Champions Cup 2025/26 · Semi-Final
Leinster
RC Toulon
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Championship Standings
Leinster topped Group 3 with a perfect 4/4 — the only side besides Bordeaux and Glasgow with a flawless pool record — earning a home draw all the way through. Toulon finished 8th overall (2nd in Group 2) at 3-1 with a +17 differential. Pool seeding decisively favours the hosts at the Aviva.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bordeaux-Bègles | 4 | 4 | 0 | +76 | 20 |
| 2 |  Glasgow Warriors | 4 | 4 | 0 | +49 | 20 |
| 3 | Leinster | 4 | 4 | 0 | +35 | 18 |
| 4 |  Bath | 4 | 3 | 1 | +91 | 16 |
| 5 |  Northampton Saints | 4 | 3 | 1 | +46 | 16 |
| 6 |  Harlequins | 4 | 3 | 1 | +98 | 15 |
| 7 |  Bristol Bears | 4 | 3 | 1 | +50 | 14 |
| 8 |  RC Toulon | 4 | 3 | 1 | +17 | 14 |
| 9 |  Stormers | 4 | 3 | 1 | −8 | 14 |
| 10 |  Toulouse | 4 | 2 | 2 | +94 | 12 |
| 11 |  Sale Sharks | 4 | 2 | 2 | −38 | 11 |
| 12 |  Saracens | 4 | 2 | 2 | +13 | 10 |
| 13 |  Castres Olympique | 4 | 2 | 2 | −8 | 10 |
| 14 |  Sharks | 4 | 2 | 2 | −10 | 10 |
| 15 |  Edinburgh | 4 | 2 | 2 | −71 | 10 |
| 16 |  Munster | 4 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 8 |
| 17 |  Bulls | 4 | 1 | 3 | −68 | 7 |
| 18 |  Leicester Tigers | 4 | 1 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 19 |  La Rochelle | 4 | 1 | 3 | −13 | 6 |
| 20 |  Gloucester | 4 | 1 | 3 | −27 | 6 |
| 21 |  Section Paloise | 4 | 1 | 3 | −50 | 6 |
| 22 |  Scarlets | 4 | 0 | 4 | −54 | 3 |
| 23 |  Clermont | 4 | 0 | 4 | −108 | 0 |
| 24 |  Bayonne | 4 | 0 | 4 | −115 | 0 |
Leinster
W4, L0Leinster were perfect in the pool — but the manner of it raises questions. The 25–24 squeak past La Rochelle at the Aviva and the 23–15 grind at Leicester suggest a side that is winning without dominating. The +35 differential is the smallest of the three pool-toppers (Bordeaux +76, Glasgow +49). Then the R16 (49–31 v Edinburgh) and QF (43–13 v Sale) showed sharper teeth.
RC Toulon
W3, L1Toulon opened with a flat 33–20 loss in Edinburgh and have not lost in Europe since. Three straight wins to close the pool — including a 45–34 shootout with Bath and a one-score escape against Munster — earned them 2nd in Group 2. They then beat the Stormers 28–27 in the R16 and stunned Glasgow 22–19 in Scotstoun in the QF. Knockout rugby suits this Toulon side.
Head-to-Head
1 – 0 – 4
Leinster wins · Draws · Toulon wins (last 5 meetings, all in Europe)
Leinster (1)
This is the rare fixture where Leinster have a losing record. Toulon have won 4 of the 5 meetings — including the back-to-back pool wins in 2015 and a 29–14 quarter-final in 2014. Leinster's only victory came in 2021, a 30–0 walkover when Toulon were forced to forfeit due to Covid protocols. On the field, Leinster have never beaten this opposition.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2021 | Champions Cup R16 | Leinster 30–0 RC Toulon (w/o) |
| Dec 2015 | Champions Cup Pool | Leinster 16–20 RC Toulon |
| Dec 2015 | Champions Cup Pool | RC Toulon 24–9 Leinster |
| Apr 2015 | Champions Cup QF | RC Toulon 25–20 Leinster |
| Apr 2014 | Heineken Cup QF | RC Toulon 29–14 Leinster |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: RC Toulon 21 – Leinster 14 (excluding the 2021 walkover). Leinster have not beaten Toulon in a played match — ever. Every prior meeting has come in the Champions Cup or Heineken Cup, and Toulon have won them all on the field.
