The short side: Champions Cup semi-final epics await, Finn Russell key and a mouth-watering half-back battle

The four-time champions take on the five-time winners as Saturday’s encounter sees true rugby royalty face off in Dublin.

There is also an element of Ireland v France in the clash as a Leinster team featuring the majority of Andy Farrell’s first choice XV face a Toulouse outfit which has the spine of the French side.

For Johnny Sexton, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ronan Kelleher and Andrew Porter, read Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Julien Marchand and Cyril Baille. There are intriguing battles throughout the respective squads, but there is no doubt that the Irish province have the edge.

While Le Rouge et Noir can complement their international stars with outstanding foreign imports and talented youngsters, they don’t quite look as complete as Leo Cullen’s men at the moment.

Quite frankly, Leinster have looked frighteningly good this season and were far too strong for the Premiership pacesetters, Leicester Tigers, in last weekend’s quarter-final. The result actually led to more questions about the quality of England’s top-tier than the brilliance of the Dubliners, which was slightly harsh on both.

Leicester are an excellent team this year but they, and perhaps the rest of Europe, are not on the level of the Leinstermen at the moment. That is ultimately what we will find out on Saturday when this well-oiled machine goes head-to-head with the defending champions.

Toulouse were deserved winners last season but they have struggled for form in 2022. The departure of their French internationals to Six Nations duty played a part in that, but even their return has not necessarily had the desired result.

They held their nerve against Munster to overcome the men from Limerick in the last-eight, but it was very much a match which could