Leinster are hurting and are ready to “erupt” against Toulon in the Champions Cup semi-final, according to RTÉ rugby analyst Ronan O’Gara.
The Blues were knocked out of the competition by holders Toulon in last season’s quarter-finals, in a game that was over well before the final whistle sounded.
They also lie outside the play-off places in the Pro12 and their form in the competition can be described as patchy.
But, having been involved with many of the Leinster players during his time with Ireland, the Racing Metro assistant coach reckons there’s a massive performance in Matt O'Connor's team, and it’s coming in Marseille on Sunday (kick-off 3.15pm).
“Will [Toulon] be too good for Leinster? I don’t think so,” O’Gara told RTÉ Sport.
“I think Leinster are going to erupt on Sunday. There’s a lot of hurt in them to come out.
“For me, being in the Irish camp for a number of years, you kind of know the animal that’s inside in the Leinster players. It would be easy to discount that too easily ‘cos they’ve some angry players who can perform on the biggest stage.
“Maybe the public wouldn’t be aware that the likes of Fergus McFadden would be crucial to them on Sunday.
"People like that are massive for a dressing room, who can go there and energise his team to get a performance out of his team-mates for 80 minutes.”
"Being in the Irish camp for a number of years you kind of know the animal that’s inside in the Leinster players"
While predicating an upset at the Stade Velodrome, O’Gara is full of admiration for the Top 14 leaders and double European champs.
“The one fear that I have is the quality of player they have,” said the former Munster player.
“Throughout the season Toulon tick away and then their winning mentality kicks in in the months of May and June.
“I think it’s very hard to replicate in sides that don’t have that.
“They have a culture of top class, world class players bringing the best out of each other.
“Habana, Giteau, Halfpenny, Mitchell, Bastareaud, Michalak, they reinvigorate themselves, they re-train their bodies to what they’ve done in the past and I think they have a fantastic culture to excel.
“If you look at them on Top 14 form, you’d fancy Leinster because Leinster will have an awful lot of hurt to get rid of on Sunday and they will be very, very dangerous.”
Follow a live blog on Toulon v Leinster on the RTÉ website and News Now App from 3pm, with commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra.
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