Stade Toulousain has consistently displayed a forward-thinking approach within the world of rugby. In December 1996, they organised a tournament, the International Masters Matra, which comprised eight teams including theirs and Agen, an Argentine club called Banco Nacion, Ponsonby from New Zealand, Constanza of Romania, West of Brisbane from Australia, Italy’s L’ Aquila, and the Fijian Barbarians. The final saw Toulouse emerging as the victors after a showdown with Constania.
To commemorate their hundredth year in 2000, Stade Toulousain arranged a second version of the International Masters. This tournament included teams from Bath, Wellington and Queensland, as well as national teams from Soviet, Romania, Fiji and Samoa. Toulouse again claimed victory and won against Queensland in the final with a score of 21-10.
Even though a third leg of the Masters wasn’t arranged, when the European Cup was suggested in mid-1990s, Toulouse embraced it eagerly. Appropriately, they championed the first 1995-96 tournament, conquering Cardiff 21-18 in the final after extra time.
As several English club owners showed scepticism and jointly boycotted the tournament along with the Scots in 1999-2000, Toulouse and other French teams participated. Toulouse did play a part in the fall of the ERC but their expectations weren’t met. However, without Toulouse and the Irish provinces investing in the competition, the outcomes of the Champions Cup may have been different.
After securing a double win in the 1995-96 season, Toulouse achieved three more French Championships within the next five seasons. Interestingly, it wasn’t until 2003 that Toulouse clinched their second Heineken Cup, defeating Perpignan in the final held at the former Lansdowne Road. Trevor Brennan, who was previously a Leinster lock/blindside flanker, was a member of Toulouse’s team during this victory. Although Toulouse had won three out of their first four encounters, Brennan had contributed in the 40-10 win over them in the 2001-02 season.
Toulouse triumphantly won two seasons in a row at the tournament, defeating their opponents 34-25 in Donnybrook, followed by a 38-19 win at home. Their victories were enlightening experiences for both the players and coaches of Leinster.
Toulouse evened the score from their loss in Donnybrook, achieving a 43-7 victory, during which Brian O’Driscoll was required to play as an outhalf. This victory put a stop to Leinster’s 15-match unbeaten run in that season. Consequently, Leinster had to face an away quarter-final, which led to their loss to Leicester after a fortnight. They experienced additional defeats, including a home semi-final loss to Perpignan, a pool exit, and a home quarter-final loss to Leicester. In the midst of all this, Toulouse moved on to three consecutive final appearances, winning their third trophy against Stade Francais in Murrayfield in 2005.
“Toulouse was an exceptional team”, confesses Rob Kearney. “Without a doubt, they were the darlings of European rugby. They were the embodiment of French flair and Leinster admired their style of play which was a reminder of how they used to play- flashy and skilful, though unable to finish the job. It was prominently after Michael Cheika’s arrival that their performance improved, but Toulouse still remained the team everyone wished to emulate.
Toulouse has played a substantial role in maintaining the status and robustness of the tournament. It’s worth noting that from 2000 to 2012-13, the Heineken Cup was much more prestigious than it is currently.
Kearney acclaims, “The format has certainly lost some of its original appeal. Though newcomers like South African teams have contributed significantly to the URC, this has detracted from European rugby. Once they’re eliminated, many French teams’ commitment falls rapidly to nil.”
Regardless of this decline, Leinster’s 41-36 victory over Toulouse in the 2005-06 quarter-finals away from home was a significant achievement, even though they later faced a harsh blow in the semi-final against Munster. Kearney reminisces, “That was an enormous triumph, to defeat the finest team in the world on their home ground.”
Two significant recollections dominate from that specific week. The week began with a rather mediocre training session on Monday morning. Just 15 minutes into the practice routine, Cheika and Brian pulled us into a group huddle, subsequently delivering a furious team talk. They emphasised that we were up against Toulouse, an international standard team, and if we didn’t perform to the best of our abilities, we could face a humiliating defeat by 50 or 60 points. Understandably, this instigated a considerable sense of apprehension throughout the week.
Furthermore, we devoted a substantial portion of our week’s practice to defending offloads, supplemented by some well-executed power plays orchestrated by Cheika at a time when they weren’t so commonplace.
That week saw Leinster outstrip Toulouse with a full-length pitch try scored by Denis Hickie, masterminded by Felipe Contepomi off a turnover. Reflecting on Felipe’s performance, Kearney warmly remarks, “Totally characteristic of him”.
As time passed, two seasons down the line, Toulouse triumphed over Leinster with a 33-6 win at home. Leinster did bag the return match with a 20-13 victory, but Toulouse led the group and moved forward.
Kearney humorously mentions an incident from an away match, saying, “I recall having been charged down, concluding the match. We put up a not so stellar performance in the inhospitable conditions, under biting cold and amidst an aggressive crowd. However, our home game was quite the contrary; under the calm Dublin sun, we played rather well.”
