Donal Lenihan: Even Toulouse would struggle against Leinster's galaxy of stars

On the back of three consecutive final defeats since 2022, the impressive signing of Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani signalled a major declaration of intent by Leinster over the closed season. Leo Cullen’s charges are clearly on a mission of atonement.

Confirmation of that was clear for all to see from the composition of Leinster’s bench for Sunday's opening pool game against the high flying Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate. Andrew Porter, Snyman, Caelan Doris and Barrett all set to be sprung from the bench in the second half.

If that quartet wasn’t strong enough, an impressive pair of young front row forwards in Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson fresh from making their international debuts last month along with a seasoned pair of international half backs in Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne. Even holders Toulouse would struggle to match that quality of riches coming off the bench.

What Pat Lam’s Bristol side had over Leinster going into this opening pool game was form, sitting second in the Gallagher Premiership. By way of contrast, given that Leinster hadn’t had a full deck to select from for over a month, it was always going to take them time to get fully up to speed.

As if dealing with that lack of recent familiarity wasn’t proving challenging enough for Leinster over the opening half hour, losing two players in Rónan Kelleher and Max Deegan to yellow cards within minutes of each other enabled Bristol slip into a deserved seven point lead.

Undaunted, it only served to awaken a sleeping giant with a deft chip from Prendergast leading to a fortunate equalising score from Jordan Larmour to level things at the break. 

The coaches conference at the break led to swift and decisive action with All Black Barrett pressed immediately into action in the centre with Garry Ringrose shifted to the wing and Larmour redeployed at full back at the the expense of the unfortunate Ciarán Frawley.

It was a measure of the pressure Bristol were imposing that further storied reinforcements in the form of Porter, Clarkson, Snyman and Doris were all called upon to reinvigorate the Leinster effort up front. What followed captured the imagination.

In a glimpse into the future perhaps, at a time when all around him were losing their heads and the focus was shifting to the international superstars introduced off Leinster’s bench, Prendergast chose his moment on his first-ever Champions Cup appearance to show just why Andy Farrell was in such a rush to lunch his international career last month.

Barrett may only be with Leinster until the summer but with his first touch as first receiver off an attacking Leinster scrum he popped off a sumptuous back door pass to Prendergast who brilliantly sidestepped two Bristol defenders to score under the posts.

That one cameo encapsulated the confidence and self belief that is coursing through the veins of a clearly gifted player. 

On Barrett’s second involvement as first receiver off a ruck he choose to finish the job himself, dotting down on the same patch of grass invaded by Prendergast just three minutes earlier.

From a position where Leinster were struggling at the break, they had wrapped up the four try bonus point by the 57th minute courtesy of a second try from Prendergast after a trademark Snyman gallop up the middle of the pitch. All of a sudden it’s as if the crowd had been transported to a Harlem Globetrotters outing.

Leinster, with their full galaxy of stars now on show, proved different class to romp home 12-35. Bristol simply didn’t know what hit them in that third quarter blitz.

ULSTER were presented with the ultimate poisoned chalice of a European opener, an away trip to holders Toulouse. Shorn several key players from the outset this was always going to be a battle for survival. With a four try bonus point in the bag by the 27th minute, six tries and 40 points registered by half time, this was never a meaningful contest.

As a declaration of intent, Toulouse could not have done any more to let all other serious contenders know they are hungrier than ever to remain kings of Europe. 

A final tally of nine tries en route to a ruthlessly efficient 61-21 win in pretty inclement weather conditions over a seriously outclassed Ulster side has set the standard for all pretenders to follow.

Every journey begins with the first step. It's three years since Munster won their opening game in the Champions Cup, a comprehensive 14-35 victory over the now defunct Wasps in Coventry, followed a week later with a 19-13 win over next Friday’s opponents Castres in Thomond Park.

Much has changed in Munster rugby since then. 

Thomond isn’t quite the impregnable cauldron it once was with Munster failing to win either of their Champions Cup pool games there last season, drawing with Bayonne on the opening night before losing narrowly to Northampton Saints in round four.

On the back of the coaching upheaval which saw the recent departure of Graham Rowntree and forwards coach Andi Kyriacou along with the arrival last Wednesday of New Zealander Chris Boyd, who will fulfill the role of performance consultant over the next few months, it was important for Munster to lay down a marker and ease the pressure on everyone within the camp.

From that perspective, it was good for the core coaching group of Ian Costello, Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy to see their efforts since Rowntree’s departure rewarded with a win over Stade Francais on Saturday.

Not only did they succeed on that front but securing a bonus point win despite having to start without key front five forwards in Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne and Jeremy Loughman represented a very good days work. It was the boost everyone needed.

It has to be acknowledged that, once again, a top flight French side arrived in Limerick with the majority of their full strength side either left at home or warming the bench. 

Unfortunately that has become a recurring issue for this once great competition and something the organizers will have to come to terms with a some stage.

That said, in similar circumstances, Munster haven’t always exerted maximum advantage. You only have to go back to last seasons opener when Bayonne sent an under strength side only to discover half way through the game that Munster weren’t quite as good as they thought and left with a 17-17 draw.

Stade Francais are a very decent side - they finished second in the Top 14 last season before losing out to Bordeaux-Begles in the semi final - but have fallen down the ranks this season, sitting 12th in the league at present.

That said, the French Top 14 is now the most lucrative domestic league in the professional game and all the clubs are well stocked with quality players. 

What impressed most about this Munster performance was the manner with which they went about their business, starting with a much improved set piece platform which enabled the impressive half back pairing of Craig Casey and Jack Crowley dictate matters throughout.

I’m not quite sure who sourced the acquisition of the former South African U20 loose head prop Dian Bleuler as a “medical joker” on a temporary basis to cover the loss of Loughman, Dave Kilcoyne and Josh Wycherley but he has more than carried his weight on his two appearances to date.

With Munster’s ailing line out also delivering a 100% return from fifteen throws, no wonder Costello highlighted the immediate improvements evident out of touch under the guidance of newly arrived forwards coach Alex Codling. 

It helped Munster’s cause enormously that Peter O'Mahony was back in full flow as not only a key target for captain Diarmuid Barron to aim for but for the damage he caused on the Stade Francais throw.

The difference it made for Casey and Crowley to operate off a steady and reliable stream of quality set piece possession was enormous. 

On the front foot, the impressive midfield pairing of Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell were able to create opportunities for the highly impressive back three of Thaakir Abrahams, quickly establishing himself as a crowd favorite, the excellent Shane Daly who looked really comfortable at full back and Calvin Nash to punish Stade to the full.

It also helped the Munster cause that the visitors completely shot themselves in the foot with the fully merited sending off of both second rows Pierre-Henri Azagoh and Baptiste Pesenti in a four minute period of madness in the third quarter.

In contrast to that Bayonne opener last season, Munster maximised their return against an under powered French outfit to launch their campaign in the best manner possible.