Painful lessons learned as Euro bubble well and truly burst

From boom to bust in the space of 24 hours. 

To have had two sides within touching distance of a Champions Cup final appearance augurs well for the future but the manner of the defeats to Saracens and Clermont Auvergne over the weekend suggests that there is still a way to travel to match the halcyon days when Munster and Leinster shared five Heineken Cups over seven seasons.

Of the two Irish sides Leinster will have more reason for regret as they gave themselves a mountain to climb after allowing Clermont race into a 15 point lead in as many minutes.