Garry Ringrose ‘excited and motivated’ to get a chance to exorcise 2025 Investec Champions Cup semi-final demons against Toulon
Leinster centre Garry Ringrose.
Leinster centre Garry Ringrose has revealed that he feels “energised” that the Irish province are in the running to win trophies at the business end of the 2025/26 season.
Leo Cullen’s troops suffered a shock 29-26 United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat at Benetton at the weekend, which means they currently occupy fourth spot in the standings, but Leinster are optimistic of improving on that position ahead of that competition’s play-offs as their last two league matches will be at home against the Lions and Ospreys.
Focusing on Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon
However, Ringrose and his fellow Leinstermen have put their URC ambitions on the back burner for now as they are fully focused on their Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday.
The 31-year-old needs no reminding that Leinster stumbled at the same stage of last year’s Champions Cup when they suffered a shock 37-34 defeat against Northampton Saints at the same venue.
Ringrose revealed that Leinster are happy to have another opportunity to advance to the final of the prestigious tournament and are determined to right the wrongs from their 2024/25 campaign.
“Yeah, I’d say energised by the fact that it’s May,” he said ahead of Saturday’s eagerly anticipated showdown against Toulon with the victors set to take on the winners of the other semi-final between the defending champions Bordeaux-Begles and Bath.
“We were in this position a year ago and after the result of that game would have bitten your arm off to, maybe not fast forward the clock, but just to be in a position now again and get another crack at a semi-final.
“Obviously, lots has happened in the interim. So yeah, excited, motivated, I guess.”
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Could use Northampton loss as a learning
Leinster are obviously determined to improve on their performance in last year’s semi-final defeat and while Ringrose believes it’s important to focus on the task at hand against Toulon, he feels they can also use that Northampton result as part of their preparations for this weekend’s clash.
“I guess there is a bit of that,” said Ringrose. “You focus on the possibility, or the opportunity, that’s in front of us.
“But last year and the past 10 years, there’s always lessons and learnings you try and pick up, and scars you have.
“Valuable ones to go through and experience and hopefully be better come the next opportunity. So there’s a little bit of that.
“But, yeah, you’re just excited, motivated for the work that’s gone in for this group over the last year to get to this point.”
