Toulon won’t terrify us, says O’Connor

Leinster coach Matt O’Connor has declared that the three-time Heineken Cup champions will be in no way intimidated by the prospect of taking on the tournament holders in the famously daunting surroundings of Stade Felix Mayol.

O’Connor was head coach with Leicester Tigers this time 12 months ago when the Premiership side lost 21-15 to the same side in the same stadium and he clearly looks back on that day as one that got away.

The Tigers lost two players, out-half Toby Flood and prop Dan Cole, to yellow cards for perceived deliberate knock ons and the Australian was pretty adamant yesterday that those instances had cost his side the game.

“It was an incredibly tight game of footie on very small margins,” he explained. “It is about making sure you get everything right and you manage those situations you don’t have control of to wrestle the momentum back and give yourself a fighting chance.

“What [Leinster] have demonstrated over a long period of time, certainly this year in a really tough pool, [is] our away form has been brilliant. We’re not intimated by being away to Toulon in the quarter-final. We are really looking forward to seeing where we end up at the end of the day.”

O’Connor is right to lean on the club’s away form. Ospreys, Northampton and Castres were all bettered on the road this season while the last five seasons have produced 14 wins, two draws and just three losses away from home in the Heineken Cup.

Leinster tackle what may be their most difficult trip yet with a full roster, the long-term injury to Sean O’Brien aside, and with O’Connor admitting the team he reveals tomorrow may be swayed by events last week against Munster in Dublin.

Whatever the personnel, discipline will be key. Jonny Wilkinson kicked all of Toulon’s points in that last eight clash 12 months ago and, while O’Connor praised him to the hilt yesterday, he also took aim at those who label Toulon as a bunch of mercenaries.

“Their motives have been questioned at different stages but you can’t win in this competition if their changing room isn’t solid. You can’t win this competition if blokes aren’t doing it for the right reasons.

“We’re under no illusions how good we have to be.”