Contepomi warns Tigers of Irish World Cup backlash
Contepomi has warned Leicester Tigers of a potential Irish backlash to their disappointing World Cup when Leinster take the field at the RDS today (1.30pm) in the team’s Heineken Cup opener.
Leinster welcome back Contepomi for the first time this season in the sell- out clash against last year’s Heineken Cup runners-up.
Contepomi, who is six points shy of 300 Heineken Cup career points (which includes 73 points gained during his spell with Bristol), partners Chris Whitaker at half-back.
Contepomi is ready for the challenge, saying the World Cup is history: “It was a great experience, a superb one for every individual, the team and the country, but now we all have to face new challenges and the first comes tomorrow.
“No doubt, Leicester, with a number of the English squad that reached the World Cup final, will be in confident mood, but all our guys have the experience and the will to win too.
“Playing at home in front of a capacity attendance will be a boost, but we know that we must produce the goods on the pitch; we can’t just rely on the supporters to win it for us,” he said.
But Contepomi is enthused with the huge increase in support for Leinster since his arrival in Ireland three years ago. He said: “The game has grown massively, the enthusiasm inside and outside the squad is really impressive. You wouldn’t have said you would get full houses of 17,000 a few years ago, but it’s an example of how the popularity of the game has grown in Leinster, and we must both take inspiration from that and attempt to repay the faith shown in us by the fans.”
Gordon D’Arcy — fresh from a two-try haul in the 29-9 victory over Connacht last weekend — lines out alongside captain Brian O’Driscoll at centre, with an all-Ireland international back three of Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan and Rob Kearney, who starts on the left wing.
In the pack, ex-Leicester Tiger Leo Cullen lines up in the second row alongside Malcolm O’Kelly while
Ireland’s Keith Gleeson comes in for Stephen Keogh at six. Keogh picked up an injury in a collision in training during the week.
The front row remains unchanged from last week, while another ex-Tiger — Shane Jennings — will make his 50th Leinster appearance in the back-row alongside Gleeson and Bank of Ireland Player of the Month Jamie Heaslip.
But Geordan Murphy will go one better than Jennings in that it will be his 50th Heineken Cup appearance for Leicester.
The Irish international fullback, who made his European debut against the same opponents back in 1999, becomes the 45th player to qualify for an ERC Elite Award for playing 50 games in the tournament — and the 23rd Irishman to achieve the feat.
Ollie Smith returns to the Tigers line-up after recovering from a hamstring injury and claims his place alongside fellow England international Dan Hipkiss in the midfield, with Seru Rabeni moving to the wing.
The rest of the line-up is the same as for last Saturday’s EDF Energy Cup win over Cardiff Blues, with Martin Corry leading the team from the blindside flank and Jordan Crane retained at number eight.
Leicester’s chief executive, the former English international hooker Peter Wheeler, would be well versed with such developments, although more used to his team attracting crowds of that magnitude.
Welford Road is home to at least 16,000 people each week, but Wheeler is inspired by the growth of the game elsewhere.
He noted: “I think it’s absolutely fantastic that any team can double (or more) the interest in their games over just a few seasons.
“It just shows that this competition (the Heineken Cup) has been brilliant for rugby this side of the world; it also proves that Irish teams like Leinster, Munster and Ulster, have taken the tournament somewhat by storm over the last decade.”
He admitted that the Heineken Cup was no longer simply the preserve of the big clubs able to afford huge wages for overseas players.
“Some clubs have bought in big names, but have not necessarily found the success they craved.”
In relation to this afternoon’s match, Wheeler is convinced it will go down to the wire.
“It certainly won’t be any stroll in the park for either side,” he said.
LEINSTER: G. Dempsey, S. Horgan, B. O’Driscoll (captain), G. D’Arcy, R. Kearney, F. Contepomi,
C. Whitaker, O. Le Roux, B. Jackman, S. Wright, L. Cullen, M. O’Kelly, K. Gleeson, J. Heaslip,
S. Jennings.
Replacements: B. Blaney, J. Francisco Gomez, C. Jowitt, K. McLaughlin, C. Willis, C. Warner,
L. Fitzgerald.
LEICESTER TIGERS: G. Murphy, S. Rabeni, O. Smith, D. Hipkiss, A. Tuilagi, A. Goode, F. Murphy, M. Ayerza, B. Keyser, J. White, L. Deacon, B. Kay, M. Corry (captain), J. Crane, L. Moody.
Replacements: M. Davies, M. Castrogiovanni, J. Hamilton, L. Abraham, C. Laussucq, P. Burke,
J. Murphy.
Referee: C Berdos (France).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
