Hi °C | Lo °C Last night, a group of ex-Leinster players donned the jersey again for a special match to raise money for Parkinson's disease sufferers before winding down with a few tales from yore in some of their old post-match haunts.
And, with Leinster's bid to retain their Heineken Cup title on the line in in Brive today (3.45) — in only their second outing — Victor Costello, Shane Byrne and the other old Blues brothers would undoubtedly have recounted some of their experiences against French sides over the years.
Those players battled Bordeaux-Begles and Bourgoin, tangled with Toulouse and were pummeled by Perpignan, but the French reflection that will occupy the minds of the current squad is based on an encounter took place just 10 months ago.
That was when Leinster flopped in Castres. It was a rough period for coach Michael Cheika and his players but their response was magnificent and that miserable night in Castres ultimately provided the fuel for a European odyssey which ended in glory in Edinburgh five months later.
After a solid start to the Magners League, when they were minus their Lions contingent, and a stunning humiliation of Munster at the RDS, the European champions appeared to be wearing the mantle well — until London Irish came calling.
Defeat came as a shock to the system and journeying to the south of France a week later to face a side determined to prove a point in front of demanding fans is not be ideal when compared to Munster getting hangover cure at home to Treviso following their opening loss in Northampton.
“This match is all about Leinster,” says Byrne. “No-one doubts their quality and if they can their focus right and produce even a percentage of the performance against Munster, they should be alright.”
