Leinster v Toulouse predictions and rugby union tips: No stopping determined Leinster

Where to watch Leinster v Toulouse

BT Sport 3, 3pm Saturday

Best bet

Leinster to win by 11 to 20 points
1pt 13-5 Coral, Ladbrokes

Leinster v Toulouse preview 

For the third time in five years, Leinster and Toulouse meet in a European semi-final in Dublin, and the Irish outfit are strong favourites to make it three wins out of three.

Last year Toulouse were defending champions but were dispatched 40-17 as they failed to hit their stride just seven days on from a gruelling quarter-final win over Munster at the same venue that went to extra time and a penalty shootout.

Leinster say they are braced for a backlash as the Top 14 leaders will use the hurt they suffered in 2022 to fire them up.

But there's plenty of hurt on Leinster's side too after they appeared to be gunning for glory in both the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, before shock defeats in the URC semis and Champions Cup final left them with nothing to show.

They are without the injured Johnny Sexton, James Lowe and Robbie Henshaw, but the huge roster of international stars at Leinster's disposal ensures they will always be top-class opponents in Europe and their slick attacking style that cut through Leicester in the quarter-final should prove too much for Toulouse again.

Last year's winning margin of 23 points was probably boosted by the fatigue factor in the Toulouse ranks, but Leinster beat the French outfit 30-12 in the 2019 semi-final and by 29-13 at home in the pool stage in the same season, and another win in the 11 to 20-point band looks a reasonable bet in this latest meeting.

Later in the day, Glasgow are four-point favourites against Scarlets in the first semi-final of the European Challenge Cup (BT Sport 3, 5.30pm).

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