Cut-throat nature of Cup tough on provinces

It is not just Clement Poitrenaud threatening to break up the Irish party in Europe this weekend.

The veteran Toulouse and France full-back will go into round five of Champions Cup pool games in line for his 90th appearance in top-flight European competition when the four-time Heineken Cup winners play Bath on Sunday. Poitrenaud surpassed Leinster legends Shane Horgan and Brian O’Driscoll in round three to become the seventh most-capped player in the tournament and Leo Cullen is next in his sights on 92 appearances as Toulouse close in on a 15th European last-eight appearance.

As well as Cullen, the other names ahead of him are all Irish, O’Callaghan, Stringer, Hayes, D’Arcy and, top of the crop on 110, O’Gara, reflecting the consistency of Leinster and Munster in going a long way in this greatest of cross-border club rugby competitions.