Leinster V Stade Rochelais. Champions Cup Final. Sat May 20, 16:45. Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

There's nothing questionable about the residency rules, they're the rules as set by WR and Irish teams have followed them. Big difference in a player who was discarded by a country getting a contract and a team buying in active internationals.

Not questionable at all though. You cant just limit qualification to birth/parents alone and btw several of examples you had - Hansen, Bealham qualified because parents or grandparents are irish born

As an outsider....

Leinster have it too easy. They have the pick of most players coming into the system, are able to afford the best lads coming into the system, access to the best coaches coming into the system. Add to that, a domestic League that is in no way taxing, an easy schedule, that protects and cossets them. Plus a fawning media and marketing hat makes adequate performance seem like magnificent achievement.

That's fine to a point, but come the big games they will come up against a battle hardened French or English outfit used to playing tight, need to win games, and it's alien to them.

It'll happen to the international team in November too, wait and see. The much vaunted IRFU player protection system is too easy on them.

Where are you an outsider from?

Where can I get the stats for this game?

I tried ESPN, but when you click rugby, then statistics you end up going arpound in circles.

Thanks.

In fairness I think their system earns the pick of the players bit...although much of that credit should go to those paying the school fees.

When they won the first 3, keys signings were a big part of the success ...when Toulon and Sarries came round it looked like they were really up against it ever winning it again, they have gotten back to a situation that they should have won 2 more.

Foreign signings used be key to keep the show on the road while Irish players were gone, now they barely need them in the urc...might have come in handy yesterday.

So you struggle to understand why some Munster fans might feel like that and yet in the next paragraph you describe Munster as being Leinster's "bitch". Yes, it really is a head scratcher...

Leinster were entirely bossed and bullied the entire 2nd half.....

La Rochelle would have been robbed if Peyper blew for a penalty towards the end....

Peyper actually had a good game....

Signings and Leinster hand me downs is a bit rich. Leinster have more NIQs in the squad than Munster. Actually looking at the Leinster 15 that finished the game, three New Zealanders, an Australian, a South African. So much for 'production line' which is merely a myth concocted by the D4 media brigade.

Sorry, correction. Three new Zealanders and a South African. Allatoa didn't finish the game for obvious reasons.

I like the sport but I'm no expert...I was at the quarter and semi finals and tbh I thought Leinster won very easy in both games....it appeared to me they destroyed both teams they were up against and cruised to victory.

That can't be good prep for a final where its more of a level playing field...it rarely results in success in other sports I watch for the team that coasts there, the winning finalist is usually battle hardened by the time they get to the final and if they are not they only win if they are very superior to the opposition.

Couple that with streaking into an early lead and putting scores up easily like previous games might mean it's hard to get into the mindset you need to be in when you are really under the cosh, like they were in the second half where they got dominated ...not something they are used to dealing with so therefore something its hard to react to and fight against, Id wager the elation of those 3 early scores and the gradual tightening of the screw and momentum shift that came afterwards would be hard for any team that didn't have to fight and claw their way there to adjust to and overcome.

Just my thesis.....tear it apart at your convenience.

Leinster bottled it yesterday, they had the opportunity to go for drop goal towards the end, but, hadn't the courage to go for it. Going for a try at that late stage was madness, had they taken a drop goal, they would have only had to hold out for a minute or too. La Rochelle deserved it showed huge character to come back for a poor start and completely dominated the second half. I think Cullen has taken this Leinster team as far as he can, has been a great servant for Leinster and Irish rugby but, Leinster need a change of coach to get them over the line.

He missed two conversions albeit from difficult positions perhaps he wasnt feeling confident. I cant see why leinster didnt want to run with the ball at all in the second half, were they just knackered?

LOL. Do you think anyone on the planet needed to see proof that Jenkins is no Brad Thorne?

Yea, if taking out the chequebook just means spending alot currently on players then that is also the irfu/leinster.