James Lowe at the double in Leinster’s Champions Cup demolition of Toulouse

Penalty joy for Toulouse in Dublin last week but little more than punishment seven days on. Leinster produced one of the most emphatic performances in recent European history to sink the defending champions Toulouse and reach a sixth final. It was every bit as dominant as the scoreline suggests and while the Aviva Stadium was a sea of blue, having been painted Munster red seven days ago, it might as well have been green. For Leinster are a Test side in all but name.

Indeed, Leinster lined up with 13 Ireland internationals in their starting lineup and the same number of players in their squad who featured against France in Paris earlier this year. Toulouse do not exactly lack Test players themselves but for all their counterattacking threats, their star man at scrum-half in Antoine Dupont, they simply could not live with Leinster’s power and poise.

Leinster scored four tries, two coming from James Lowe who is now just one behind Chris Ashton’s season record of 11. They were destructive at the breakdown, swarming with the intent that the recent champions sides of Saracens used to, and with Josh van der Flier further enhancing his reputation as one of the finest opensides around. But above all else there was a slickness to Leinster’s play that Toulouse could not handle.

Johnny Sexton enjoyed the kind of afternoon a fly-half of his calibre should with his side enjoying so much quick ball. Indeed, whether it be flat passes to the oncoming Garry Ringrose or pinpoint crossfield kicks to his back three, his was a supreme showing. It was the sort of performance that will resonate all the way to Lens, where Racing 92 face La Rochelle on Sunday for the right to face Leinster in the final later this month.

It remains to be seen