HAVING CONQUERED LA ROCHELLE, LEINSTER CAN NOW MAKE THIS A SEASON TO SAVOUR
HAVING FINALLY SLAYED the dragon and dumped La Rochelle out of their way, Leinster now have the chance to make this a season to savour.
Yesterday’s dominant 40-13 win over Ronan O’Gara’s back-to-back European champions leaves Leo Cullen’s men two games away from capturing that elusive fifth Champions Cup title, and their road to that trophy could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for these players.
With the Aviva Stadium unavailable due to the Europa League final, Leinster will play their semi-final meeting with Northampton Saints at Croke Park in early May, marking the club’s first return to the home of the GAA since their famous 2009 clash with Munster. That in itself has the potential to be one of the great days for this group of players.
Win that game, and Leinster will be heading to London to take part in a Champions Cup final at the stunning 62,000-capacity Tottenham Hotspur stadium – one of the most impressive grounds in Europe across any sport.
That’s a tantalising prospect for the province’s supporters, and surely for the players too, who now find themselves in pole position to drive on and capture a URC and Champions Cup double, having ended the last two seasons without a trophy.
Neither of those trophies will come easily but the manner of yesterday’s win places Leinster as the team to beat in both competitions.
Key players such as Caelan Doris, Joe McCarthy and James Lowe had huge games, while out-half Ross Byrne had perhaps his best ever outing in blue – kicking 15 points and leading his team with authority and skill.
It all came together in a commanding, ruthless display as Leinster hammered home their superiority, outing scoring their visitors 17-0 in the second half.
Cullen will now prepare a squad for back-to-back URC games in South Africa, with that Croke Park date against Northampton Saints safely chalked in the diary.
“It hasn’t been talked about a lot and that’s honest to God,” Cullen said when asked about the prospect of bringing his team to Jones’ Road next month.
“Even in the dressing room after the game we didn’t talk about it. The odd question here and there over the last while, is this a chance and I know a lot of positive work has gone on to get this game on there. But you have to get to the game first. You can’t get too far in front.
“Now we have a game to go to which will be amazing.”
Cullen has been there and done it himself, having been part of the Leinster squad that beat Munster in that 2009 Heineken Cup epic at Croke Park.
Cian Healy is the only member of the current squad who also took to the field on that famous day.
“In terms of the occasion part, we felt very fortunate as that group of players at that moment in time [in 2009' because there was a real provincial rivalry at that time," Cullen said.
"Nobody gave us a chance in 2009 to win that game but it's a different moment in time now for the group of players.
"It's amazing to get that opportunity to do it because it's such an iconic venue in Irish society. Not just sport.
"So it's an amazing opportunity for this group, but we have a trip to South Africa next week to get excited by, and then we'll start making a plan for that semi-final, [and] where it is.”
2024-04-14T06:10:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd