Gibson-Park: Leinster better placed for final challenge

No tries, no try assists: sometime stats can be misleading. Jamison Gibson-Park the man of the match by a mile.

The scrum-half is the heartbeat of a Leinster side that is just one game away from glory. This is surely their time.

They did very little wrong last year and would be reigning champions but for a try at the death in the final against La Rochelle.

Yesterday, in truth, they made short work of Toulouse and did so minus the services of Johnny Sexton, James Lowe and Robbie Henshaw.

Gibson-Park's innate feel for the game can't be learned. The right pass, the right kick, the right run, the right decision at the right time. In Sexton's absence, Ross Byrne kicks the goals and pulls strings out the back but it's the Kiwi, who made his 124th club appearance in the Aviva Stadium yesterday, who has the team purring.

Something he politely declines to agree with when asked if he has more responsibility with Sexton sidelined.

"Kind of, not massively," said the 31-year-old.

"Ross is great with the detail and he drives a lot of that during the week. It's not just him, it’s right across the board.

"We have got an incredible group of leadership guys. They do an awesome job in terms of putting our plan together with the coaches.

"I’m not involved in that group so much, but for sure, I do my part in meetings and that kind of thing. It’s probably an area I’ve come on in."

The 41-22 Champions Cup win over an ill-disciplined French outfit sets Leinster up with a final against La Rochelle or Exeter, who meet later today.

This time the venue is Dublin and the former Hurricanes player feels his side are better placed.

"Yeah, I think so," he said. "A lot of individuals have come on a long way since this time last year. Obviously, it’s down to a lot of