Toulouse all at sea as Leinster take it

WITH an air of inevitability, Leinster marched into next month’s Champions Cup final but fell someway short of the context we all hoped for.

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

In fact, for all Leinster’s excellence and five tries, it all felt rather underwhelming. Toulouse didn’t really turn up, they conceded 28 points during two ten-minute spells when, contentiously, they were down to 14 men and there were times when the large home crowd and Irish TV directors held too much sway which is why sporting semi-finals should be played on neutral venues.

Make no mistake, Leinster – even without the injured Jonny Sexton, James Lowe and Robbie Henshaw – are the class act in this year’s tournament but Toulouse also made a massive mistake when they moved Antoine Dupont to fly-half after 15 minutes when injury to Pierre Louis Barassi forced them to reshuffle. Madness.

Down to 14 men just a minute later with Tomas Ramos in the bin, they needed their best player as close as possible to the action. Instead, the inexperienced Paul Graou came on at scrum-half and looked out of his depth throughout. Crass from Toulouse.