TOULOUSE ARRIVED ONTO the pitch yesterday with the hulking figure of Joe Tekori leading the way and wheeling a club-branded speaker behind him, the hip hop tune ‘Red Kingdom’ blaring from it at full blast.
With the French club’s array of stars – Dupont, Ntamack, Baille, Meafou – strutting behind Tekori, it made for quite the entrance.
Tekori is a former Toulouse player who now works as a bag man for the club, one of many examples of how les Toulousains keep things in-house. Their entire coaching team are ex-Toulouse players, as are the president and many of the backroom staff.
Les rouge et noir are proud of their culture, history, and playing DNA. No one has won as many as their five European Cups and it’s fitting that today’s opponents in the Champions Cup final, Leinster, are next best on four. This decider [KO 2.45pm, RTÉ/TNT] promises to be enthralling.
The Irish province have caused Toulouse agony in this competition in recent years, beating them in Dublin in the semi-finals in 2022 and 2023. Ugo Mola’s side certainly have a score to settle here, even if they’ve insisted this isn’t specifically about beating Leinster, just about claiming the trophy.
As their entrance song laid out, the challenge for Mola’s men is to make the modern, steep-standed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium their Red Kingdom today. Leinster hope the travelling Blue Army will give this exciting venue an altogether different feel.
Once Toulouse got into yesterday’s captain’s run, they were the picture of a calm team. The backs played a game of 7-a-side football and even in a different sport, their star quality was hard to miss. If Leinster give this Toulouse team chances on turnover or if their defence isn’t on tune, Dupont and co. will shred them. There are threats everywhere, from rampaging hooker Peato Mauvaka to daring 21-year-old centre Paul Costes.
A little earlier yesterday, Leinster had been to visit the old White Hart Lane. There was no booming music but there was a steely look in many eyes. Some of them strode past the Champions Cup trophy which sat on the touchline without a glance. As they warmed up, you noted the number of elite players in their ranks – Sheehan, Porter, Furlong, Doris, Gibson-Park, Henshaw, Keenan, and more. Their 23 is stacked with quality.
You sense that the challenge for Leinster this week has been to keep things as relaxed as possible. The memories of losing the last two Champions Cup finals to La Rochelle can be a driving force if channelled in the right way, but Leinster are correct to insist this final isn’t just about righting wrongs.
“I suppose you’re running towards the opportunity to do something special with your best mates and a very close group,” is how captain Caelan Doris put it.
“Our supporters have been unbelievable, so to do it in front of all of them who are travelling over would be unbelievable.
“So you’ve got that side of things pulling you forward and then you’ve got the hurt and the thought back to the dressing rooms over the last couple of years, and the feelings waking up on that Sunday and Monday in particular.
“You don’t want to feel that again. We spoke about it at the start of the week, if we cast our minds back to that feeling post-games in the last two years, how you’d give anything to have this opportunity again at the start of the week to build towards it, to leave no stone unturned in our preparation to have that mindset.”
Meanwhile, Leinster boss Leo Cullen wondered whether the last two games against Toulouse are a factor at all.
“Are they relevant?” he asked. “It’s a new day. The 23s, yeah there are some similarities but there are some differences as well. It’s a new group and that’s the beauty of the sport, the unpredictability of sport is amazing.”
Well said. For that reason, the unpredictability of it, today promises to be thrilling. Or nerve-wracking and tense if you’re in a blue jersey or a red and black jersey. It’s a tough one to call, with even the bookies sitting on the fence.
The widespread expectation is that it will go down to the wire and Leinster are hoping their 6/2 bench, which includes top-end forwards like James Ryan, Jack Conan, Rónan Kelleher, and Josh van der Flier, will give them the energy to finish strong.
Conditions are set to be ideal, the forecast predicting a dry afternoon with a temperature of around 20°C. Finals can be fraught but both of these teams can play when they’re in the mood and you sense that referee Matthew Carley will be keen to let things flow.
If that’s the case, we’re in for a great rugby treat. Sadly, someone has to lose but success will be sweeter than ever for the victors.
Leinster:
15. Hugo Keenan
14. Jordan Larmour
13. Robbie Henshaw
12. Jamie Osborne
11. James Lowe
10. Ross Byrne
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
1. Andrew Porter
2. Dan Sheehan
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Joe McCarthy
5. Jason Jenkins
6. Ryan Baird
7. Will Connors
8. Caelan Doris (captain)
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher
17. Cian Healy
18. Michael Ala’alatoa
19. James Ryan
20. Jack Conan
21. Luke McGrath
22. Ciarán Frawley
23. Josh van der Flier
Toulouse:
15. Blair Kinghorn
14. Juan Cruz Mallia
13. Paul Costes
12. Pita Ahki
11. Matthis Lebel
10. Romain Ntamack
9. Antoine Dupont (captain)
1. Cyril Baille
2. Peato Mauvaka
3. Dorian Aldegheri
4. Thibaud Flament
5. Emmanuel Meafou
6. Jack Willis
7. François Cros
8. Alexandre Roumat
Replacements:
16. Julien Marchand
17. Rodrigue Neti
18. Joel Merkler
19. Richie Arnold
20. Joshua Brennan
21. Paul Graou
22. Santiago Chocobares
23. Thomas Ramos
Referee: Matthew Carley [RFU].
