Comparisons with historic games may seem pointless but the closer it gets, the more this match resembles the build-up to the 2005 quarter-final at Lansdowne Road. That season Leinster had come out of the pool stages as top seed, Leicester eighth. Several Tigers had been at the same stadium a month previously wearing the white of England and had come out the wrong side of a 19-13 scoreline. Returning in their club colours, they didn’t just beat Leinster, they hosed them. The experience was clearly enjoyable, too. It was late that night when the Tigers were dragged out of the old Wanderers clubhouse and onto the team bus.
The personnel on both sides may have changed but the signs are familiar. Eight Leinster players have just played their part in dismantling England at the Aviva stadium, where the experience was particularly painful for Tigers Ben Youngs and Toby Flood. Leinster return as favourites to win the Heineken Cup, knowing the winners of this game have a home semi-final and the prospect of a final in nearby Cardiff, the venue of their last Heineken Cup triumph in 2002. No wonder they are wary.
Having achieved so much in the English Premiership — three titles in the past four years — the Tigers rarely get to play the role of underdogs but they will relish this opportunity. They have been keen to emphasise the separation between club and country, but there is nothing Richard Cockerill’s team would like better than to beat Ireland’s form team before a full house at Irish rugby’s new home.
According to Tom Croft, the England contingent weren’t allowed to dwell too long on their disappointment. “On the Monday morning we had a full contact session and that brought the players back down to earth,” says Croft.
“Cockers thought it was the right time to have that sort of session and judging by the way we played at the weekend [they won 37-6 away to Bath] he was right. You could start dwelling on things but as soon as you have that sort of session, you know you’re back on Leicester time.
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“Finals are great to play in and we have had success and disappointments in that area but it’s these quarter-finals and semi-finals which people remember more. Like the semi-final in Cardiff that went down to penalties, or when the boys beat Munster at Thomond Park against all odds — those are the games that players and supporters remember because they are so big.”
At least Leinster are preparing vigilantly. The reintegration of internationals is a hefty operation, so much so that Joe Schmidt took his entire squad to Enfield for a mini-camp last week, as if to signal the beginning of the season’s final phase. Then Schmidt and Jono Gibbes travelled to The Rec last week to watch a team that was ruthless in taking its opportunities and generally looked fresh and hungry — certainly fresher than the Leicester side that played the 2009 final, which was their fifth big game in as many weeks.
As always against Leicester, the test will be a physical one. The Tuilagis, Manu and Alesana, set the tone by running hard and straight off Youngs and Flood.
But Leicester’s most sophisticated carrier is actually No 8 Thomas Waldrom, nifty on his feet for someone carrying such a prominent spare tyre. Most of all, however, these Tigers like to scrummage. They already know Mike Ross well, and Martin Castrogiovanni will aim to cause Cian Healy as much discomfort as he did in Rome eight weeks ago.
But on the assumption that Schmidt picks the same side as faced Munster last night, this Leinster pack is beefy enough and canny enough to look after itself. And while there’s a re-jigging process with the internationals returning, so many of those are used to operating in partnerships, like the two props, the half-backs, the centres, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip in the back row. Moreover, those Ireland players are aware that defeats to France and Wales stopped them from winning a Grand Slam and they won’t want to miss out on a Heineken Cup too.
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As if there wasn’t enough at stake, there’s just a suggestion of needle. Leicester have poached utility back Niall Morris and also invited Fergus McFadden over to have a look at their facilities. This may or may not have something to do with Leinster pulling out of an U19 game against Leicester, scheduled for Naas next Friday.
“It’s not ideal but I guess it’s a compliment to the players that we’re producing through our academy,” says Leinster’s team manager, Guy Easterby. “People are going to come knocking. We’ve just got to make sure that firstly people want to play for Leinster. And if you speak to young lads they have a genuine desire. All they want to do is play for Leinster’s first team.
“When someone like Leicester comes knocking, they see the opportunity with Leinster. They say, ‘Actually, I’ve got as much chance of winning something by staying with my home province’.”
This seems no better opportunity to prove the point.
Leinster in Heineken Cup quarter-finals
Played 7
Won 4
Lost 3
2001/02 Leicester, Welford Road, Lost 29-18
2002/03 Biarritz, Lansdowne Road, Won 18-13
2004/05 Leicester, Lansdowne Road, Lost 29-13
2005/06 Toulouse, Stadium Municipal, Won 41-35
2006/07 Wasps, Adams Park, Lost 35-13
2008/09 Harlequins, Twickenham Stoop, Won 6-5
2009/10 Clermont-Auvergne, RDS Dublin, Won 29-28