Leinster v Leicester Tigers
Aviva Stadium 8pm (Live RTÉ/TNT Sports)
Leo Cullen gives a wry smile. Ross Byrne named this week, Harry Byrne last week against the Bulls, and it’s the continuing case of brothers in arms for the starting Leinster outhalf position. With Ross starting on Saturday against Leicester Tigers for their knockout last 16 Champions Cup match, Cullen’s expression says that he knows the question is coming.
It is an important call, as Ross and Jamison Gibson-Park face off against 2019 World Cup winner Handre Pollard and England scrumhalf Jan van Poortfliet, who missed last year’s World Cup in France through injury. It’s especially crucial because Leicester tend to play a strong kicking game. Both Harry and Ciarán Frawley are on the Leinster bench.
“The competition is good,” says Cullen. “We need it. Ross has, I guess, brought the group together well. Again, it is a close call, but in terms of what is playing in Ross’s favour, he has done that well but we are lucky to have the two lads. They work well together as well. Harry started last week and Ross came off the bench.
“We’re going with a different combo this week and the two of them played together against Cardiff a few weeks ago. That’s the way the game is now. It’s not just about the starting XV. That’s something for everyone to understand. Everyone has this obsession about the starting [XV].”
Mostly the players have the obsession, with Jordan Larmour and Jamie Osborne, who partners centre Robbie Henshaw, being rewarded with starts for their current vein of form. Larmour moves to the wing as Irish regular Hugo Keenan earns the fullback shirt after missing Ireland’s last Six Nations game against Scotland with a hip injury.
Jack Conan misses out despite coming off the bench in the RDS last Friday to win man of the match. Instead, Cullen has gone with a backrow of Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris, who turned 26 years old during the week.
“Garry [Ringrose] is just a little bit off this week and Hugo[Keenan])will give us a bit of a boost,” explains Cullen. “Even Robbie Henshaw])turned around, he got a knock last week [HIA] but he was fine. He had a big week the previous week, Robbie.
“For us, in terms of planning for the different eventualities that might take place, it is great to have Hugo back. He has been outstanding for so long now. He is a huge leader for the team and he hopefully goes well. He came through training fine this week.”
Leicester also arrive without some of their gilded names. England’s George Martin and Wales flanker Tommy Reffell are not in the travelling squad. For most sides those would be weakening blows. However, Cullen points out that Leinster are also missing international names in lock James Ryan and centre Ringrose, players that are also co-captains of the club.
As well as a kicking game, Leicester’s DNA contains forward power and disruption that has had varying degrees of success. They are seventh in the Premiership table. Given the poor weather forecast for Saturday, with Storm Kathleen to hit on Saturday morning and blow over before the match starts, tactics could be heavily influenced by conditions in the stadium.
That, says Cullen, is a matter for Nostradamus, not him, and will be dealt with on the night as one of the influences beyond Leinster’s control.
“Adaptability I think is key,” he says. “Again when you get to this knockout stage it’s definitely a consideration because ideally you’d like to be able to play. In the RDS it’s a bit more exposed. [The Aviva] is more enclosed depending on what way it comes. There definitely is more a feeling of shelter, particularly at the big end.”
Dan Kelly will also be a point of interest in the Leicester centre. A former Irish under-20 international, Kelly played for England against Canada in 2021 at Twickenham. It will be three years this summer since he was last selected, a number that satisfies the world Rugby “quarantine” period for players thinking of switching national teams. He plays alongside Solomone Kata in a physical midfield.
“He is a very talented player, very strong. He’ll definitely keep us busy,” says Cullen. “Very strong around poaching as well. Also they have quite a physical midfield there. I expect him to be pretty direct with us tomorrow, confrontational, take us on around the contact. Again we’ve got to make sure we are ready for that type of battle.”
Leinster beat Leicester in the pool phase in Welford Road last January. A healthy Ringrose played in that game, Harry Byrne started at 10 and Ryan co-captained with Ringrose. It was also the same starting backrow. It is not quite rinse and repeat for Cullen. Leinster have their own DNA and that has always been their greatest strength.
Leinster: H Keenan; J Larmour, R Henshaw, J Osborne, J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong; R Molony, J McCarthy; R Baird, J Van der Flier, C Doris. Replacements: R Kelleher, C Healy, M Ala’alatoa, J Jenkins, J Conan, B Murphy, H Byrne, C Frawley.
Leicester Tigers: J Shillock; F Steward, D Kelly, S Kata, O Hassell-Collins; H Pollard, J van Poortvliet; J Cronin, J Montoya (capt), D Cole; H Wells, K Hatherell; H Liebenberg, O Cracknell, J Wiese. Replacements: C Clare, F van Wyk, W Hurd, F Carnduff, E Ilione, T Whiteley, P Cokanasiga, M Brown.
Referee: P Brousset (FRU)
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