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Afternoon everyone, what a treat this should be. Amazing, really, that after all of their many respective triumphs in this competition, Leinster and Toulouse have never faced each other in a Champions Cup final. That ends today at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where unbelievably there will be a trophy presentation (sorry, Spurs fans) with Leinster bidding to win title number five, and Toulouse going for a historic sixth to move them further ahead of the chasing pack. This genuinely does feel like an absolute blockbuster featuring some of the very best players in the northern hemisphere.
From a Leinster perspective, we’re so used to them being a dominant force that given their high standards, this run without a European title going back to 2018 feels unusual. Johnny Sexton’s retirement has not been the hammer blow many expected, the sign of a high-quality system and structure which has only been improved by Jacques Nienaber’s arrival, adding more bite to a side already packed with quality and now utilising the defensive system which has previously served South Africa so well. Joe McCarthy’s breakout season has been a treat but everything good about Leinster at present seems to stem from the form of Jamison Gibson-Park.
As for Toulouse, it’s hard to think of a more lethal attack on this side of the equator. As Exeter and Harlequins will testify, you can only really contain Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack with all of their many weapons for so long. You know about all of Dupont’s wizardry by now but really it’s the return of Ntamack from injury, having so cruelly missed the Rugby World Cup, which feels so important. They just shred teams to pieces.
So, lots to look forward to then ahead of what should be one of the great finals. Stick with us for all the build-up.
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