Leinster have added European motivation

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Twelve months is a long time to wait to lance a boil, but Leinster will finally get the chance to bring the blade down on last year’s European quarter-final exit to Toulon if they account for Bath in the last eight of the Rugby Champions Cup on Saturday.

This past year has been peppered with references from the province’s players to that 29-14 loss to the Gallic behemoths at the Stade Felix Mayol. Win at the weekend and they will likely face the reigning continental champions in Marseille.

That’s all the motivation you need right there.

“Obviously, last year, we were away to Toulon and weren’t able to get past this stage,” said Jordi Murphy, who scord a consolation try late on for Matt O’Connor’s side last April, when asked to put this week’s meeting with Bath in perspective.

“It’s the biggest game of the season and that’s the way to put it. It is, (for) myself personally, and I know the rest of the squad are just dying to get out there and give (Bath) a good game.”

Yep, this is even bigger than big for Leinster.

The club’s struggle to make the Pro12 play-offs places is further confirmation of the slip from their position of pre-eminence in 2012 when they claimed a third Heineken Cup in four years, though Murphy talks of confidence being high and the team being in a good place.

Like so many of his peers, he has framed recent disappointing performances and results in the context of errors made by the players rather than a coaching staff that is under pressure to deliver displays more reminiscent of the glory days under Joe Schmidt.

Trophies, too.

Both Leinster and Bath welcome back their core Six Nations stars this week – which is less than ideal prep for both – but Murphy was one of seven who reported back to UCD eight days ago after a day letting the hair down post-Edinburgh.

The result was a performance that swung from disastrous to delectable and, though the 34-34 draw wasn’t the desired result, the runout will have done them no end of good given Glasgow’s quality and willingness to play an open brand of rugby not unlike Bath.

“We knew that Glasgow would be no mugs. They beat us at the start of the season and they’re top of the table for a reason. They obviously had a lot of their Scottish players coming back, so it was definitely good to get a really tough battle under the belt.

“It will set us up well for this week coming.”

Bath’s run-in could hardly have been more different: a cakewalk against London Welsh at a cold and windswept Kazzam Stadium in Oxford and a game from which it is difficult to imagine Murphy or anyone at Leinster discenring anything new.

“They have a physical pack, with the likes of (Stuart) Hooper and (Dave) Attwood, who played most of the games in the Six Nations and then obviously some really creative backs as well,” said Murphy. “They had the bulk of the English backline with (Anthony) Watson, (Jonathan) Joseph and (George) Ford.

“They’ve done some job considering they lost the first two games of their group stages in the Champions Cup to come back and do a job on the likes of Toulouse away. They’re a seriously impressive side and it’s going to be a tough battle, definitely.”

Murphy knows that English cohort well having started at number eight for Ireland against England at the start of March, not least young Ford who was given little time to work his magic by a speedy Irish defensive line led by the back row.

“He’s quite the superstar,” said Murphy of the out-half. “He’s got the all-round game, doesn’t he? He’s very young, but he’s got a lot of confidence. He’s very creative, has a good boot and really knows how to run a backline well.

“I obviously got to watch his ‘show and go’ all the time and try and put pressure on him. Like every good out-half, he’s where they look to get the back line moving. He’s definitely one of the targets for us.”