Clinical finisher has reason to be confident

RUGBY/MAXIME MEDARD INTERVIEW:Mark Rodden talks to the versatile 24-year-old, the top try-scorer in this season's French Top 14, who is braced for a huge test at the Aviva Stadium

AFTER SCORING what proved to be a match-winning try against Ireland in the Six Nations, Maxime Médard hopes to enjoy more success at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

The Toulouse star seems to enjoy playing in Dublin, having crossed in a losing battle at Croke Park in 2009 and again in February when France escaped with a 25-22 win.

Equally adept at fullback or on the wing, Leinster would do well to closely supervise Médard, whose speed and finishing ability makes him a major asset to the French visitors.

He demonstrated as much less than 90 seconds after coming on as a substitute in last season’s Heineken Cup semi-final, chipping ahead and outpacing the Leinster defence only for the ball to just about run out of play before he could ground it.

“That was a bit of an unusual match for me because my grandfather had died a week before it,” he recalls. “As well as that I was a substitute and I hadn’t had a great season. Cédric Heymans got injured at half-time and I replaced him.

“I really wanted to do well. It was difficult but we managed to pull through in the second half. You can never let the Irish back into a game because it becomes very complicated if you do.”

Médard learned that the hard way early in his Toulouse career, when his home town club lost to Munster in the 2008 Heineken Cup final.

“That was the first season that I showed my quality and really made a breakthrough,” he says. “But I was really timid during that match. It was difficult and I was really frustrated. But that’s sport – you have to have a winner and a loser.”

At Toulouse, the 24-year-old is more used to winning. He recovered to score a crucial try in the French championship final against Clermont that season and he has continued to terrorise defences throughout Europe ever since.

He is by some distance the leading try-scorer in this season’s Top 14 and he has also added three scores in the defending champions’ European campaign.

Seemingly brimming with confidence, it comes as no surprise that he would dismiss concerns about his side’s form this season.

“Even if people think we’re not playing as well, in the end we’ve still qualified for the semi-finals of both championships,” he says.

“It’s true that the season is long and maybe we’re a little bit more tired than other teams but that’s the way it is. Fortunately we have a strong squad that has allowed us to rotate the team all season.”

Although the Toulouse squad is replete with talented internationals, Médard was happy to see inspirational flanker Thierry Dusautoir return to action in the weekend win over Bourgoin.

“We’ll have to see if he plays or not this weekend because we still don’t know. But leaders make a huge difference at this level so it would be great to have him back.”

Médard was also on the scoresheet in the extra-time victory over Biarritz in the quarter-finals, a match Toulouse were fortunate to win thanks to Yannick Nyanga’s try with seconds remaining.

“That’s something you experience once or twice in sport. It was a crazy thing to live through. The emotions, the feelings, the communion with the supporters . . . it was fantastic.”

As for Saturday’s opponents, the French international believes Leinster will have been ready for the visit of Toulouse for some time.

“They’re one of the best teams in Europe. There’s the likes of O’Driscoll, D’Arcy and Sexton and they have a fantastic back row and a very good scrum.

“They have experienced and talented players in every position . . . so we’ll have to pay attention for every minute – every second we’re on the pitch.”