LEINSTER can cap the most successful season Irish rugby has ever enjoyed by winning the European Champions Cup this Saturday in Bilbao.

In doing so they will crown a wonderful comeback of sorts for coach Leo Cullen and Irish club rugby, which as recently as two years ago didn’t even have a province in the last eight of Europe’s top competition. That was Cullen’s first year in charge and thankfully rugby doesn’t follow other sports in exhibiting little patience with coaches. Fast forward two years and Leinster are on the cusp.

While of course the result is crucial this weekend, Leinster have been the standout side in Europe this season and that counts for a lot. They haven’t fallen into this final, they’re unbeaten in the competition and since the turn of the year have looked imperious.

In four Champions Cup games since January they have averaged 36 points a game, while conceding just 17 – much of which has come when the games were already over as contests.

It’s really as impressive as it gets. Pencil in the fact that the first choice backline of Ringrose and Henshaw, along with Sexton and Kearney has only been available to Cullen on three occasions in Europe this year – the semi-final along with rounds three and four, making the feat of strolling to this juncture all the more impressive.

In the forwards, Leinster have depth that few teams could ever muster as the losses of Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip have proven. It’s an international pack, it calls on international replacements. It also has the flexibility to be able to move Scott Fardy into the back row when the need arises.

This week the news came that Fergus McFadden would miss the rest of the season, and while it is a blow to the squad as McFadden is clearly an integral part of the side and dressing room, his obvious replacement is James Lowe, hardly weakening attack or defence.

Don’t forget that Jordan Larmour and Joey Carberry still can’t make the starting line-up. In short, there are no weak links.

STANDARDS

So how did Leinster get here two years after failing to emerge from their group? Much credit is being lavished on Stuart Lancaster who joined the coaching ticket 18 months ago and he clearly has added to the mix, but look at the ingredients both he and Leo Cullen have to cook with.

Maintaining the high standards that have flowed from this team since last September, despite injuries and international breaks, is a sure sign that Cullen and Lancaster work well together and their squad is buying into them too.

Next Ireland coaching ticket anyone?

Racing 92

Winning on Saturday will still be a hard task because Racing, even shorn of scrum half Maxime Machenaud, are a quality side. Munster can attest to what they can do to teams that aren’t fully tuned in.

The French side have a galactico of their own who can’t make the starting line-up in Dan Carter, with the All Black unable to beat out Springbok Pat lambie for the number 10 jersey.

Racing 92 are a physically imposing side, but I can see them running out of steam before the traditional 60th minute mark when forwards get replaced.

Leinster can play the game in many different ways, but on Saturday they will look to hit Racing out wide in attack, then build numerous phases to move them relentlessly around the field. Look for the Irish to bring a huge tempo right from the start.

That’s an expansive game plan most sides would like to have their arsenal at the flick of a switch – Leinster have players who can find that switch.

The versitility contained in the Leinster side allows them to combat any defence as the see fit, whether its grinding through the forwards or attacking with pace out wide.

I’m expecting a Leinster win and clear cut one at that. They will create chances and they have the firepower to finish them.

Leinster can score from the deep or shallow end, they will sting Racing when the opportunities present themselves and they will contain the French when they have to.

They’ll do it all with a huge army cheering them on.

By all accounts this will be like a winter’s day in the RDS, apart from the sunshine. This Champions Cup has had Leinster’s name on it from a long way out.

It just remains for the best squad in Europe to keep on keeping on in the setting of the magnificent San Mamés Stadium.

The GAA summer starts in earnest this weekend when Galway meet Mayo in the Connacht championship and the new look Leinster hurling championship kicks off.

In fact, there are seven senior ties down for decision across Ulster, Connacht and Leinster. The big one of course is in Castlebar where two counties with legitimate aspirations towards Sam Maguire will meet and one will end up in the qualifiers before any of the main contenders have handpassed a ball in anger.

With the Super 8s approaching later in the summer and winning a provincial title a surefire way in, this game is the most important football match played in May for some years.

Galway are flying high as the only county to put it up to Dublin in the spring – beating everyone else for good measure.

So clearly the tip are Mayo. Surely with revenge on their minds they are the old dog for this hard road. Expect cards. Of many colours.

Donegal need to lay down a marker by beating a reinvigorated Cavan side in Ballybofey. They might just have enough.

The double header in Portlaoise could see extra time between Carlow and Louth (just a hunch), while Offaly can take Wicklow. On Saturday night Laois should be able for Wexford.

The same applies for the All-Ireland hurling champions Galway who seem destined to stay under every radar until mid-June at the earliest. They will have the usual 40 or 50 minutes of bother from Offaly before easing home.

The most interesting game of the weekend for me is Dublin and Kilkenny in Parnell Park because, eternal optimist that I am, I think the Dubs have been planning for this since the beginning of the Pat Gilroy/Anthony Cunningham experiment.

This could be a proper game and this could be a lot closer than the experts will have you think. I base this on the belief that the home side are usually a force in the smaller confines of Parnell Park and the feeling that they couldn’t be as bad as they looked in the league.

Could they?