How SA teams prepared Leinster to beat Toulouse

SPOTLIGHT: The two most successful teams in European Cup history go head-to-head at Lansdowne Road in Dublin on Saturday - for many, the real Final.

Four-time champions Leinster host the five-time champions Stade Toulousain in the first semifinal.

Defending champions Stade Rochelais hosts Exeter Chiefs in the other semifinal at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux on Sunday.

However, it is in Dublin where the big face-off is.

Leinster believes they have never been better placed to overcome Toulouse than right now.

One reason for this, according to No.8 Jack Conan, is that Leinster has become a more well-rounded team since their started playing against the South African teams in the United Rugby Championship.

"With South African teams, they're probably a bit more in that mould [of the Top 14 teams]," he said in the build-up to Saturday's showdown.

"They play more an attritional game, compared to the fast-paced style you'd get from the original URC teams.

"It definitely has helped us.

"I think we've matured a lot as a group, the coaching staff have matured a lot.

"We've taken a lot of lessons.

"You wish you hadn't needed to learn all those lessons but it'll make us better, and it has made us better.

"For example, playing against Leicester [in the Champions Cup quarterfinals], a massively attritional side in the way they play the game, and to go and beat them in the fashion that we did, not always playing great rugby."

The Irish province is aiming to equal Toulouse's record of five titles in EPCR's elite competition after falling narrowly short in the Final last year.

Leinster marched to an impressive 40-17 victory over Toulouse in last season's semifinals, but Conan believes his side is coming into this year's game even better equipped.

Source: @ChampionsCup

* Picture credit: leinsterrugby