Leinster’s rugby lesson sounds ominous warning to other URC contenders
Toulouse don’t get beaten every day and they don t get
’it outplayed every day, so shouldn’t be surprising that the leading team on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship log, Leinster, received rave reviews for their exploits at the weekend.
The Irish team reached the Champions Cup final with an emphatic thumping of the reigning champions, Toulouse, and they now get a chance to avenge last year’s semifinal defeat to La Rochelle when they meet the French team in Marseille in the decider on May 28.
La Rochelle, of course, were pipped by Toulouse in the last final, so they do have plenty to play for.
But as the Irish will quickly point out, Leinster captain Johnny Sexton did not play when they lost to La Rochelle.
And his value of the 36year-old to the URC champions and four-time European champions was underlined in their imperious performance against Toulouse.
The French media heaped praise not only on Leinster, who they said gave Toulouse a rare “rugby lesson”, but they were also filled with admiration for Sexton.
“The years pass, the concussions too, but he is still there.
“At 36, we wonder if he is still at the level, but Sexton proves in high-stakes matches that he is still just as effective.”
Those were the words of La Figaro’s Arnau Coudry, who also had this to say about Leinster: “Leinster shines with its organisation, its style of play programmed and recited off by heart. Cold efficiency.”
The form of Sexton and Leinster is certainly a loud warning to the teams they will meet in the URC play-offs, which begin the weekend after the Champions Cup final.
Leinster will surely start the final as favourites, so the chances are good that the reigning URC champions will be heading into the play-offs as the reigning European champions. The full scale of Leinster’s win can be understood when you remember that Toulouse went into the game not only as reigning champions, but also having won the most European titles.
Leinster now have a chance to equal their number of Champions Cup wins as they go in search of their fifth European triumph. —*