Leinster and Munster aspire to deliver an all-Irish Champions Cup final

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  • Super Rugby, the Aviva Premiership and Top 14 may be considered the most popular club rugby competitions in the world, but if you want to see the pinnacle of club rugby, watch the Irish teams in action in the Champions Cup semi-finals this weekend.

    Leinster and Munster go into the last-four ties with efficient game plans and squads purring with confidence – with the possibility of an all-Irish Champions Cup final a thrilling prospect for rugby fans.

    Standing in the way of Munster are Top 14 giants Racing 92 – a team who Johann van Graan’s side met twice in the pool stages, with the Reds prevailing 14-7 in October and falling short by four points (34-30) in the reverse fixture in Paris in January.

    For Leinster – the most in-form team in the competition this season – a meeting with Welsh side Scarlets separates them from a first final since 2012.

    Two tense matches await, but if the provinces can prevail then Irish rugby will get the dream final in Bilbao on May 12, which will be just a second-ever all-Irish final – Leinster’s comprehensive 42-14 win over Ulster in 2012 the other one.

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  • It’s fair to say the Munster-Leinster rivalry has declined in recent years, with the Blues winning 16 out of the last 22 fixtures, but nothing would bring it roaring back into the public interest than a Champions Cup final between the two.

    It’s no surprise to see Leinster at this stage of the competition after an impressive year, but Munster – after a mixed campaign – have arrived in the last four following a stunning victory over three-time champions Toulon in the last round.

    Two wins in Bloemfontein and the imminent return of Keith Earls will surely have Van Graan licking his lips at the prospect of taking on Dan Carter and Co in Bordeaux on Sunday.

    The back-to-back wins over the Cheetahs and Southern Kings in South Africa will surely boost morale, with the warm weather training, bonding and victories setting them up nicely for the trip to the south of France.

    With Conor Murray playing the best rugby of his career and Ian Keatley in sparkling form of late, the men from Limerick will be a tour de force when they step out for the semi-final.

    This Munster side may not have that same European experience when you think to Munster teams of old, but they are a vastly improved side with tactical prowess and a pack that have clear ideas of what they need to do with quality ball from line-out and scrum time.

    With a maturing squad and Six Nations Grand Slam winners at their disposal, this match is set up to be a thriller.

    In the other semi-final, Leinster are home to Scarlets with Leo Cullen’s side clear favourites for the title, having won their six pool games and especially after a convincing win over reigning champions Saracens in the quarter-finals.

    The men from Dublin have been playing rugby at a frightening pace, with accurate kicking, a strong scrum and a superb passing and offloading game at the forefront of their game plan.

    In Johnny Sexton, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan and Dan Leavy, Leinster possess four players who are also in the form of their lives and who will be integral to how the Blues perform at the Aviva Stadium.

    It will be a difficult test for Scarlets but head coach Wayne Pivac has proven himself to be a master tactician, although he needs to tighten his defensive maul before the trip to the Irish capital, with two mauls collapsing at critical moments during the quarter-final win over La Rochelle.

    If Leinster come out on top against the defending Pro14 champions, they will have a two day break and can relax and watch Munster play on Sunday before preparing for the decider.

    But for all the talk of Leinster and Munster dominance, Scarlets and Racing won’t fear anything and this is set up to be the most promising semi-final pairing in recent years.

    Scarlets beat Leinster in the Pro14 play-offs last year and there’s no reason why the Welshmen can’t do it again.

    For Racing, any team with Carter pulling the strings is a force to be reckoned with, and after a solid win over Clermont in the quarters, they have proved themselves to be battle-hardened.

    The club game is continuing to improve, but to see Leinster and Munster in the final would be a serious advertisement for the sport, especially from a tactical and viewing perspective, with both teams knowing each other so well from various confrontations down the years.

    For now, the Irish sides must leap the semi-final hurdle this weekend before they can dream further, but an all-Irish final in northern Spain on May 12 would be an intriguing affair.

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