With the bitter taste of past defeats still lingering, Leinster is gearing up with a steely resolve for the Investec Champions Cup semi-final clash against Toulon this Saturday at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. After a surprising recent loss to Benetton in the URC, Leinster’s squad, under the vigilant eye of Leo Cullen, is keen to avoid the pitfalls that led to last year’s semi-final fiasco against Northampton Saints.
Leinster’s forwards coach, Robin McBryde, emphasized the importance of staying in the moment, despite last year’s setbacks. "What’s in my mind is that at the same stage of last season we went away to the Scarlets and lost before facing Northampton," he recounted. He drew wisdom from a Buddhist parable to stress resilience, "If you get shot in the back with an arrow, you spend so much time worrying about the first arrow you forget about where the second arrow is coming from."
"You just keep on piling on the misery of that metaphorical arrow. On the back of a loss, all those voices in your head saying, ‘you’re not good enough’, we’ve got to avoid all of that."
McBryde's focus is not just on bouncing back but also on the tactical challenges posed by Toulon, known for their formidable play, led by captain David Ribbans. "Listen, they’re very effective at doing what they do, but they’ve definitely got a strong maul that we’ve been looking at this week," McBryde noted. He also pointed out key players who could turn the game, "You’ve got Kyle Sinckler as a front rower, Ribbans, you’ve got [Charles] Ollivon who’s a menace in the air, as well as [Esteban] Abadie. He’s got the most steals."
Despite the recent hiccup against Benetton snapping their four-game winning streak, McBryde remains pragmatic. "You can’t ignore it. It’s there, but you can’t dwell on it. It is what it is. Move on." This sentiment reflects Leinster’s readiness to face their French rivals, who have triumphed over them in three successive European cup finals from 2022 to 2024.
As Saturday approaches, all eyes will be on the Aviva Stadium to see if Leinster can overturn their recent misfortunes or if Toulon will continue their dominance over the Irish giants in European rugby.
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With the bitter taste of past defeats still lingering, Leinster is gearing up with a steely resolve for the Investec Champions Cup semi-final clash against Toulon this Saturday at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. After a surprising recent loss to Benetton in the URC, Leinster’s squad, under the vigilant eye of Leo Cullen, is keen to avoid the pitfalls that led to last year’s semi-final fiasco against Northampton Saints.
Leinster’s forwards coach, Robin McBryde, emphasized the importance of staying in the moment, despite last year’s setbacks. "What’s in my mind is that at the same stage of last season we went away to the Scarlets and lost before facing Northampton," he recounted. He drew wisdom from a Buddhist parable to stress resilience, "If you get shot in the back with an arrow, you spend so much time worrying about the first arrow you forget about where the second arrow is coming from."
"You just keep on piling on the misery of that metaphorical arrow. On the back of a loss, all those voices in your head saying, ‘you’re not good enough’, we’ve got to avoid all of that."
McBryde's focus is not just on bouncing back but also on the tactical challenges posed by Toulon, known for their formidable play, led by captain David Ribbans. "Listen, they’re very effective at doing what they do, but they’ve definitely got a strong maul that we’ve been looking at this week," McBryde noted. He also pointed out key players who could turn the game, "You’ve got Kyle Sinckler as a front rower, Ribbans, you’ve got [Charles] Ollivon who’s a menace in the air, as well as [Esteban] Abadie. He’s got the most steals."
Despite the recent hiccup against Benetton snapping their four-game winning streak, McBryde remains pragmatic. "You can’t ignore it. It’s there, but you can’t dwell on it. It is what it is. Move on." This sentiment reflects Leinster’s readiness to face their French rivals, who have triumphed over them in three successive European cup finals from 2022 to 2024.
As Saturday approaches, all eyes will be on the Aviva Stadium to see if Leinster can overturn their recent misfortunes or if Toulon will continue their dominance over the Irish giants in European rugby.