THEY WENT OVER as European champions. The fourth star fresh on their chest and they were bullishly going in search of a fifth with a brilliant young lock who had not yet lost a match with his province.
Losing always leaves a lasting sting with Leinster. Even if it was just a bounce to the wrong side of a thrilling, tight contest away to a rejuvenated giant of French rugby – a team who they went on to beat twice later in the campaign.
13 months on from the memorable October 28-27 loss in Toulouse, the eastern province are using it as a stick to beat themselves with to rouse a performance in Lyon.
The Rhone club certainly don’t have the European pedigree of Toulouse and began their Champions Cup campaign with a loss away to Northampton. However, they do have a perch at the summit of the early Top14 table with six wins from seven and a grizzled, powerful pack to set a platform for a dangerous back-line.
Moving on from a staccato bonus point win over Benetton, Leinster are intent on displaying a little nous picked up in Toulouse when they meet the current Top14 leaders.
“It’s a huge, huge lesson and a huge experience for everyone that was involved,” says backs coach Felipe Contepomi.
“Going to play an in-form French team. It’s a good lesson. Hopefully, we learned from it and we’ll only learn if we do it right.
“I’ll tell you on Monday if we’ve learned from it.”
The Argentine takes exception when it’s suggested that Lyon’s performance in the weekend loss in Northampton featured a touch of disinterest.
“If a French team are disinterested they will concede 50 points,” says Contepomi.
“I would be say that they were caught out, surprised by the intensity of a European game. But they came back out from the dressing room, changed (the way they set up) and could even have got even closer (on the scoreboard).”
The former out-half is highly respectful of Lyon’s ambitious style and of head coach Pierre Mignoni. The former scrum-half will surely have taken mental notes during his time working under Joe Schmidt and Vern Cotter with Clermont before going on to play alongside Contepomi in Toulon.
“He has always been very studious of the game. My opinion is that he’s got a great rugby philosophy.
“He is a hard worker, a very good coach, and you could see he was always going to be a coach, a good one.”
“I think he’s very studious and he is pragmatic, at the same time keen on taking risk, having that offensive play, wide play, trying to impose their rhythm.”
Precisely the sort of variety that stretched Leinster just that little bit too far at this stage last season.
