Leinster vs Toulouse Prediction and Betting Tips: Back James Lowe in the anytime tryscorer market

Leinster face Toulouse in Saturday's European Rugby Champions Cup final and could finally match the French club in winning the tournament five times.

The Dublin outfit have lost the last two finals to La Rochelle, but they beat Les Maritimes in both the pool stage and quarter-final of this season's competition.

They defeated Toulouse on their way to the 2022 and 2023 finals, but Stade remain the benchmark in European rugby, winning this competition for a record fifth time in 2021.

Leinster scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park has predicted a "magnificent battle" and it promises to be a titanic tussle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Expect a cagey game in London, but Leinster's newfound knack for playing inconsistently but getting the job done should stand them in good stead.

That was the case against Northampton in the semis, as they almost spurned a 15-0 lead before winning 20-17. They stood up in defence and can now temper Stade's star-studded attack.

Antoine Dupont will skipper the French side and will dovetail with Romain Ntamack and Blair Kinghorn, and potentially Thomas Ramos, depending on Ugo Mola's selection.

Toulouse also have Jack Willis and Francois Cros to call on in the back-row, but Leinster arguably have the edge in the tight five and they can provide the platform to play when chances arise and keep their opponents at bay.

The Dublin outfit scored three tries in the opening 11 minutes against La Rochelle in last year’s final and are trading at around 5/6 to cross first again.

Leinster are likely to fly out of the blocks and their improved defence under South African World Cup-winning coach Jacques Nienaber might hold long enough to finally claim their fifth Champions Cup title.

James Lowe has enjoyed a fabulous run in the knockout stages and also has a penchant for punishing Toulouse.

He has scored three tries during his last two appearances against Toulouse - he missed last year's semi-final win - and with six scores, is this season's joint-top try scorer alongside Bordeaux flyer Louis-Bielle-Biarrey.

That tally includes a brace against La Rochelle in the quarter-final and a hat-trick in the semi-final win over Saints.

Despite being born in New Zealand, Lowe is as committed to Leinster and Ireland as they come.

He also shares a real bond with fellow Kiwi-raised-Irish international Gibson-Park and their ability to sniff out chances, as they did with Lowe's score from Gibson-Park's quick tap against Northampton, makes the wing a go-to player to back.

Juan Cruz Mallia is the final selection and could provide real value having grabbed Toulouse’s try in their 2021 Champions Cup final win over La Rochelle. 

The Argentine can play across the back-line but has increasingly featured on the wing in big games. 

Cruz Mallia crossed the whitewash against Exeter in the last eight and Harlequins in the semis, proving that while he might not be the quickest, he can always finish a chance.