Opposition Focus: "No bigger task"

As Ulster players have gone about their media duties this week, one thing has been made abundantly clear - the respect they have for Saturday's opposition. In the words of Assistant Coach Dwayne Peel, there is no "bigger task" than travelling to Dublin to face the current PRO14 and Champions Cup winners, as they bid to reach a first European semi-final since 2012. Almost since the moment their celebrations died down after beating Racing 92 in Bilbao in last year's final, the drive for five began and the Dublin-based outfit are still looking to establish a new record for European titles this season. Interestingly, they have already beaten the other seven teams remaining in this season's competition on at least one occasion over the past 12 months while they haven't lost a knock-out game since 2017. The top try-scorers in this season's competition, they haven't lost a home European game since 2016. Just what is the secret of the success at a club many feel to be the best in the world? For starters, it's the number of quality players on the books, 26 of whom have won Ireland caps under Joe Schmidt. Their squad depth is the envy of coaches the world over, including Peel. "That is the massive thing which stands out," said the attack specialist of the options available at the RDS. "They have quality throughout the squad and deep within the squad, as well as their style of play, they challenge you in all their facets of the game. "Any sort of lack of concentration they punish teams that is the biggest thing, they are quite ruthless. They are down the line in their progression as well, they have been together a long time a lot of those players, They have a lot of consistency within that in the way they want to play. "They are runaway leaders of the league at the minute and they are current European champions so there is no greater task for us in all honesty, that is the reality of it. There is no bigger task than to go where we are going on Saturday. "For us that is not a daunting thing, it is an excitement for us. We are looking forward to it. It will be great for us." While being the underdog has suited Ulster well in past - few expected the Province to come through tussles with Toulouse in 1998 or Munster in 2012 - there is no denying Leinster's quality. "This is the best team in Europe," said Rory Best who knows plenty about the opposition having captained the majority of them on international duty. "They have been for a couple of years and definitely last year when you look at what they achieved." Ulster players, though, believe they can make their own mark on this last eight tie. “To say they have weaknesses is probably a bit of a stretch but there are areas of the game that are not as good as what their strengths are. "Maybe they even couple up with our strengths and that's what we are looking at. “How can we attack them? How can we manufacture things to create chances? We know we are not going to get an infinite amount of chances. There is going to be at most a handful of chances and to beat Leinster you've got to take almost every one of them. That's part of the exciting challenge. Teams that beat Leinster are the teams that live with them for 80 minutes and don't have that momentary lapse of concentration. "It sounds very tough, and it is, that's why they don't lose many games." The Ulstermen know the challenge.