Last June one year, a Scottish team replete with journeymen pros without a win in any of the six competitive games they had played up until then in their World Cup qualifying campaign, travelled to Zagreb and came away with a 1-0 win against the world’s then fourth-highest ranked side.

TWO seasons ago, Leinster travelled to France as reigning Heineken Cup champions for a semi-final against Toulouse, a club that considers itself that bit more regal than every other one with pretensions of royal status in Europe.