A fired-up Saracens will present a formidable test in Dublin but they may be the least of the Irish province’s problemsSuccess in rugby is generally mined from the painful depths of failure. Look at the most recent European champions and a glint of silverware has been the product of years of toil. Saracens, champions for three of the past four seasons, endured a three-year period when they regularly finished second in big knockout games. Leinster, currently seen as firm Champions Cup favourites, finished rock bottom of their qualifying pool only four years ago.It is almost as if all high-achieving club sides require a lengthy incubation period, with the exception of big-spending Toulon who remain one of only two teams –...
In 2000 Warren Gatland used World Cup players and Ireland lost so he tore up the teamsheet and turned things aroundIt has been a curious European Champions Cup season so far, with very few sides performing above pre-tournament expectations. Gloucester and an understandably distracted Saracens have sent out weakened teams for fixtures which could have transformed their campaigns, the Premiership leaders Northampton were ultimately unable to live with Leinster while Bath, La Rochelle and Ospreys are effectively down and out.There are, however, three notable exceptions. Leinster, Exeter and Toulouse are all still unbeaten and, along with Saracens, Racing 92 and Clermont, it is already hard to see anyone from outside that sextet making the final in Marseille on 23 May....
It was a difficult weekend for English clubs, with Irish provinces picking up a triple crown of victories over Premiership sidesIreland look like going into the Six Nations Larmour-plated. Joe Schmidt, who stood down as the national side’s head coach after the World Cup, never seemed to trust Jordan Larmour fully, certainly at full-back, but the 22-year old showed in Leinster’s emphatic victory over Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens that he is ready to take over from Rob Kearney, who was among the province’s replacements on Saturday. Larmour was the architect of Leinster’s first two tries, showing how deadly he can be in broken play if given just a trace of time and space, and he was part of a defensive...
Learning through failure shifts power to Saracens, but this year’s showpiece could have seismic effects on the wider gameLeinster were a year ago hailed not only as the best team in Europe but potentially the best ever after winning the Champions Cup. Saracens were among their victims, but it is a tournament in which the best dare not stand still. Its history shows clusters of teams who have held sway for a while – Leicester, Toulouse, Munster, Leinster and Toulon – but it is not difficult to see Saracens becoming its most dynastic club. Leinster do not lose many games and hardly any when they have a 10-point advantage just before half-time, but Sarries have this decade become versed in...
Spencer’s performance in the European showdown against Leinster could lead to a World Cup spot for England in JapanSlowly but surely there has been a changing of the guard at Saracens this season. In the four finals they have won in the past three years Richard Wigglesworth has started all of them at scrum-half, implementing the gameplan to a tee. On Saturday it is Ben Spencer’s turn. Related: Leinster out to make Champions Cup history against Saracens Related: Tadhg Furlong: ‘Mako’s a good craic but he’s an horrendous snorer’ Continue reading...