Leinster stay on point as Gloucester name B-team for Dublin trip
WARMING UP: Jonathan Sexton during a Leinster Rugby squad training session at Energia Park in Dublin. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Leo Cullen insists Leinster will not lack for motivation or focus at the RDS on Friday night after Gloucester’s decision to go with a second-string side for the Heineken Champions Cup fixture.
The English side won their opening Pool A fixture at home to Bordeaux-Begles, claiming a bonus point in the process, but they have all but admitted defeat prior to boarding a plane to Ireland by making 13 changes to their starting line-up.
Leinster have made their own alterations after last week’s stunning away win against Racing 92 but they have been able to draft in Ireland internationals such as Luke McGrath, Ronan Kelleher and Jack Conan.
A punishing home win is expected in Ballsbridge.
It’s yet another example of the competition’s fading lustre in recent times but Cullen insists that Leinster’s hunger for a fifth title remains as keen as ever, regardless of how other sides may approach it all.
“The motivation around the tournament for this club is huge, everyone knows that. We played Racing at the weekend but our last game prior to that was the final, in France as well, in Marseilles, where everyone poured so much into the tournament to get to that stage and you don’t get the result.
“If you think back to last year obviously we had a first game up against an English team and we win and then the following week we didn’t get to play the game in France if you remember.
“Even though we had some challenges last week it was sort of like ‘we’re here now so we’ve got to just deliver and focus on what we can’. That’s pretty much the same message for us this week.
“We can’t control what the teams the opposition field. We know Gloucester are a very proud club, they’re a well-coached team, with a strong emphasis on the basics and that’s what we’ve tried to prepare well for this week and it’s a short turnaround for both teams. They’d a big, bonus-point win.
“For us, even just the nature of the pool, it’s not just the teams you’re playing against, you’re competing against the other teams as well so in the corner of your eye you’re just looking at what the other teams are doing as well because you want to finish with a higher seeding.
“The higher seeding you get, you get better benefits later on in the tournament and we want to get to the latter stages of the tournament again. So there are lots of things we have to look at.”
Johnny Sexton has been deemed fit enough after his recent calf injury to take a place on the bench but Tadhg Furlong’s ankle problem is not yet at a stage where the tighthead can be risked.
“Well Johnny’s good to go, hopefully,” said Cullen. “Tadhg just needs a little bit more time. We’ll see how he goes next week but he didn’t participate in enough team training this week.”
The re-introduction of Bundee Aki is one of eight changes to the Connacht team, meanwhile.
The western province take on Brive in the Challenge Cup on Friday evening.
Sam Illo and Darragh Murray will make their first starts for Connacht, as Andy Friend continues to use the opportunity to rotate his squad.
Peter Dooley is the only player from the front five that started last weekend that keep his place. He’s joined by Shane Delahunt and Sam Illo in the front row. Gavin Thornbury pairs up alongside Darragh Murray in the second row. The back row sees Shamus Hurley-Langton and Paul Boyle keep their place at 7 and 8 while Oisin Dowling will wear the number 6.
In the backs Kieran Marmion starts at scrum half, Aki returns to centre and Conor Fitzgerald is named at full back.
"We’ve won 5 of our last 7 and tomorrow we hope to make it 6 from 8," says Friend, "so there’s a real sense of momentum building within the group. As is always the case, we can still tidy up certain areas of our game, but overall we’re in a good place heading into Christmas.
"A French team at their home ground is a tough challenge no matter who we face, and Brive will be exactly that tomorrow night. I’m confident we have a group of 23 men who will meet that challenge head on in what will be a physical encounter. There’ll be a few familiar faces in the opposition that we’ll look forward to catching up with after the game."
Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Charlie Ngatai, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Michael Ala'alatoa; Ross Molony, James Ryan; Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Ed Byrne, Cian Healy, Joe McCarthy, Max Deegan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Johnny Sexton, Jordan Larmour.
: Conor Fitzgerald; Adam Byrne, Tom Daly, Bundee Aki, Diarmuid Kilgallen; David Hawkshaw, Kieran Marmion; Peter Dooley, Shane Delahunt, Sam Illo; Darragh Murray, Gavin Thornbury; Oisin Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Jordan Duggan, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Niall Murray, Ciaran Booth, Colm Reilly, Byron Ralston, Oran McNulty.
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