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Leinster Look To End Their Season and An Era On The Perfect Note

Leinster Look To End Their Season and An Era On The Perfect Note
Cian Tracey
By Cian Tracey
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Leinster enter a crucial two week period when they play a RaboPro12 semi final, the Amlin Challenge Cup final and a possible Pro12 final should they overcome Glasgow.

Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

With Joe Schmidt taking over the Irish hot seat, Jonny Sexton upping stakes to Racing Metro, Ica Nacewa calling it a day and doubts still over Brian O'Driscoll's future, this season defining two weeks marks the end of one of the most successful periods in Leinster's illustrious history.

Since arriving from Clermont Auvergne at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, Joe Schmidt has taken Leinster to a new level of becoming one of the most consistent, dominant forces in European rugby.

With two Heineken Cups under his belt, the one trophy that has continued to elude Leinster under the guidance of the meticulous New Zealander is the RaboPro12 title.

After two final defeats at the hands of Munster and the Ospreys, Leinster are aiming for their fourth consecutive final.

Schmidt's side finished the season in second place of the league table, just two points ahead of Glasgow, their semi final opponents on Saturday evening. The slight margin between the two sides mirrors both league meetings between them this season. A slender 6-0 Leinster win in Glasgow last November was followed by another narrow 5 point Leinster victory in the return fixture at the RDS.

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Gregor Townsend has Glasgow playing an attractive brand of rugby this season and they will be no push overs but you just get the impression that this Leinster side are on the verge of something special - an unprecedented double perhaps.

Matt O'Connor will take over from Schmidt at the end of the season with Springbok full back Zane Kirchner and Kiwi fly half Jimmy Gopperth also joining the D4 club. Leinster fans can be safe in the knowledge that Schmidt has left the club in a fantastic state with their academy continuing to produce a whole host of future first team and indeed Irish international players.

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Evidence of this is seen by the fact that when Leinster take on Stade Francais in the Challenge Cup final, the Leinster A team will at the very same time be competing in the British and Irish Cup for the first time in the short history of the competition.

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A six day turnaround will be followed by another trip to the RDS in what will be Leinster's first ever appearance in the Amlin Challenge Cup final. The game against Stade Francais is bound to be a special occasion for plenty of other reasons other than the simple fact that it is a European Cup final.

If Leinster fail to overcome Glasgow on Saturday evening, the game will also mark the end of Schmidt's time in charge of the province while Nacewa and Sexton will be bidding au-revoir to the Leinster faithful.

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It will be a poignant moment when one of Leinster's most successful overseas acquisitions takes to the pitch for the final time. Nacewa epitomised what it meant to buy into the Irish culture and give nothing but 100% to the cause. Emotions are sure to be running high amongst the hoards in attendance at the RDS next Friday night.

O'Driscoll's future remains in doubt with every man, woman and child hoping that we get to see the great man line out for one final season. In a week when we have seen one club legend leave his post at the very top level, a double league and cup success before a third Lions tour - no one could begrudge O'Driscoll if he was to call time on his glittering career.

With a possible three games in two weeks, it is not just Leinster's season that is drawing to a close but a truly wonderful era.

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Cian Tracey is a freelance sports journalist currently writing for The Irish Independent, Examiner, The Sun and Balls.ie.

Follow him on Twitter here.

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