Leinster’s savage beauty could make them Europe’s greatest champions

Welcome to The Breakdown, the Guardian’s weekly (and free) rugby union newsletter. Here’s an extract from this week’s edition. To receive the full version every Tuesday, just pop your email in below:

The surest sign of consistent quality in European club rugby is visible just above the heart. Those four little gold stars woven into Leinster’s jersey might not immediately catch everyone’s eye but if you know, you know. Each of them denotes a European Cup title and adding another on Saturday will gain the Irish province entry to the most rarefied of clubs.

Currently the French thoroughbreds of Stade Toulousain are the sole occupants of this elite five-star enclosure, courtesy of victory over La Rochelle in last year’s final. Next up, after Leinster, are Toulon and Saracens with three while Munster, Leicester and Wasps are the only other teams to have raised the trophy more than once. In the past 20 years only one side from outside that magnificent seven – Exeter – have conquered Europe.

Leinster’s recent form strongly suggests they could draw level with Toulouse this weekend. Of course, Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle beat them in last year’s semi-final and nothing can be remotely guaranteed. But should Leo Cullen’s side prevail in Marseille it would be the fifth time in 14 seasons the trophy has ended up in Dublin. Considering the opposition involved over that period, that would be some achievement.

Which inevitably kickstarts one of those subjective pub arguments. Are Leinster on the verge of becoming the greatest European club side of the pro era? There will be plenty of spluttering in France but, increasingly, there is a strong case to be made. Not just in terms of trophies but the manner in which they are increasingly