IT’S BEEN HARD to ignore Rory McIlroy’s Augusta lap of honour this week, with one of this island’s greatest sportspeople reliving the glory of his emotional Masters win and enjoying the trappings that come with being a green jacket holder.
There was, of course, the ceremonial champions’ dinner, where past Masters winners dined on bacon-wrapped dates, elk sliders, wagyu filet mignon and drank wines you won’t find down the local Dunnes Stores.
“I think for the past 17 years I just could not wait for the tournament to start,” McIlroy told reporters earlier this week. “And this year I wouldn’t care if the tournament never started.”
The weight the Masters held over McIlroy can be easily compared to Leinster’s relationship with the Champions Cup. Winning this competition has become such a fascination that their season has often been built around it, the chase essentially shaping their identity.
Leinster boss Leo Cullen. Will Morgan / INPHO
Will Morgan / INPHO / INPHO
Since last winning the trophy in 2018, they’ve found new and more gut-wrenching ways to fall short. They’ve been beaten at the death in tight finals, taken one of the sport’s greatest ever club sides to extra-time, thrown away strong leads and looked shell-shocked at home to unfancied opposition.
McIlroy had compiled his own long list of painful Augusta experiences before the dream materialised last April. In 2024 his hopes looked over before they ever really started, McIlroy frustrated with an opening round one-under 71 despite it marking his best start at the tournament since 2018. He’d finish in a tie for 22nd. Last year his chances looked even worse, finishing the first day seven shots off the leaders. We all know how that one ended – a sluggish start flourishing into the crowning moment of a life’s work.
A look at McIlroy’s story might remind Leinster that while there are different ways to lose, there are also different ways to climb your Everest.
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The external expectations around Leinster this season feel lower than they have been for some time. While 12 months ago they were busy thumping Harlequins (62-0) and Glasgow (52-0) in the knockouts, with Jordie Barrett showing why he’s one of the best players in the world, this time their progress has been far more low-key.
Stuttering into the knockouts after a disjointed URC win over Scarlets, last weekend Leinster played some sublime attacking rugby while also handing out three intercept tries against Edinburgh. They aren’t way off it, but certainly aren’t firing in the same awesome fashion as Bordeaux and Toulouse – who go head-to-head in a blockbuster last eight tie tomorrow.
Leinster don’t exactly have the look of champions at the moment, and Leo Cullen has admitted they aren’t hitting the levels they would like to at this point in the season, but maybe that can pay off in the long run. Leinster don’t need to peak now. They’ll perhaps need to peak in a semi-final next month, and definitely will should they reach the Bilbao final.
By the time Leinster kick-off this evening they’ll already know what their future may hold thanks to Glasgow hosting Toulon at 3pm. A win against Sale today [KO 5.30pm, Premier Sports] will either see Leinster head to Murrayfield to face the Warriors, or remain at the Aviva to take on Toulon.
Sale come to Dublin heavily depleted, missing their two first-choice hookers through a combination of injury and suspension, with both Curry brothers also sidelined alongside loosehead Bevan Rodd. An upset here would be one of the great Champions Cup shocks, but led by George Ford at 10, they’ll feel they have the tools to rattle Leinster’s cage. A dirty weather forecast might help their case.
Cohesion
The best parts of Leinster’s attacking play against Edinburgh would suggest they are slowly coming together. Given the disjointed nature of their season in terms of player availability, these should be the weeks where the cobwebs are lost and the cohesion starts to return.
Many of their leading internationals look in fine shape. Reiko Ioane has just delivered his best outing yet since joining the province, while Ryan Baird’s eye-catching return from a broken leg eases the loss of RG Snyman. Hugo Keenan has been excellent since his own return from injury and there’s a further boost this week with James Ryan and Garry Ringrose returning. Caelan Doris is a loss (concussion), as is Andrew Porter (chest), meaning just a second Leinster start for loosehead Alex Usanov.
Baird was sharp on his return against Edinburgh. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
The situation at out-half threatened to get messy as Sam Prendergast’s form dipped, but Harry Byrne has stepped up and looks increasingly assured. And at this stage of the competition, it helps that Byrne’s goal-kicking has been excellent. Across five Champions Cup games Byrne has missed just two of 20 shots at goal, that return of 90% placing him fifth in the competition’s top goal-kickers this season. Thomas Ramos (93.9%) is the only player ahead of Byrne who has taken more kicks (33), and to have played as many games.
In truth, Leinster shouldn’t need Byrne’s kicking to be the difference today. Cullen’s team should have too much firepower in their ranks for a Sale side who will be gritty, clever, but might lack the depth to go the distance. That said, last weekend’s sloppy showing is a reminder that Leinster need to tighten things up.
Sale’s play-off ambitions look dead in the PREM and so Europe is their only opportunity to do something special. Having been reasonably consistent in the PREM over recent seasons, this season has been a dip. The cliché is that they are tough and hard to beat, but Toulouse put 77 points on them, Northampton 47, Saracens 65. Deliver one of their smart, tactical games and they can make this another sticky step on Leinster’s journey, but if all goes to plan for the hosts, this game will only be remembered as a footnote on their hunt to achieve something far greater.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, Rieko Ioane; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Alex Usanov, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Jerry Cahir, Tom Clarkson, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Ciaran Frawley, Robbie Henshaw.
SALE: Joe Carpenter; Tom Roebuck, Rob du Preez, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Tom O’Flaherty; George Ford, Gus Warr; Si McIntyre, Ethan Caine, Asher Opoku-Fordjour; Ernst van Rhyn (capt), Ben Bamber; Jacques Vermeulen, Sam Dugdale, Dan du Preez.
Replacements: Alfie Longstaff, Ralph McEachran, James Harper, Reuben Logan, Jos Gilmore, Dom Hanson, Marius Louw, Alex Wills.
