifinal against Glasgow Warriors or Munster the week after that.

Then, if they make the European final, it is likely to be defending champions La Rochelle the next week and then whoever is lucky enough to travel to Dublin for the URC final the week after that.

With tickets costing almost R1,500 each for the semifinal, they have struggled to sell — with 37,000 being sold at the start of the week.

Cullen is desperate to see that turn into a full house.

“I’m sure [with] Toulouse, what’s freshest in their mind is losing against us because of the pride they have in the competition,” he said.

“It’s just like we have pride so yeah, hopefully the Aviva [Stadium] is a sea of blue.

“It’s so hard to win because there are other teams that are desperate to win. ”