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Champions Cup - Leinster v Toulouse: All you need to know

Toulouse training at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday
Toulouse training at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday

Leinster and Toulouse meet in a mouth-watering Champions Cup semi-final that will feature 15 players who took part in the Six Nations classic between Ireland and France earlier this year.

Toulouse are the European kingpins with five stars on their jerseys, while Leinster are hungry to draw level.

Find out all you need to know about the game here.


TV

The match is live on RTÉ2, RTÉ Player (coverage starting at 2.15pm) and BT Sport.

RADIO

Listen to live commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.

ONLINE

We'll have a live match tracker, as well as a report and reaction from the Aviva Stadium.

WEATHER

There is rain forecast for the Irish capital tomorrow afternoon with temperatures expected to be 12-13C.

Leinster face Toulouse in a repeat of last season's semi-final when Leo Cullen’s team ran out handsome 40-17 victors before going on to lose the final to La Rochelle.

There is a wide consensus that this match-up will be a much closer affair with much of Toulouse’s woes last year blamed on a tight turnaround from their epic quarter-final win over Munster.

There are no such concerns this time around, however, with Ugo Mola resting most of his front-liners for last weekend’s narrow loss away to Stade Francais. Toulouse remain top of the Top14.

And it’s three weeks since they booked their passage with a comprehensive 54-20 win over the Cell C Sharks in Toulouse.

Like Leinster, the French outfit have won all of their games in the competition so far after facing Munster, Sale and Vodacom Bulls.

Cullen’s side, who finished top of the URC table despite last weekend's heavy loss to the Bulls, have beaten Racing 92, Gloucester, Ulster and Leicester to date.

Leinster are without Johnny Sexton, Robbie Henshaw and James Lowe, while Cullen is able to call upon fit-again Josh van der Flier and Charlie Ngatai. Jordan Larmour comes in for the injured Lowe.

Toulouse are unchanged from their quarter-final win over Sharks.


Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Charlie Ngatai, Jimmy O'Brien; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Ross Molony, James Ryan; Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan

Replacements: John McKee, Cian Healy, Michael Ala'alatoa, Jason Jenkins, Baird, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne, Ciarán Frawley

Toulouse: Thomas Ramos; Juan Cruz Mallia, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Pita Ahki, Matthis Lebel; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Cyril Baille, Péato Mauvaka, Dorian Aldegheri; Richie Arnold, Emmanuel Meafou; Jack Willis, Thibaud Flament, Francois Cros.

Replacements: Julian Marchand, Rodrigue Neti, David Ainu'u, Alexandre Roumat, Rynhardt Elstadt, Alban Placines, Paul Graou, Arthur Retiere.


Last four meetings

Leinster 40-17 Toulouse (Aviva Stadium), 14 May 2022, Champions Cup semi-final

Leinster 30-12 Toulouse (Aviva Stadium), 21 April 2019, Champions Cup semi-final

Leinster 29-13 Toulouse (RDS) 12 January 2019, Champions Cup pool stages

Toulouse 28-27 Leinster (Stade Ernest-Wallon) 21 October 2018, Champions Cup pool stages

OFFICIALS

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Assistant Referee 1: Luke Pearce (England)

Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (England)

TMO: Adam Leal (England)


Leo Cullen: (Leinster head coach): "We've tried to narrow the gap and we’re still chasing them. They’re still the most successful team in the competition and it will have stung them, losing the semi-final last year."

Ugo Mola (Toulouse head coach): "At the moment, [Leinster] are the ogres of European rugby who lost a match by sending the kids to South Africa. Our opponents are undefeated, with a colossal total of points and a monstrous number of tries. This team is organised, well-oiled and prepared."


Elsewhere, in the other semi-final, defending champions La Rochelle welcome Exeter, the 2020 winners, to Bordeaux on Sunday with a 3pm (Irish time) kick-off for Ronan O'Gara’s men.

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