"We must dominate" - Cheika

But dominating a side of Toulouse's pedigree is no small ask. The three times Heineken Cup winners and four times finalists have a wealth of European experience to draw on.

"Toulouse are a good team," stated Cheika. "They have a lot of pace, not just on the extremities, but also in their midfield and in the backrow also. It's very important that we get it right (up front).

Cheika paid special attention to Toulouse outside half Frederic Michalak, saying: "He is a very good player. He's prepared to switch roles and he can play from deep attacking. Not unlike another number 10 that we all know!

"He is a quality player playing at a high quality level."

And then came his rallying call to his troops: "We need to dominate them all over the park."

"We have a clear knowledge of how we want to play the game. We have to perform consistently. We've got to keep doing it and doing it and building on the aura that we are creating.

"We respect our opposition but we also understand that we're a difficult team to handle."

Leinster had a bye week in the Celtic League last weekend, But Cheika says he is pleased with how plans for this match are shaping up.

"I've been quite happy with how our preparation has gone this week. I'm glad to have the international players back and the energy and enthusiasm that they have shown since they've been re-integrated into the squad has been exemplary."