Champions Cup

A worrying cohort of referees appear dependent on their TMO comfort blanket

Before last week’s final, in a straw poll conducted across several former Leinster players, they all believed that Toulouse would win

The Counter Ruck Podcast

Leinster's attack just lacked that clinical edge that was required to nudge them over the line to Champions Cup glory

Leo Cullen’s Leinster panel could do with a URC title more than ever now after third successive Champions Cup final loss

Owen Doyle: Antoine Dupont makes the crucial difference for Toulouse but for Leinster losing three consecutive Champions Cup finals is the stuff of sporting nightmares

The Brennans and Ntamacks are the only two father-son combinations to achieve the feat in its 29-year history

Toulouse’s Jack Willis has game to remember in Champions Cup final

This was only the third final to be decided in extra-time and as in 1996 against Cardiff in the Arms Park and 2005 against Stade Francais in Murrayfield, Toulouse emerged triumphant again

Jamie Osborne and Joe McCarthy are young players who can only gain from the experience

Marginal calls; Toulouse repel Leinster maul; Frawley’s high stakes hit and miss; Leinster fail to exploit extra man; time for a TMO shot clock?

Toulouse have won the last nine finals they have played in thanks to their ‘legendary ability to bend without breaking’

Leinster head coach and senior players confident they can rebound from their latest Champions Cup final defeat

Talk of refocusing on the URC campaign rang hollow after a third straight Champions Cup final defeat

It is not in Leinster’s character to be so feckless with the ball, as they were beaten in Champions Cup final

Antoine Dupont was the difference between the sides as French side prevail after extra-time

Irish province beaten by French side in extra time in what was a bitter defeat

Henshaw, Sheehan and McCarthy stand out despite agonising defeat

No match-up in club rugby could provide such a clash of scrum-halves and hookers

Province edges head-to-head eight to six, but have since added two more semi-final wins at the Aviva in last two seasons

The Champions Cup pits the best two scrumhalves in the world against each other; victory could depend on which manages to exert more influence

Toulouse have become far too familiar with extra-time ties for comfort; Discipline a key for the French side in years gone past

Teams such as the Bulls fielding weakened sides has harmed competitive balance while the jury is still out on South Africa’s participation

Leinster likely to flood ruck and blitz as tactic proved effective when limiting La Rochelle’s powerful forward carriers

Leinster opt for a 6-2 forward split on the bench, as Ciarán Frawley is preferred to Jimmy O’Brien

All you need to know ahead of Saturday’s European decider at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London

Whoever responds best to rugby’s oldest question could prevail in Saturday’s Champions Cup final

Scotland international appears to have recovered from a broken nose meaning he is the favourite to once again pip his French counterpart

No longer a fringe player, the 23-year-old says this season’s progress to the Champions Cup final ‘means a little more’

Hugo Keenan and James Ryan both set to feature after recovering from injury while Garry Ringrose looks likely to miss out

The Counter Ruck podcast: Nathan Johns and Gordon D’Arcy discuss a busy week in rugby

Rugby trumps the local market in France, predictable Leinster and Toulouse’s officiating edge

The young centre from Kildare has been impressive when stepping in for the injured Garry Ringrose

Paul Costes, who is already on course to surpass the feats of his famous father, hopes to add the Champions Cup to his roll of honour

As Leinster face Toulouse in the Champions Cup final, Byrne is mindful that not every player will get a start, but all will have made a contribution

Toulouse have an incredibly high proficiency across all aspects of their game, which makes them more challenging to defend

From thrilling tries to outrageous footwork and a prank call to his Munster boss, the Cork man did everything with a smile

Anyone planning on a day trip will have to hope there’s no disruption to London’s train system

Successful returns of James Ryan, Hugo Keenan and Will Connors enrich options for Champions Cup final

Amid their magnificent obsession with another Champions Cup triumph, Leinster have, to a degree, become victims of their own success