Leinster, having gained their first title in 2009, progressed to the semi-finals the subsequent year. Unfortunately, they were defeated 26-16 in Toulouse as a pivotal figure, Johnny Sexton, was unable to participate owing to a jaw injury, which resulted in Shaun Beirne being assigned as the starting outhalf.
Even though those circumstances led to our defeat, it also dissolved any notion of being lesser. The very next season, under the stewardship of Joe Schmidt, Leinster triumphed over Toulouse in the semi-finals at Aviva Stadium. Meanwhile, Kearney had to watch from the sidelines due to an injury threatening his career.
Kearney humorously considers the time when Isa dominated the game at 15, expressing his astonishment at the player’s exceptional performance. Leinster managed to secure consecutive titles while Toulouse struggled. After experiencing three successive pool departures and falling in three quarter-finals, Toulouse did not even qualify for the Champions Cup in the 2017-18 season. During that same season, Leinster caught up by securing their fourth star.
Toulouse hinted at a comeback when they managed a 28-17 home win in the second round the following season under the guidance of Ugo Mola. Even though Toulouse secured this win, Leinster retaliated with sweeping victories in both the reciprocal match and another Aviva semi-final. Unfortunately, Kearney was unable to participate in the pool matches due to hamstring problems but was able to play 13 seasons after the 2006 quarter-finals in the semi-final where Leinster triumphed 30-12.
In this new era of Leinster rugby, overseen by Stuart Lancaster, the team was at their pinnacle. Their offensive play was spectacular, especially their phased play, which required significant improvement. Leinster adopted a Toulouse-style rugby, creating an extra player and comfortably moving from one side of the field to the other. However, with Cheslin Kolbe playing for Toulouse, there was an electrifying atmosphere. The player managed a pivotal move three minutes into the match, where Kearney was faced to face off with him. Luckily, both Kearney and Kolbe chose the left side resulting in a well-balanced performance. Toulouse was unable to apply much pressure during the match.
Despite Toulouse snagging one star ahead with their 2020-21 title, Leinster leads the direct confrontation eight against six. They have managed to add two impressive semi-final wins at Aviva over the past two seasons. Kearney expresses that though these victories are an achievement, the real measure lies in the number of trophies won. He believes the upcoming Saturday final could be anyone’s game. He comments that while Leinster’s gameplay might not be as fluid as in previous years, a significant defensive improvement has been observed.
“Leinster has shown their capability for exceptional defence in matches, with their home performance against La Rochelle being a standout. At a time when they needed a victory most, they thrived, producing the best performance of the season. The significance of the La Rochelle game extended beyond the final score, having potential long-lasting implications on the future of Leinster rugby for the coming five years. Leinster triumphed over La Rochelle in a surprising victory, considering the less-than-optimal preparation phase for the latter due to a two-week-long absence.
Given a choice, he leans towards Leinster. This season’s best performance will be crucial for them. With the Toulouse team in top form – notably Ntamack and Dupont – Leinster will need to focus on their game strategy. The expectation is that they will hold back from kicking the ball out of play, just as Toulouse might try to avoid Leinster’s set-pieces. Consequently, the ball-in-play time will likely be high, a circumstance favourable to Leinster, according to Kearney.
The evolving dynamics between these two highly decorated teams of the tournament is evident. Records show a series of previous encounters between the teams. Leinster and Stade Toulousain faced off at the Aviva Stadium in semi-finals three different times – on April 29, 2023, where the former won 41-22, on May 14, 2022, with Leinster again victorious 40-17, and on April 21, 2019, with a Leinster triumph by 30-12. The RDS Arena also hosted the teams twice, once on January 12, 2019, where Leinster came out on top by 29-13, and previously on January 12, 2008, where the Irish side won 20-13. The teams also met at the Stade Ernest Wallon on October 21, 2018, with Stade Toulousain emerging victorious by 28-27, and at Stadium de Toulouse on May 1, 2010, in a game that ended 26-16 in favour of the French team.”
On 18th November 2007, Stade Toulousain prevailed over Leinster Rugby with a score of 33 to 6 at the Stade Ernest Wallon. On 1st April 2006, Leinster Rugby bested Stade Toulousain, scoring 41 to their 35 at the Stadium de Toulouse during the quarter-finals. The game on 13th January 2002 saw Stade Toulousain emerging victorious against Leinster Rugby, with a score of 43 to 7 at the Stade Ernest Wallon. On 28th September 2001, Leinster Rugby turned the tide with a score of 40 over Stade Toulousain’s 10 at Energia Park. While on 11th October 1997, Stade Toulousain defeated Leinster Rugby 38 to 19 at Stade Ernest Wallon. On 6th September 1997, Leinster Rugby narrowly lost to Stade Toulousain, with scores of 25 and 34 respectively, at Energia Park.