The pressing question in European rugby union as the Champions Cup starts is how do you stop Leinster winning it for a record fifth time. At the launch in Newcastle, where next May’s final will be played, Bath’s director of rugby, Todd Blackadder, suggested it is a tournament where cultures collide – and that the holders have become adept at winning the collision battle.
The draw has placed the Irish provincial side in Pool 1 with three former winners of the cup, including Toulouse, whose record of four triumphs Leinster equalled last season in a tense final against Racing 92 in Bilbao. The Irish province look a class apart, all but an international team whose leading protagonists, unlike their French and English counterparts, have enjoyed a long pre-season.
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Leinster’s fly-half Jonathan Sexton turned 33 in the summer. He has spent four more seasons at Leinster than his England rival Owen Farrell has at Saracens but has played fewer matches and in the last two campaigns, 12 of his 21 starts for the province came in the Champions Cup. He played more during his two years at Racing 92 but burnout is not a factor for one of the most influential players in the game.
“I try not to think about it too much because I do not want to face reality, but I have probably got a few more years in the tank,” says Sexton. “I hope it is more than that. When you reach your 30s you never know how your body will cope, so you want to make the most of every competition you are in. A few other [Leinster] guys are in the same boat and we have a nice balance between younger players who want more success and older ones who want to make the most of their last years. Our desire is just the same.”
The Premiership clubs are seeking atonement after supplying just one quarter-finalist last season, and even then Saracens missed the back door and sneaked in through the cat flap. A prime reason why Leinster won the tournament was their ability to retain possession and minimise mistakes despite referees permitting a contest for possession at the breakdown.
That did not happen in the Premiership, prompting Eddie Jones, the England head coach, to request a rethink, but the penalty conceded by Ed Slater last week for Gloucester against Harlequins when Danny Care was holding on to the ball after a tackle showed there has been little change. English clubs remain more comfortable moving their own ball rather than attacking from turnovers. Saracens, for whom Alex Goode continues to excel, are an exception and they pose the greatest threat to Leinster.