Leo Cullen made Heineken Champions Cup history in Bilbao last May, when Leinster lifted the coveted trophy the fourth time. Cullen, who captained Leinster to the first three triumphs, in 2009, 2011 and 2012, became the first European winner, as a player, to repeat the feat as a head coach, the Irish province edging past Racing 92 at the San Mamés.
Yet, Cullen was not alone in chasing the achievement. Here are five more of this season’s team bosses, who could emulate the Leinster legend.
Richard Cockerill
Embarking on his second season as Edinburgh’s head coach, having guided the Scots to the PRO14 play-offs and a first Champions Cup campaign since 2013/14. Cockerill was the starting hooker for Leicester Tigers in the 1997 final loss to Brive, but collected back-to-back winners’ medals, as a replacement, when the Tigers beat Stade Francais, and then Munster, in 2001 and 2002.
David Humphreys
Gloucester’s director of rugby was Ulster’s victorious 1999 captain for the 21-6 defeat of Colomiers, at Lansdowne Road, the fly-half ceding goal-kicking duties to full-back, Simon Mason, who sent over six penalties. Humphreys got on the scoreboard with a drop goal.
Ugo Mola
The French international full-back was yet to be capped at Test level, when he came off the bench as a 23-year-old replacement for Toulouse in the first Heineken Cup final, against Cardiff, in January, 1996. Toulouse won the first of four European titles that day, after extra-time, and having failed to qualify last season, in his second season as head coach, Mola has guided the aristocrats back into the big time.
Geordan Murphy
The Ireland full-back spent his entire club career with Leicester Tigers and started on the wing in both the 2001 final victory, against Stade Francais, at Parc des Princes, and a year later in Cardiff, scoring the opening try in the 15-9 win over Munster. After the Tigers sacked Matt O’Connor, last month, Murphy has been promoted to interim head coach at the Tigers.
Laurent Travers
Racing 92’s joint head coach with Laurent Labit, a losing finalist for Colomiers, against Ulster in 1999, Travers was Brive’s hooker in 1997 in the final victory over Leicester. With Labit, Travers has guided Racing to two finals in the past three seasons. He could have beaten Cullen as a winner in 2016, but lost to Saracens and then was upstaged by the Leinster boss, last May, in Bilbao.