Leinster leaning on Furlong's big-game experience to get tighthead through La Rochelle return

READY TO GO: Tadhg Furlong during a Leinster Rugby squad training session. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Leo Cullen is backing Tadhg Furlong’s big-game experience to get the tighthead through Sunday’s Champions Cup third round pool game against Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

Furlong hasn’t played since mid-October when he faced Munster at Croke Park. That’s 13 weeks without game time so this is a big ask going in to what is sure to be a hugely physical confrontation against a Top 14 side that they know all too well.

The Wexford man’s return is great news for Ireland fans as well as Leinster supporters with the first round of the Six Nations due at the start of February and not least because his absence has been a frustrating one.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell was regularly suggesting that the tighthead was on the cusp of a return through the November internationals and Leinster have made similar noises recently as the veteran worked off calf and hamstring problems.

“Everyone was very cautious in terms of his return,” said the Leinster head coach. “He’s had a few weeks of training under his belt, which has been great and sets him up well for the game. It’s going to be a great challenge.

“He’s a big-game player, has tonnes of experience, it’s a great boost for us to have him back. It’s not like it’s a rush job to get him back, it’s been the absolute opposite. Everyone has been very patient to get him back to his point. Hopefully he’ll go well so that’s the thing.

“These are the games you want to be involved with. For all the different opinions of the format of the competition and the way the pool stages are, this is a proper game and everyone is excited for it.” 

Cullen has named a matchday squad bursting with 23 Test players. More again – Thomas Clarkson, Max Deegan, Ciaran Frawley, Hugo Keenan and Jordan Larmour – haven’t even made it onto the squad for this continental trip.

Larmour did pick up an injury earlier in the week, while Keenan and Frawley were returning from their own fitness issues, and that persuaded Cullen and the brains trust to err on the side of caution and prioritise cohesion in training earlier in the week.

It is a selection with numerous eye-catching subplots.

Cian Healy starts at loosehead with Andrew Porter named on the bench. It will be a repeat of the tactic used at Thomond Park late last month when Jack Boyle played the first quarter before making way for Porter.

The only question is how long Healy is given before the ‘first-choice’ comes on.

Another notable aspect to this squad is the presence of RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett on the bench. There have been suggestions that Leinster are not allowed to start either when front-line Ireland internationals are available in big games.

Cullen refused to discuss that when asked specifically about the Barrett situation in December but said on Friday that the All Black was happy to do whatever was required for the good of the wider organisation.

“That’s the way he’s wired. We weren’t sure what he would be like as an individual [before he arrived in late November] but the sense we got was a guy happy to do whatever is required for the good of the group.

“And listen, we want to see some of our guys play as well so it is a round three game. It is an unbelievably important game but it’s not a knockout game even if it feels like it. He is going to have a big role this week.”