'I can't imagine Ronan O’Gara will send a weakened team over to play Leinster'

RESPECT: Ronan O'Gara congratulates Leinster's Ryan Baird after their Champions Cup quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium. Pic: Dan Sheridan, Inpho

The return of the Champions Cup this weekend brings with it a by-now familiar wariness based on the strength, or otherwise, of the chosen teams that will go public in a few days’ time.

Once bitten, twice shy, and all that.

The meeting of Leinster and La Rochelle in Dublin this Saturday has, on the face of it, most of the elements you would look for in a standout ‘European’ pool game, not least because this is their seventh in less than seven years.

The rivalry is finely balanced at three wins apiece, and the visitors will be helmed yet again by Ronan O’Gara whose Munster background adds its own twist to affairs, but what sort of Stade Rochelais side will we see this time?

La Rochelle disposed of Leicester on home soil in round one then made 14 changes and named Lucas Andjisseramatchi, a teenage back row, as captain for their follow-up trip to Cape Town where they lost by 21 points to the Stormers.

O’Gara will have just six days to turn his thoughts and squad around having beaten a painfully understrength Toulon side 66-0 at Stade Marcel Deflandre late on Sunday night, but Leinster forwards coach Robin McBryde is bracing for their best.

“We’ve just got to prepare for the strongest team. I can't imagine Ronan O’Gara is going to send a weakened team over to play against Leinster. I mean, the game [Sunday] night, I haven't even looked at that yet. It's on my laptop to look at.

“But going on past encounters, and some of the players they've got in their ranks as well, we’ve just got to do our due diligence and be respectful of who they are and what they stand for, and make sure that we're ready.”

O’Gara has to contend with a lengthy injury list that has left him without the input of in and around a dozen players lately, among them Paul Boudehent, Pierre Bourgarit, Mathias Haddd and Jonathan Danty, although Will Skelton returned off the bench on Sunday.

It’s unlikely McBryde will spend too much time studying the ten-try dismissal of Toulon. The homework and field work has long been banked, but in French prop Rabah Slimani Leinster have a man who can add some extra value this next few days.

“Invaluable really, with regards to having some inside knowledge. He's very familiar with most, if not all the French props we come up against. Either during his time playing against them or if they've been involved in a national squad at the same time as him.”

McBryde wasted no time in singling out the setpiece when asked what it is that La Rochelle stand for: their ability to drive effectively, win penalties and secure advantageous field position. Uini Atonio and Skelton got their obligatory mentions.

Leinster have won their last seven games, including the opening pair in this tournament, but this is potentially the most physically imposing side their frontline players will face since they lost to South Africa with Ireland back in November.

That day was a disaster for Ireland up front against a similarly imposing Springbok front row and wider pack, but McBrdye didn’t see the need to address any of it with his Ireland contingent when they returned to the day job in UCD.

"I didn't bring it in here, into this room, to be honest. I've met individuals, gone through a little bit, but that's a different team. I know the same players are involved, but we do things a little bit differently here. It's just trying to get them back as quickly as possible.

"I think Andrew's been scrummaging really well. He's been scrummaging legally well, giving really positive pictures to the referees. I haven't got a concern. I think he had a reputation, but I think he's got rid of that, to be honest with you.

"The way his scrummaging performance on St Stephen's Day down in Munster, I thought it was exceptional, to be honest with you. I thought we were lucky not to get a couple more decisions at the scrum.”

His unprompted focus on Porter was probably aimed primarily at the match officials given that unwanted reputation the Leinster loosehead has had with referees at scrum time, and it comes on the back of an interesting weekend for the 29-year old.

Converted from tighthead to loosehead after the 2020/21 season, Slimani’s late withdrawal prompted a return to his previous role when coming off the bench five minutes before half-time against Connacht in Ballsbridge.

McBryde can see him wearing No.3 again further down the line.

“I do. I do. I mean, I remember one of the reasonings behind him moving from tight to loose was to get our two best props on the pitch at the same time, which was Andrew and Tadhg.

“So it could work the other way. If Paddy [McCarthy] keeps on going the way he is, then why not? I think he's more than capable, Andrew, of doing that. Yeah, so definitely.”

Robbie Henshaw is available again after suffering a finger injury against Munster while decisions will be made later in the week on the readiness or otherwise of Slimani, Harry Byrne, Garry Ringrose and RG Snyman.