The last time Leinster won the European Cup they defeated Clermont Auvergne in the semi-final in France before overwhelming Ulster in the 2012 final at Twickenham. Stuart Lancaster had just become England’s head coach on a permanent basis but five years on he is in France with Leinster as the province’s attack coach plotting the downfall of Clermont in Lyon as the three-times winners of the tournament look to equal Toulouse’s record of four.
Leinster will field four of their five players who will be in New Zealand with the Lions this summer, missing the flanker Sean O’Brien, who failed to recover from a tight hamstring. Clermont’s lineup includes two England internationals, David Strettle and Nick Abendanon, the former featuring during Lancaster’s first two years in charge of the national side.
“It is not about me,” says Lancaster, who has helped Leinster rise from the ashes of last season’s European Cup campaign when they lost five of their six pool matches. “It is about the group and to reach the final after last year would be an outstanding transformation. As I learned with England, it is all about winning. I’ve been unbelievably impressed with the quality of players that are here, the mind-set to want to get better and to go to a fourth European Cup final, which is a massive driver for the players, who have been outstanding.”
Clermont have never won the tournament. They lost to Toulon narrowly in the 2013 and 2015 finals and they are second in France’s Top 14, some way behind the leaders La Rochelle. They have been more consistent in Europe, in a tournament they are targeting having lost at home to Brive earlier this month with a weakened team as they rested players before Sunday’s sold-out semi-final.
“Clermont are a strong team across the board and their attacking threat is significantly higher than any other team we have faced so far this season,” says Lancaster. “They are probably the best coached team in the Top 14 in terms of organisation and structure and, with x-factor players all over the park, playing them in France is as tough a challenge as you are going to get in European rugby. You only have to look at the way they beat Exeter, who are second in the Premiership and, despite being very good defensively, were blown away by a brand of attacking rugby they could not live with.
“We certainly believe we can do well but a benchmark is Saracens were playing fantastic rugby in 2015 but didn’t win the European Cup. It will be a white-hot atmosphere on Sunday. I’ve been in international environments away from home and sometimes the atmosphere beforehand is so electric you can’t even hear yourself think. It is all about preparing the players as best you can.”
As Wasps found in the quarter-final, Leinster are dangerous in attack. Joey Carbery, who left the Premiership leaders chasing his shadow, remains at full-back with Garry Ringrose in the centre while the Lions Jonathan Sexton and Robbie Henshaw offer experience, along with the captain, Isa Nacewa, on the wing, who will make his 50th appearance in the tournament.
