The Leinster v Toulouse 2024 Champions Cup Final will be a clash between the two most successful teams in the history of the competition. Both clubs have claimed the title once in the Champions Cup era, which started in the 2014-15 season following a rebranding from the previous Heineken Cup.
Toulouse lead the way at the top of the charts with five overall titles in the full history, with Leinster one behind. Can the Irish province haul their way level in what should be an epic clash in London on 25th May at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?
Leinster’s road to Tottenham
Leinster were drawn in Pool D for the opening forays of this season’s European Champions Cup. There were no surprises as they did a professional job of closing all four of the pool stage matches out successfully with a victory.
Leinster opened their account with a gritty yet controlled 16-9 win in France against La Rochelle, before claiming a 10-point victory over Sale Sharks on home turf. They then produced their biggest pool stage win with a 43-7 demolition of Stade Français, before closing out with a comfortable road win at Leicester Tigers. Leinster topped Pool D with a points difference of +70, scoring 17 tries and picking up a try bonus in three of their four fixtures.
Round of 16
As second seed for the knockout stage, Leinster earned the right to play at home in the knockout bracket. They kicked off in the Round of 16 with a fixture against the Premiership’s Leicester Tigers, a team they had already sent packing in the group stage. Leinster went into the match as firm favourites and cruised to a 36-22 home success against the Tigers, who were ranked 15th out of the qualified teams.
Quarter-finals
Leinster moved forward to a quarter-final fixture against La Rochelle, another team they had already faced in the pool stage. The pre-match odds again favoured the Irish side, as they predicted something of a foregone conclusion of a Leinster success. This scenario played itself out on the pitch, as Leinster secured an easy 40-13 victory to send the French unit packing.
Semi-finals
In the semi-finals, Leinster went up against the high-flying English Premiership side Northampton Saints, and the match didn’t fail to live up to expectations. Leinster took control early at Croke Park, with James Lowe crossing for two ties within the first 15 minutes. Leinster went into the break 15-3 ahead, and when Lowe completed his hat-trick in the 43rd minute, they had what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.
However, Northampton upped their physicality, and with two second-half tries along with Fin Smith kicking everything between the sticks, there was a tense finish as the Saints closed the gap to just three points. Northampton had a big chance to win the match at the end, but Caelan Doris and Jack Conan came up with a huge, match-winning turnover close to their own line to save the home side in a dramatic finish.
Leinster’s performance in the Champions Cup since 2018
Leinster’s last Champions Cup title came in 2018 when they claimed a three-point victory over Racing 92. Since then, getting across the finish line has proven to be heartbreakingly difficult for the province.
In 2019, they looked to be on course for a title defence when they met Saracens in the final, but they struggled to get into the match, slipping to a 20-10 loss. After falling short of reaching the final in the following two seasons, Leinster were back on the big stage in 2022, this time squaring up to La Rochelle at the iconic Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
Going into the final couple of minutes, Leinster, who had attained all 21 of their points through penalty kicks, were desperately hanging on as La Rochelle sought their third try of the match. Leinster’s blue line of defence leaked at a crucial moment, as in the 79th minute, Arthur Rentière, La Rochelle’s reserve scrum-half, stumbled in attack but just had enough of a stretch to touchdown, giving the Top 14 side a 24-21 victory and their first Champions Cup title.
There was more of the same the following year when the two sides met in a rematch, this time at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Many expected the home soil advantage to count for Leinster, who were also fired up for revenge.
However, the match was another tale of woe for the Irish side in an even closer finish. This time, it was La Rochelle hanging on after Leinster had come out of the blocks fast. However, tellingly, the French side scored a converted try in the 71st minute to pull ahead 27-26.
This still left time for Leinster to come again, but they couldn’t find an answer to the French defence, who were disciplined in not conceding a penalty as they scrapped and fought for everything to hold on.
It’s likely to be a tough match
With four European Champions Cup finals in six seasons, and just the one title to show, the near misses have been heavy blows for Leinster. Despite that, the latest betting odds at TonyBet have them posted as narrow favourites to lift the crown in 2024.
However, the tight line in the match-winner odds indicates how tough of a match they can expect to have in London. Three losses in four United Rugby Championship matches from mid-April to mid-May raise questions about Leinster’s form ahead of the clash with Toulouse. They will also be up against a confident Toulouse side, who are at the summit of the Top 14 and have produced a fine run of recent form.
The French outfit won all four of their pool stage matches, running in 26 tries and finishing with a points difference of +109, before blowing past Racing 92, Exeter Chiefs and Harlequins in the knockout stages. They are the most successful club in the history of the tournament and aren’t going to simply roll over and hand Leinster the opportunity to match their haul of five crowns.
Toulouse’s last title came in 2021, and they have secured the trophy in each of their last two Champions Cup Final appearances. French clubs have swept the last three, and six of the last 11 editions, with only Leinster’s 2018 success on the board for Ireland in that sequence.
However, Leinster hold a tremendous head-to-head advantage over Toulouse, winning each of the last four meetings and five of the last seven. The biggest challenge that they will have in this latest meeting is trying to curtail the pace and power of the flying French backs. They will potentially have to slow play down and rely on smart counter-rucking and counter-attacking moments.
How to place a bet on the European Champions Cup Final with TonyBet
Fittingly, the 2024 European Champions Cup Final is between the top two seeds and has the makings of a classic. TonyBet has all the latest Leinster vs Toulouse rugby betting odds available. Head to the sportsbook and explore the match outright and markets for the European Champions Cup rugby betting, including the Half-Time Result, Handicap and Team To Score Last.
Full live in-play Leinster vs Toulouse rugby betting will be available after kick-off, giving punters a chance to catch the latest Next Try Scorer and Winning Margin odds among an array of other live markets. We make rugby betting easy at TonyBet, and all the latest odds can be found on our mobile app, so you can keep an eye on the markets pre-match and in-play.
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