Description

After years of hurt, Leinster s victory in the Heineken Cup came as a glorious redemption. This book, drawing on exclusive access to the players and coaching staff, and lavishly illustrated with photos by Inpho Photography, tells the story of Leinster s journey. Leinster entered the 2008-9 campaign as outsiders. Defending champions Munster had won two of the last three European cups and had a record of dominance over Leinster in head-to-head clashes. But, behind the scenes, things were changing in Leinster. Forward play and defence were being strengthened to complement the traditional attacking strength in the backline. Leinster veterans – Brian O Driscoll, Leo Cullen, Malcolm O Kelly and others – were gearing up for what would be career-defining seasons. Youngsters – Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald, Jamie Heaslip – were on the verge of breaking through as world-class players. And a fella called Rocky had just flown in from Australia …
Leinster: The Conquest of Europe follows the squad from the group stages – when three consecutive wins were followed by two defeats and a nail-biting final matchday – through the war of attrition against Harlequins in the quarter-final and the cathartic demolition of Munster in the semi-final before a packed crowd at Croke Park, to the thrilling final against Leicester. It is the ultimate inside account of an amazing achievement.