Van der Flier experienced the beating of the All Blacks in November STEVE HAAG/PPAUKLeinster’s Champions Cup defeat by Toulouse last October will be a positive rather than a negative when the reigning champions welcome the French side to Dublin next month. The meeting on January 12 of the sides that have eight European titles between them promises to be a crunch fixture — and one that could decide pool one. Toulouse are two points clear at the top of the pool, but a strong home win for Leinster at the RDS could turn the table around and put Leo Cullen’s men in pole position for a home quarter- final. “We wouldn’t come back to the defeat too much really, but I suppose that is in everyone’s heads,” said Josh van der Flier, the Leinster flanker. “You think about…

Source: The Times December 20, 2018 09:00 UTC