Leinster's latest Champions Cup final defeat was yet another tale of heartbreak for the Dublin side. Having finally gotten over the hurdle of La Rochelle in the quarterfinal it looked like it was their's to lose again this year.
Then Antoine Dupont and Toulouse put in an absolutely fantastic performance to beat Leinster after extra-time to claim their sixth European crown.
It's become a worrying trend over the last three seasons that Leinster can stroll their way to pole position and finals but can't finish the job. They've lost three Champions Cup finals in-a-row and have also suffered home defeats in the URC playoffs to the Bulls and Munster in the last two seasons as their trophy drought ticks over to three years now.
Leinster have a side capable enough of winning everything but momentum has always seemed to have halted for them at this stage of the season.
Stephen Ferris Believes Leinster's URC Form Played A Role In Toulouse Defeat
Leinster lost 3 out of their 5 games between beating La Rochelle and the Champions Cup final. They all came in the URC, firstly out in South Africa when they fielded a youthful team and were beaten heavily in their two matches there and then a week before the final in London they lost to Ulster after a late John Cooney penalty.
Before that Leinster had only lost twice all season, with the first one being the first game of the season against Glasgow when their Ireland Internationals were out at the World Cup. A similar trend happened last season when Leinster lost heavily in South Africa as they rested key players for European knockouts. They then lost to Munster in the URC semifinal a week before their Champions Cup final defeat to La Rochelle.
That lack of momentum at this part of the season is what former Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris felt played a huge role in Leinster's defeat to Toulouse.
But for me it's about consistency in your performance over the last 6 weeks. I think Toulouse out of their last 8 games in all competitions, won 7 and lost one game away in Toulon by one point. And you look at Leinster's last 8 games, humiliating defeats in South Africa, come up to Belfast, get well beaten even though the scoreline didn't reflect it, they were well beaten in that game.
Then they have to prepare with winning the Champions Cup Final with lads who didn't play for two weeks in South Africa, had a more or less nonexistent game against the Ospreys winning by 60-odd points and you had Tadhg Furlong in first receiver and putting in kicks and everyone thought this Leinster team was the best thing since sliced bread and then all of the sudden they come up to Ulster, albeit a dramatically changed side and get well beaten.
Then you go how much competitive rugby has this team played over the last couple of months?
Ferris also spoke about the chop and change nature of Leinster's starting sides at this stage of the season and how a lack of minutes played a part.
For me at this stage of the season I fell that you need to be playing more rugby. You want to be hitting your peak at the right time and this Leinster team hasn't really been tested this season, when they get to the top, where you want to be your most consistent, most fluid, most energetic.
It almost feels like when it gets to this stage of the season Leinster seem to split into two teams. You have your URC team that goes and plays to try hold the fort and then you have your A-team that plays in quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, gets all the plaudits and then unfortunately over the last three years, bowed out.
Graham Rowntree said it last year that Munster only won the URC because they had 8 games on the bounce, they played the same team week-win, week-out, they were battle hardened, match fit, ready for anything.
Leinster will need to regather themselves quickly if they want to avoid going three seasons without a trophy and they need a win against Connacht this weekend to try and ensure they have a home route to the URC final.
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