It would be lazy to dismiss Leinster as just another PRO14 casualty of the Saracens juggernaut.

Peter Jackson picks his XV for the Heineken Champions Cup Team of the Tournament.

Donal Lenihan on the players and performances that could shade today’s meeting of the European superpowers in Newcastle.

History will be in the air when Leinster face Saracens in tomorrow's Heineken Champions Cup final in Newcastle, but Leo Cullen won't feel the need to highlight the drive for five when he addresses his players before kick-off at St James' Park.

Leinster boss Leo Cullen named an unchanged starting line-up from the semi-final win over Toulouse for Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup final showdown with Saracens but insisted it was a far from straightforward selection process.

A fifth win for Leinster tomorrow will make them the most successful side in the history of the competition.

It is a measure of the quality in play at tomorrow’s Heineken Champions Cup final that there is so much mutual respect between the two teams, respect borne out of the shared experience of a successful British & Irish Lions tour two summers ago.

Tadhg Furlong might not have done Leinster any favours when he opened Mako Vunipola’s eyes to what it takes to be a true, world-class prop, on the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

When you are idle in a hotel room in Johannesburg, the pre-match statistics booklet for the Heineken Cup final offers welcome respite from the boredom. Where’s the oul paddies out here when you need one for a chat? Which is why a mass of statistics has become my coffee buddy for part of the week.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

The Munster supporter who confronted Billy Vunipola after their loss to Saracens has been banned from attending games at Thomond Park and Musgrave Park.

England international Elliot Daly will join Saracens in the summer, the Gallagher Premiership club have announced.

Saracens were crowned Aviva Premiership champions for a third time in four seasons today after ending Exeter's title reign at Twickenham.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has insisted his side - and particularly their rampaging openside Dan Leavy - benefited from what he felt was a deliberate tactic by Saracens to target Johnny Sexton yesterday.

Leinster brought an end to Saracens’ reign as defending double European champions, denying the English side a hat-trick of Champions Cup titles with a polished performance in Dublin.

Over the past few years, on their way to two Champions Cup triumphs, Saracens have been faced with a number of daunting away trips.

Cian Healy has warned that the momentum built up by Leinster’s unbeaten run through the Champions Cup stages will count for nothing when they embrace the challenge of reigning champions Saracens in Dublin this Sunday.

Rhys Ruddock is on course to feature for Leinster in their Champions Cup quarter-final against reigning champions Saracens in Dublin at the start of April.

Saracens full-back Alex Goode says the club’s Champions Cup quarter-final with Leinster will be bigger than a Test match for him.

Saracens’ trophy hunters may not have achieved greatness yet, but Billy Vunipola believes they are striving to bring Barcelona-esque levels of domination to European rugby.

Munster and Leinster lost out in the Champions Cup semi-finals, but it seems plenty of fans made the trip to Edinburgh regardless.

Jacques Nienaber has rejected criticism of Munster’s Champions Cup semi-final performance against Saracens a fortnight ago, insisting the province was beaten simply by “a better plan”.

Brad Barritt urged Saracens to embrace their daunting Champions Cup semi-final against Munster after Glasgow were overwhelmed 38-13 at Allianz Park.

Saracens will face Munster in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup after bringing Glasgow's European adventure to a halt with a conclusive 38-13 victory at Allianz Park.