The defending champions’ giant yellow sledgehammer decided a thrilling contest and hinted at unstoppable French strengthPlenty of weighty questions will continue to hang in the Dublin air in the months ahead after the stunning Champions Cup final between La Rochelle and Leinster on Saturday. An official investigation has already been opened into a reported altercation in the tunnel at half-time but the implications of what unfolded on the field could prove even more significant in the medium term.Not only was this one of the most compelling modern rugby spectacles imaginable – up there with the thunderous second Test between the Springboks and the British & Irish Lions in Pretoria in 2009 – but it also detonated a heap of received...
In Ronan O’Gara’s French side the Irish juggernauts face old foes uniquely positioned to exploit any psychological weaknessTo be a Leinster player or supporter this weekend is to be standing at an era-defining junction. One way lies the sweetest of dreams: a record-equalling fifth gold star on the blue jersey and Champions Cup immortality. The other leads straight to their worst nightmare: another painful knockout defeat at the hands of their all-too-familiar bogeyman.Up until last week’s shock home loss to Munster in the semi-final of the United Rugby Championship, the former felt slightly more likely. Suddenly, though, they have played straight into the hands of their old friend Ronan O’Gara, the head coach of La Rochelle. If ever “Rog” needed...
So many good individuals do their specific job very well at Leinster; the ripple effect is synchronicity of how they playTo sum up why Leinster have been head and shoulders above the rest in Europe this season, and why they head into Saturday’s Champions Cup final against La Rochelle as favourites, Stuart Lancaster provides the perfect example.I worked with Stuart during his time with England and his abilities as a coach, first and foremost, were obvious. The problem was he inherited a team that, from a PR and a sporting perspective, had failed at the 2011 World Cup. He took it upon himself to try to change everything, from ensuring the players reconnected with supporters, to overhauling all facets of...
Leinster could draw level with Toulouse’s five titles this weekend and the scary thing is they are still improvingThe surest sign of consistent quality in European club rugby is visible just above the heart. Those four little gold stars woven into Leinster’s jersey might not immediately catch everyone’s eye but if you know, you know. Each of them denotes a European Cup title and adding another on Saturday will gain the Irish province entry to the most rarefied of clubs.Currently the French thoroughbreds of Stade Toulousain are the sole occupants of this elite five-star enclosure, courtesy of victory over La Rochelle in last year’s final. Next up, after Leinster, are Toulon and Saracens with three while Munster, Leicester and Wasps...
As Brian O’Driscoll, the former Lions captain, makes clear a fast start is imperative in this year’s Covid-affected competitionIf you wanted to launch a vibrant new European club rugby tournament you would possibly not start from here. The spectre of Covid already stalks the 2021-22 Heineken Champions Cup and scheduling its entire pool stages in the deepest, darkest and dampest weeks of a northern winter is not the obvious catalyst for a dazzling cavalcade of festive sporting cheer.Already the quarantine-affected Scarlets have had to forfeit their opening game, unable to raise a competitive side to face Bristol, with Cardiff and Munster also still without players who were marooned in red-listed South Africa last week. The ripple effects are likely to...