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Leinster don't look the force of old, but there are different ways to scale the mountain
IT’S BEEN HARD to ignore Rory McIlroy’s Augusta lap of honour this week, with one of this island’s greatest sportspeople reliving the glory of his emotional Masters win and enjoying the trappings that come with being a green jacket holder.
There was, of course, the ceremonial champions’ dinner, where past Masters winners dined on bacon-wrapped dates, elk sliders, wagyu filet mignon and drank wines you won’t find down the local Dunnes Stores.
“I think for the past 17 years I just could not wait for the tournament to start,” McIlroy told reporters earlier this week. “And this year I wouldn’t care if the tournament never started.”
The weight the Masters held over McIlroy can be easily compared to Leinster’s relationship with the Champions Cup. Winning this competition has become such a fascination that their season has often been built around it, the chase essentially shaping their identity.
Since last winning the trophy in 2018, they’ve found new and more gut-wrenching ways to fall short. They’ve been beaten at the death in tight finals, taken one of the sport’s greatest ever club sides to extra-time, thrown away strong leads and looked shell-shocked at home to unfancied opposition.
McIlroy had compiled his own long list of painful Augusta experiences before the dream materialised last April. In 2024 his hopes looked over before they ever really started, McIlroy frustrated with an opening round one-under 71 despite it marking his best start at the tournament since 2018. He’d finish in a tie for 22nd. Last year his chances looked even worse, finishing the first day seven shots off the leaders. We all know how that one ended – a sluggish start flourishing into the crowning moment of a life’s work.
The external expectations around Leinster this season feel lower than they have been for some time. While 12 months ago they were busy thumping Harlequins (62-0) and Glasgow (52-0) in the knockouts, with Jordie Barrett showing why he’s one of the best players in the world, this time their progress has been far more low-key.
Stuttering into the knockouts after a disjointed URC win over Scarlets, last weekend Leinster played some sublime attacking rugby while also handing out three intercept tries against Edinburgh. They aren’t way off it, but certainly aren’t firing in the same awesome fashion as Bordeaux and Toulouse – who go head-to-head in a blockbuster last eight tie tomorrow.
Leinster don’t exactly have the look of champions at the moment, and Leo Cullen has admitted they aren’t hitting the levels they would like to at this point in the season, but maybe that can pay off in the long run. Leinster don’t need to peak now. They’ll perhaps need to peak in a semi-final next month, and definitely will should they reach the Bilbao final.
By the time Leinster kick-off this evening they’ll already know what their future may hold thanks to Glasgow hosting Toulon at 3pm. A win against Sale today [KO 5.30pm, Premier Sports] will either see Leinster head to Murrayfield to face the Warriors, or remain at the Aviva to take on Toulon.
Sale come to Dublin heavily depleted, missing their two first-choice hookers through a combination of injury and suspension, with both Curry brothers also sidelined alongside loosehead Bevan Rodd. An upset here would be one of the great Champions Cup shocks, but led by George Ford at 10, they’ll feel they have the tools to rattle Leinster’s cage. A dirty weather forecast might help their case.
Cohesion
The best parts of Leinster’s attacking play against Edinburgh would suggest they are slowly coming together. Given the disjointed nature of their season in terms of player availability, these should be the weeks where the cobwebs are lost and the cohesion starts to return.
Many of their leading internationals look in fine shape. Reiko Ioane has just delivered his best outing yet since joining the province, while Ryan Baird’s eye-catching return from a broken leg eases the loss of RG Snyman. Hugo Keenan has been excellent since his own return from injury and there’s a further boost this week with James Ryan and Garry Ringrose returning. Caelan Doris is a loss (concussion), as is Andrew Porter (chest), meaning just a second Leinster start for loosehead Alex Usanov.
The situation at out-half threatened to get messy as Sam Prendergast’s form dipped, but Harry Byrne has stepped up and looks increasingly assured. And at this stage of the competition, it helps that Byrne’s goal-kicking has been excellent. Across five Champions Cup games Byrne has missed just two of 20 shots at goal, that return of 90% placing him fifth in the competition’s top goal-kickers this season. Thomas Ramos (93.9%) is the only player ahead of Byrne who has taken more kicks (33), and to have played as many games.
In truth, Leinster shouldn’t need Byrne’s kicking to be the difference today. Cullen’s team should have too much firepower in their ranks for a Sale side who will be gritty, clever, but might lack the depth to go the distance. That said, last weekend’s sloppy showing is a reminder that Leinster need to tighten things up.
Sale’s play-off ambitions look dead in the PREM and so Europe is their only opportunity to do something special. Having been reasonably consistent in the PREM over recent seasons, this season has been a dip. The cliché is that they are tough and hard to beat, but Toulouse put 77 points on them, Northampton 47, Saracens 65. Deliver one of their smart, tactical games and they can make this another sticky step on Leinster’s journey, but if all goes to plan for the hosts, this game will only be remembered as a footnote on their hunt to achieve something far greater.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, Rieko Ioane; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Alex Usanov, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Jerry Cahir, Tom Clarkson, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Ciaran Frawley, Robbie Henshaw.
SALE: Joe Carpenter; Tom Roebuck, Rob du Preez, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Tom O’Flaherty; George Ford, Gus Warr; Si McIntyre, Ethan Caine, Asher Opoku-Fordjour; Ernst van Rhyn (capt), Ben Bamber; Jacques Vermeulen, Sam Dugdale, Dan du Preez.
Replacements: Alfie Longstaff, Ralph McEachran, James Harper, Reuben Logan, Jos Gilmore, Dom Hanson, Marius Louw, Alex Wills.
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Champions Cup Leinster Preview Rugby Sale Sharks