The teams are in for Sunday’s European Champions Cup semi final between Leinster and Toulon in Marseille.
It is meeting between the sides who have been crowned European Champions for each of the last 4 years, but how do the selections stack up.
Of the 30 player who line out at the Stade Velodrome, all but 2 are full internationals, and both of those are in the Leinster team. (Jimmy Gopperth and Ben Te’o)
Every single player in the Toulon starting 15 has been capped.
Leinster’s team consist of 13 Irish internationals. (Rob Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Ian Madigan, Luke Fitzgerlad, Issac Boss, Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Mike McCarthy, Jordi Murphy, Sean O’Brien & Jamie Heaslip)
Toulon have 5 players who have played for France. (Mattieu Bastereaud, Freddy Michalak, Sebastian Tillous-Borde, Xavier Chiocci & Guilhemi Guirado)
The Toulon team also contains.
3 All Blacks (Carl Hayman, Ali Williams, Chris Masoe)
3 Springboks (Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith
1 Puma (Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe)
1 Welsh international (Leigh Halfpenny)
1 English international (Delon Armitage)
In terns of Test medals, Leinster start the match with 13 Six Nations winners.
Toulon have just 3, but they also have 4 World Cup winners, and 6 Tri Nations winners.
5 of the Leinster team have toured with the British and Irish Lions.
Leigh Halfpenny is Toulon’s only Lion.
