Where and when?
In a rerun of last year’s finale, Leinster will once against face La Rochelle this Saturday to decide the winner of this season’s Heineken Champions Cup. Kick-off at the Aviva Stadium is at 4.45pm.
How can I watch it?
Build-up to the game begins on RTÉ 2 at 4pm on Saturday. The game is also live on BT Sport, if you are so inclined. As always, The Irish Times will have a live blog, plus a live report, analysis and reaction from our team at the Aviva.
How did we get here?
Leinster finished top of their pool without breaking a sweat, and similarly, moved through the knock-out phases of the tournament without too much hassle.
Their semi-final opponents, Toulouse, posed a threat, but ultimately were unable to contain the blue wave – Leinster ran out 41-22 winners in an assured display at the Aviva late last month.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
Connacht’s Santiago Cordero hopes things go Argentina’s way against Ireland
Cian Healy set to equal Brian O’Driscoll’s 133 cap record
Gordon D’Arcy: Ireland doesn’t have a huge rugby-playing population and there are weaknesses with the system
On the other side of the competition, in Pool B, La Rochelle followed suit and topped the group. They have not lost a game in the competition yet.
Ronan O’Gara’s side were run the closest by Gloucester in their Round of 16 clash in April, when the French club advanced courtesy of a three-point victory. A 78th-minute try from Teddy Thomas was needed to clinch a smash-and-grab win.
However, subsequent knock-out ties against Sacracens and Exeter were less nervy affairs.
What happened last time?
It was of course this time last year, in the final of the Champions Cup, that these sides last met. Arthur Retiere broke Leinster hearts that day, denying the Irish club a fifth European crown, after he dived over the try line with minutes to go in Marseille.
Gerry Thornley wrote that day that “the scars of this defeat will take more healing than possibly any [Leinster have] ever endured in Europe”. For Leinster, they’ll hope that that healing process won’t infringe on Saturday’s performance.
What are Leinster’s chances?
Considering the form of both finalists in this competition, it is clear that the two best sides in European rugby are contesting this weekend’s final. What happens after the first whistle blows at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening remains to be seen.
Saturday’s loss in the URC semi-finals to provincial rivals Munster – and the death of the URC-Champion Cup double dream – may well have wounded their pride, but Leo Cullen’s charges now must have their sight trained on European rugby’s top prize. A chance to avenge last year’s painful final loss is all the motivation needed.
La Rochelle come into the tie off the back of a loss as well: a much-changed side were defeated 42-31 by Montpellier on Saturday.
Team news
James Lowe will make a timely return for Leinster as Leo Cullen makes 13 changes to the starting XV from last week’s loss to Munster.
Jimmy O’Brien, who reverts to the right wing, and Robbie Henshaw, who made a strong comeback last week and moves from outside to inside centre, are the only two players retained from last week’s URC semi-final defeat.
The fit-again duo of Lowe and Henshaw are the only two changes from the starting XV in the 41-22 Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulouse, with Charles Ngatai dropping to the bench ahead of Ciarán Frawley, and Jordan Larmour also not in the 23.
Rónan Kelleher is also on the bench, having made his first appearance since the win over Racing 92 last January a week ago.
Tadhg Furlong sat out the captain’s run at the Aviva and wore a protective sock for what may have been a calf strain of some kind, but Cullen insisted the tighthead was fine.
La Rochelle have been strengthened by the return of Jonathan Danty, who missed their 47-28 semi-final victory over Exeter three weeks ago.
Ronan O’Gara’s only other change from that starting line-up sees Paul Boudehent preferred at blindside to the former Connacht lock cum flanker Ultan Dillane who, like Jules Favre, moves to the bench.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Ross Molony, James Ryan (capt); Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala’alatoa, Jason Jenkins, Ryan Baird, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Charlie Ngatai.
LA ROCHELLE: B Dulin; D Leyds, UJ Seuteni, J Danty, R Rhule; A Hastoy, T Kerr-Barlow; R Wardi, P Bourgarit, U Atonio; R Sazy, W Skelton; P Boudehent, L Botia, G Alldritt (capt).
Replacements: Q Lespiaucq Brettes, J Sclavi, G Henri Colombe, T Lavault, R Bourdeau, U Dillane, T Berjon, J Favre.
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU).