Extended Form
Leinster16W, 4L (last 20)
Champions Cup 25/26: W6 L0 (pool + R16 + QF). URC: 26 April loss at Benetton 29–26, beat Ulster 29–21, beat Scarlets 36–19, lost at Glasgow 38–17, lost at Cardiff 8–7. Last 12 months also includes the 37–34 home semi-final loss to Northampton in May 2025 that ended their 2024/25 European campaign.
Leinster have lost 3 of their last 8 — all on the road (Benetton, Glasgow, Cardiff) — and the URC form is genuinely shaky. But at the Aviva and at the RDS they remain ruthless: 49–31 v Edinburgh, 43–13 v Sale in the European knockouts. Home Leinster and away Leinster look like two different sides this season.
RC Toulon11W, 7L, 1D (last 19)
Champions Cup 25/26: W5 L1 since R1 (incl. R16 28–27 v Stormers, QF 22–19 at Glasgow). Top 14: 52–26 v Bayonne, 47–22 at Montauban, but lost to Stade Français 46–27, La Rochelle 66–0, Bordeaux 46–7. Sit 11th in Top 14.
Toulon's domestic season has been a mess — 11th in the Top 14, two heavy defeats (66–0 at La Rochelle, 46–7 at Bordeaux). But Europe has been a different competition for them. The 22–19 win at Scotstoun against the pool toppers Glasgow was a statement. Mignoni's side has rediscovered the knockout DNA that defined this club a decade ago.
Leinster XV
Leinster name a near-full-strength XV with Tadhg Furlong passed fit at tighthead despite a Treviso scare. Andrew Porter not in the matchday 23 — Usanov starts at loosehead. Harry Byrne keeps the 10 jersey ahead of Sam Prendergast. Hugo Keenan returns at 15. James Lowe out — Robbie Henshaw and Jamison Gibson-Park both pass fitness checks.
RC Toulon XV
Toulon roll out their European A-team. Charles Ollivon is passed fit to lead, with Dan Biggar absent (replaced by Argentine fly-half Tomás Albornoz) and Melvyn Jaminet at fullback. Kyle Sinckler anchors the scrum at tighthead, and David Ribbans makes it through fitness checks at lock.
Key Matchups
The decisive area is half-back: Gibson-Park is comfortably the best 9 on the pitch and Leinster's tempo through him is the single biggest difference between these sides. Toulon's hopes hinge on Brex — the Italy centre has been their playoff X-factor — and on Ollivon disrupting at the breakdown. The packs are close on paper, but the Leinster engine room of McCarthy and Ryan should edge the lineout exchange. If Toulon can keep this within a score at 60 minutes, their bench is the kind that wins tight games.
Match Forecast
Leinster are too strong, too deep, and too dialled-in at the Aviva for this to be a coin flip — even with the historical H2H millstone. The scorecard nets +15 driven by squad strength, Aviva home advantage, and a class gap at half-back and in the centres. Gibson-Park and Barrett against Couilloud and Sinzelle is a mismatch on tempo and physical edge. Add a Sheehan-led lineout-maul that has been a knockout weapon for two seasons, and the pathway to a Leinster win is well-rehearsed.
The wobble case is real, though. Leinster have lost 3 URC matches in two months — at Glasgow, Cardiff, and Benetton — and the 25–24 squeak past La Rochelle in the pool showed they can be dragged into a wrestle. Toulon are the perfect side to do that: Ollivon and Brex give them a knockout-seasoned spine, and their 22–19 win at Glasgow proves they can travel and steal a pool topper. If Furlong's calf goes inside 30 minutes and Sinckler gets at Usanov, this gets uncomfortable. But not 14 points uncomfortable.
Leinster by 12–18 — the Aviva fortress and the Gibson-Park-Barrett axis settle a fixture history that's haunted them.