Jamie Heaslip yesterday expressed annoyance and frustration at Leinster’s miserable run in this season’s Champions Cup. The former kingpins of Europe have failed to win any of their three matches in the competition this season and qualification from the pool stages is now out of their hands.

“People are obviously upset. We’ve put ourselves in the position where qualification is out of our hands. It depends on other games now for us, regardless if we go forward and win all our games. To be in that position is frustrating,” Heaslip said at yesterday’s Goal Mile launch at the Martello Tower on Sandymount Strand.

“A lot of people are annoyed with how we’ve let the supporters down. The last three games in Europe there hasn’t been much between winning and losing when we sit down and assess the game, especially the Bath game and yesterday. The Wasps game got a little bit ahead of us. But, when you look at the stats, they (Wasps) played little rugby in our half. And that’s the frustration players are feeling.”

And he is hoping Leinster can regain some pride when Toulon come to the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

“We want to get out on Saturday for all the supporters that travelled down yesterday, and that are coming this weekend. to give everyone something to be proud of.”

Leinster had no answer to the power of Toulon and Heaslip had no complaints about the 9-24 scoreline.

“It’s tough. They’re big men, and if they get going, and the way the rules are around mauls, you’ve got to go in with a good strategy. I thought at times we frustrated them a lot at line-outs. We got a couple of balls, and disrupted a couple of balls. If you don’t get it down at the front, and stop it dead, once it gets motion, it’s very hard to stop it without giving away any three points. That was a frustration, that we got into that game, got a lead, and the first access point into the game in our ‘22’, they get a score. As a set of forwards, we’d be very disappointed with that.”

Heaslip doesn’t think the short turnaround will have a major effect on how they prepare for round four of the Champions Cup. “That’s a question for the coaches. For the players, players just want to play. We’re well used to six-day turnarounds. We’ve had to do five-day turnarounds. It’s just part of the game. It just means we’re one day less on the pitch. Everyone would have trained all last week together anyway. Even if there were guys coming in, or out, whatever. As a team, everyone is on the same page.”