Leinster will need their best to beat Bordeaux in Bilbao says Leo Cullen as team named for final
Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan and head coach Leo Cullen during a media conference after the Leinster Rugby captain's run at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Paddy McCarthy returns to matchday 23 for the first time since January as Leinster name their team to take on Union Bordeaux Bègles in the Investec Champions Cup final at San Mamés Stadium on Saturday.
Caelan Doris captains the side from number eight, with Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier on the flanks.
Joe McCarthy partners James Ryan in the second row, while Andrew Porter and Thomas Clarkson will scrum down either side of Dan Sheehan at hooker.
Jamison Gibson-Park has been named at scrum-half with Harry Byrne at out-half, as Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose form a familiar centre partnership.
Tommy O'Brien and Rieko Ioane are on the wings with Hugo Keenan at full-back.
McCarthy returns to the bench for his first appearance since the win over La Rochelle in January, with Rónan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong providing further front row reinforcements.
Diarmuid Mangan and Max Deegan round out the rest of the replacements for the pack as Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley and Jamie Osborne complete the matchday 23.
Meanwhile Leo Cullen has predicted that it will take Leinster at their very best to overcome Bordeaux-Begles and win a first Champions Cup title in eight years.
It has been a topsy turvy campaign for a province that suffered in the initial weeks and months as they slowly reintegrated their army of British and Irish Lions and other players who had toured with Ireland last summer.
Six losses in the URC were incurred along the way and, while they bring a perfect ‘European’ record to Saturday’s decider in a sweltering Bilbao, they have played only in fits and starts along the way in that tournament too.
Bordeaux are reigning champions and have already taken down the French and English champions having evicted Toulouse and Bath from the competition in the last two rounds. It’s a daunting task for a side that has lost its last four appearances at this stage.
Bilbao, though, is a city that holds good vibes for Leinster. It was here in 2018 that they won their fourth title when edging Racing 92 on a 15-12 scoreline on what was a pig of a day in the Basque Country.
“Yeah, very good memories, and of this [media] room as well. It was Isa [Nacewa] and Johnny [Sexton] were up here the last time, weren’t they? So, yeah, it was a great day for us in 2018, but that’s in the past now.
“It’s a totally different challenge now and a different group.
“Everyone has worked incredibly hard to get to this stage, it’s amazing to be here, a beautiful stadium and obviously steeped in a lot of tradition which we understand. Massive challenge for us, isn’t it? Bordeaux are a quality team.
We know it’s going to be a serious challenge but it’s what we want, isn’t it, to be at this stage. It’s trying to embrace the condition and make sure we deliver our best performance because that’s what it will take.” The heat is going to be a factor this time.
Temperatures are expected to hit the mid-thirties early next week but a high of 27 is being predicted for game day. World Rugby uses a heat index to decide whether water breaks are required but tournament organisers EPCR don’t see that being needed here.
“Obviously it’s very different to back home but we have all played in conditions like this with humidity and temperatures right up there,” said Leinster captain Caelan Doris.
“A few of us were talking about how the Romania game in the World Cup [with Ireland in 2023] was something similar and maybe a bit higher.
“You just get on with it. Obviously the medical and nutrition team will manage things. Just break it into smaller pieces in your mind rather than one big thing you’re attacking. Moment by moment.”
Hugo Keenan, Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Rieko Ioane, Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Rónan Kelleher, Paddy McCarthy, Tadhg Furlong, Diarmuid Mangan, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Jamie Osborne.
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