LANC WARNS OF FRENCH THREAT
LEINSTER THE stats bear it out - Europe’s aristocrats are practically joined at the hip in terms of achievements in this competition.
But the winners of tomorrow’s Leinster versus Toulouse clash at Lansdowne Road gets the chance to put real separation between them.
Both proudly brandish four stars on their jersey to represent the joint record they hold in terms of title wins.
They have both reached the semi-final stage for the 11th time. Dig a little deeper and the similarities go on. Leinster have played 166 European games, winning 112. Toulouse? Played 164, won 111.
And of course the two squads are riddled with quality players as their group encounters this season TOULOUSE TV TIMES: Live on BT Sport from 2.30pm biggest players and there aren’t many bigger players than these two,” said the Dubliner, himself a three-time Champions Cup winner.
“They will be the first to admit that their standards haven’t been at the level they would expect of themselves but that calibre of player doesn’t stay in a rut for long.”
“Players of that calibre back their abilities,” added O’driscoll, who expects a Saracens-leinster final. “They like proving people wrong when people think there’s an issue. They like putting things right and, to a degree, putting people back in their box.
“They’re able to effect change. That’s why they like goal kicking under pressure and putting themselves in uncomfortable positions because they’re different to a lot of other players out there. That’s why they thrive and excel at the highest level.”
Farrell and Sexton each missed the quarter-finals, the Englishman absent from Sarries’ trouncing of Glasgow to attend the birth of his son, while his Dublin-born counterpart sat out the holders’ narrow defeat of Ulster with a quad injury.
BRIAN O’DRISCOLL is an HSBC 7s ambassador. proved – Toulouse edged a 28-27 thriller in France in October while Leinster won 29-13 in the Dublin return in January.
Of Toulouse, Leinster coach Stuart Lancaster (above) warned: “You’ve got this real balance of experienced international players, players from overseas and this young and vibrant local-born group of players like Dupont, Ntamack, Bezy and Guitonone - there are some outstanding backs in there.
“Their ability to score tries in so many different ways, they can overpower you, they can beat you on the counter-attack, their ability to keep the ball alive and generate successions of tries on momentum.
“If you look at the rankings of who has made the most line-breaks in the Top 14 it’s Toulouse. Who’s made the most metres? It’s Toulouse. Who has the most defenders beaten? It’s Toulouse.”