Leinster secondrow Kane Douglas won't play again this season after being diagnosed with a back problem that will require surgery. The Australian international faces a three-month rehabilitation period.

Leinster coach Matt O’Connor confirmed: “Kane has got a significant disc issue in his back that will require surgery. He saw a specialist early this week. They’re communicating to our medical team a slot for surgery.

“I think it is about three months. It is a pretty standard procedure. Fingers crossed he should be as good as gold in that timeframe.”

On the direct preparation for Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon in Marseille, O’Connor explained: “We have had a good couple of days; guys are very excited about the challenge. We’re fit and ready to go.”

When asked about Shane Jennings, who picked up a concussion in the Dragons' game and forced to retire after 13 minutes of the match, O'Connor elaborated: "He was still (showing) symptoms yesterday. He's a little bit later than we would have liked. We will continue with that during the week and see where he ends up."

The enormity of the challenge facing Leinster to beard a side seeking a third consecutive European title is obvious. O’Connor was asked if Sunday’s game was the toughest challenge of his career. “Yes, definitely. To be away in the semi-final against a team as good as Toulon is a huge challenge, a massive game for the team, a massive game for the organisation.

“We have prepared really well. We will go there and give it everything we’ve got and see where we end up. We have spent the majority of our time concentrating on what we have to deliver on. It’s largely irrelevant looking at them. They are a great side, have a fantastic squad and have been very successful.

“There are not a lot of weaknesses in their side. We know we are going to have to deliver on our bits, play as well as we can. Certainly if we don’t we won’t be in the contest.”

The tone of the questions then changed as to whether O’Connor paid any heed to the periodic conjecture about his future. He replied: “We take no notice is the reality. We spend all our time creating an environment where there are no obstacles, no excuses and we work very hard, staff and players, to deliver a performance.

“It’s irrelevant. The noise outside the environment makes no difference as to what happens inside the environment.”

Sitting beside him was Leinster captain Jamie Heaslip, who also dismissed the speculation as an irrelevancy. “Speaking from personal experience, people have called for my contract to be ripped up in the past. I would take absolutely no notice of it.

“Matt has got the full support of the squad. We have done some great things over the last two seasons. As players we have been pretty disappointed in how we have played in some games, especially last week. That is not the standard that we as a group of players set for ourselves..... but man I’m not listening.

“I don’t play to come second. There are 40 odd lads down there who have the same mentality. Outcome and results and all that are off the back of work, doing your job, the team making the least amount of mistakes, which is knock-on from doing your job and being disciplined about that; they are kind of the things I would be focused on. It takes away from pressure and lets you focus on just one thing at a time.

“They (Toulon) are a big side. One of their strengths is.....well their backs are as big as forwards....using their big runners to get momentum into the game. Then they have a lot of good players who read the game very well, see where the opportunities are, and put players into space. They are very selfless in players in putting others into space. That poses a lot of threat for us.

“Leo (Cullen) has put a lot of work into that, Dev (Toner) as well in terms of the lineout and then Marco (Caputo) in terms of the scrum. Last year we let them get a lot of momentum in terms of runners around the ruck. Once or twice they made line breaks off that which stresses the defence. We scrambled pretty well.

“We looked at their scores against us last year. They are a side that’s quite patient, forcing you to make a mistakes and once you make a mistake they pour through and usually get five if not three or seven points. We know we are going to have to be very disciplined.”