There was a time when the stinginess of the Scottish Rugby Union knew no bounds, when players were given one pair of socks per year and instructions to hand them back with the rest of the kit at the end of the season, writes Peter Jackson.

Leo Cullen has made a not-so-subtle bid to bend referee Nigel Owens’ ear ahead of their Pool 5 meeting with Toulon by referencing perceived illegalities on the part of back row poacher extraordinaire Steffon Armitage.

IT HAS been some week for rugby. In a period overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that has put all in France and beyond on high alert, the postponement of Munster’s Champions Cup game in Paris was absolutely necessary.

A last-minute World Cup return by Steffon Armitage would have been “disruptive” for England, according to Jonny Wilkinson.

The denouement of the maiden European Champions Cup has arrived and for the third year in succession, there is no Irish interest in the final of the continent’s showpiece competition.

Leinster will be burdened by massive regrets this week as they somehow attempt to patch themselves up for an unforgiving five-day turnaround with the season-defining outing against Ulster in Belfast on Friday night.

Simon Lewis takes a look at how Toulon and Leinster compare as they face each other in the European Champions Cup semi-final.

Leinster can have the beating of Toulon if they can get it right in three areas, says Bernard Jackman.

This may be the Rugby Champions Cup’s inaugural season, but the feeling this weekend, as the two semi-finals are contested on French soil, is one of familiarity, given the identities of the four clubs involved.

Leo Cullen believes Leinster’s surprise defeat of Munster in the classic 2009 Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park can serve as a template as the province contemplates the prospect of facing Toulon at the same stage in Marseille.

Clermont Auvergne 27 Northampton Saints 5: Nick Abendanon hopes his stellar evening against Northampton has offered England additional reason to soften their stance on selecting overseas-based players.

Champions Toulon take on Wasps in the last eight of the European Champions Cup at Stade Félix Mayol tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 3.15pm)

European Champions Cup Pool 3

Ulster number eight Roger Wilson admits they struggled to get to grips with a rampant Toulon side in record 60-22 European defeat.

Ulster 13 Toulon 23

Toulon made it two wins from two with an impressive 23-13 victory at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday afternoon but defeat left Ulster’s bid to make the last eight looking effectively over.

Champions Cup: Toulon were made to battle hard by Scarlets before starting their Champions Cup defence with a 28-18 victory at Stade Felix Mayol.

Billionaire Bruce Craig was one of the key drivers behind the changes in European rugby that he believes gives his Bath project the stimulus to succeed.

The International Rugby Board is ready to block exploitation of a loophole in qualifying regulations for Rio 2016 that enables players to switch national allegiance.

Everyone is a fan of James Coughlan because, with Munster, he did his talking on the pitch.

Niall Ronan is to focus on the exact reason he had to retire from professional rugby to embellish the next stage of his working life — injury.

It says everything about the way rugby is going that the first person to occupy a seat on the top table at the Toulon post-match press conference after Sunday’s semi-final was club owner Mourad Boudjellal. Even Roman Abramovich wouldn’t chance that after a Chelsea victory.

Munster’s proud history and record of achievement in Europe demanded they be afforded a fighting chance coming into this monumental Heineken Cup semi-final challenge but, in truth, they were always going to be hard pressed to come out on top.

The last time Cardiff staged the final, there were 12 Irish on the pitch and another 30,000 or so packed into the Millennium Stadium to witness Leinster’s second European conquest.

Toulon’s billionaire owner Mourad Boudjellal yesterday paid tribute to Munster for pushing his troops to the limit in their quest to secure back-to-back Heineken Cup titles.

It was Rob Penney’s last European Cup link with Munster and he was, naturally, hugely disappointed after the semi-final defeat by champions Toulon.

Toulon 24 Munster 16

Munster head coach Rob Penney has demanded his players not fall into the same trap Leinster did when they were dominated by Toulon as they prepare to stop the Heineken Cup champions in their tracks in tomorrow’s semi-final showdown in Marseille.

HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINAL:

Four times his Grenoble side have played Toulon, three times they’ve won. The secret is simple.

Toulon enjoyed the ideal preparation for their Heineken Cup semi-final with Munster with a 46-31 win over Perpignan in the Top 14.

RABO DIRECT PRO12: Munster v Glasgow Warriors

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Alan Good rates the Leinster men in their latest performance.

After Munster’s heroics on Saturday, all eyes were firmly focused on the Stade Felix Mayol yesterday to see if Leinster could seal the dream semi-final for Dublin.

TOULON 29 LEINSTER 14

Four Irish players have been included on the longlist for the ERC European Player of the Year award for 2014.

Saracens 12 Toulon 24

Toulon 45 Cardiff 25

Toulon 62 Sale 0

Wales have suffered a major injury blow ahead as prop Adam Jones is ruled out of their autumn series.

England flanker Steffon Armitage has had his temporary suspension lifted ahead of his anti-doping commission hearing later this month.

Steffon Armitage and Toulon are confident the flanker will clear his name after a doping test returned an “abnormal” result.

Toulon flanker Steffon Armitage has produced an "abnormal" doping test result, but his club insist that he has not taken a banned substance.

New Zealander Brad Thorn could create rugby history in tomorrow’s Heineken Cup final between Leinster and Ulster at Twickenham.

England and Sale prop Andrew Sheridan will join Toulon this summer.

Louis Deacon has been recalled to the England squad for the RBS 6 Nations as a replacement for banned Gloucester lock Dave Attwood.