Leinster

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.