Toulon scrumhalf Ben White says his French teammates hold the key to ending Leinster’s march to another Investec Champions Cup final.
Saturday’s blockbuster semi-final at the Aviva Stadium pits Toulon against a Leinster outfit packed with Ireland internationals, many of whom have tormented White and Scotland for years.
White has suffered through five defeats to Ireland since making his Scotland debut in 2022, including last month’s 43-21 Six Nations loss in Dublin.
But while the Scots have repeatedly failed to crack the code, White believes Toulon can draw inspiration from France’s recent success against Ireland.
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Toulon stars Charles Ollivon, Jean-Baptiste Gros and Baptiste Serin were all part of the Les Bleus side that dismantled Ireland in Paris earlier this year, a result that followed an emphatic victory in Dublin in 2025.
“It’s predominantly the same players,” White said of the Leinster 23 that Toulon expect to face. “They get to play together a lot and they’re very cohesive in the way they play.
“We’ve spoken about what worked for the France boys and using their experience from those big games against Ireland. We’re trying to implement some of those things.”
Still, White insists Toulon can’t become consumed by Leinster’s strengths. “A lot of it is about how we want to impose ourselves on the game,” he said.
“The last couple of weeks we’ve focused a lot on how we’re training, how we’re playing and becoming really close-knit as a group. I think that will hold us in good stead going into these big games.”
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A pivotal battle looms at scrumhalf, where White is set to face the wily Jamison Gibson-Park.
“Jamo is a great player,” White said. “He’s very skilful and it’s always a great opportunity to go up against a top player like him.”
But for White, the outcome will ultimately depend less on individual brilliance and more on which side can impose itself physically and maintain control in the chaos around the ruck.
“If we can impose ourselves physically, control the ruck and dominate there, then we can play the style of rugby we want to play,” the Scot added. “It’s about togetherness in attack and defence.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Toulon look to Les Bleus for Leinster battle plan appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Toulon scrumhalf Ben White says his French teammates hold the key to ending Leinster’s march to another Investec Champions Cup final.
The post Toulon look to Les Bleus for Leinster battle plan appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
