Leinster stormed to a dominant 62-point win over Harlequins in Croke Park yesterday, holding the English giants scoreless throughout and thus booking their spot in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
It was an utter rout, that saw the ball touch the Quins whitewash nine times through eight different scorers, including Sam Prendergast, Josh van der Flier and James Lowe, who was the only man to score twice.
Leinster had been red-hot favourites coming into the fixture, which was being played out in front of over 50,000 people at GAA HQ instead of the Aviva Stadium. However, few, if any could've predicted the style or dominance of victory.
The impacts of new coach Jacques Nienaber were plain to see for all watching, with Harlequins, rarely, if ever posing a threat to Leinster's now well-oiled scramble defence outside their initial ten-minute burst.
That defensive prowess was evidence of just how much Leinster have changed in pursuit of ending their finals woes. One thing however hasn't changed - Leinster playing the Champions Cup knockout stages at home.
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5 April 2025; Leinster players including Max Deegan, centre left, and Ryan Baird, centre right, celebrate after their side's victory in the Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 match between Leinster and Harlequins at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Stephen Jones hits Leinster with same old Champions Cup dig
Under the new Champions Cup format, the highest-ranked teams in the competition carry their home advantage with them through to the semi-finals, with only the European finale taking place in a pre-determined stadium.
Leinster's high ranking year-on-year means their fans nearly always have the opportunity to see them play major knockout games in Dublin. Bordeaux, Northampton and Toulon's fans will enjoy the same privilege this year after their table-topping pool stage campaigns.
English clubs, however, for a variety of sporting reasons have rarely enjoyed that home advantage in recent years, a reality of which the media there has questioned every year.
Writing about the 'bonanza' that was Toulon's 72-42 massacre of former European giants Saracens in The Times, Stephen Jones couldn't help but return to taking a dig at Leinster's home advantage, claiming the new tournament favourites hadn't quite mastered the ability of not travelling yet.
There is now, surely, a new favourite for the Investec Champions Cup, because the way Toulon played yesterday in the sun of the South of France, it is difficult to see anyone matching them.
After this mammoth victory, they will be at home in the quarter-finals — they have not quite perfected the trick of being interminably at home like Leinster but on this evidence there is certainly no one around at present who can win at Stade Mayol.
If you are overcome by a strange sense of de ja vu, that is because this is far from the first time Jones has lobbied similar jibes at Leinster. Last year, ahead of Leinster's Croke Park-based semi-final against Northampton, Jones had similar criticisms, saying: "It is not to cast aspersions on anyone, but the last time they played an away game, their boots had wooden studs." Jones also took aim at the GAA at the time.
The view which was widely shared by the UK media last year and the year before, could once again rare its head in the coming weeks, with Leinster set to continue their run of home European games next weekend when they welcome Glasgow to Dublin for their Champions Cup quarter-final on Friday night.
Should they come through that, they will also enjoy home advantage in the semi-final, with their second-place ranking the best of any team on their side of the draw.
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