DUPONT OUT TO BURY HIS IRISH JINX

Leinster v Toulouse Champions Cup final, kick-off 2.45pm

ANTOINE DUPONT is aiming to bury his Irish jinx when Toulouse take on Leinster in today’s Champions Cup final in Tottenham.

The French giants have lost three semi-finals in five years to the Irish province. In all Dupont (above) has played in eight games against Leo Cullen’s men and won just one, and that was off the bench over five years ago.

And he has another beef to settle with Jacques Nienaber (below), now coaching at Leinster, who was South Africa boss when they knocked France out of their own World Cup.

Dupont’s side are seeking to become kings of Europe for the sixth time and the world’s best player believes they can use the pain of those defeats to win, if they keep their heads.

The 27-year-old said: “We can use the experience of those semi-final defeats but this is the final.

“Our discipline is very important and we have to focus on that but if we are not disciplined it will be very hard.

“Nienaber has helped their game, especially in the defence, with his experience of big games. They do simple things perfectly and have a good kicking game and are able to carry the ball. They have kept all of that but their defensive game is better.”

Toulouse head coach Ugo Mola said: “We’re no longer on the semifinal field. We’re not at Leinster. We are on neutral ground. This is what could lead us to be rather optimistic.”

Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn has held off Thomas Ramos to start at 15 for Toulouse, and Englishman Jack Willis starts in the back row.

Leinster are looking for a first Champions Cup since 2018. They have been runners-up three times in the last six years and have made three changes to the XV that beat Northampton in the semi-final.

Flanker Josh van der Flier is benched in favour of Will Connors, Hugo Keenan is back at full-back for Ciaran Frawley and lock Jason Jenkins is in for Ross Molony.

Second row James Ryan, who returned from an arm injury last week, is named on the bench.

Cullen is looking for impact from Ryan and the other replacements.

He said: “We need him there on the field to help us win the game at the end. We need to make sure we’ve got that level of experience.”