RUGBY PRIVILEGED
LEINSTER V N’HAMPTON
EYES ON THE PRIZE: Head coach Leo Cullen
LEINSTER will hope to be lords, masters and heroes of Croke Park — if only just for one day.
The club, aggrieved at the turns of fate that has seen them come up short in the Champions Cup since their last win in 2018, would have been entitled to bitch about the idea they had to move out of their own ground to play a hard-earned 'home' semi-final.
But soccer's blasted interference, as the Aviva is being 'prepared' for the Europa final, has meant turning to the GAA cloisters, the erstwhile home of Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen for succour.
Praise
To Leinster's credit, they have not cribbed and there has been nothing but praise for the iconic stadium — it is, says the coach, great to be in situ for a big day. “It's a real privilege to be here, it’s a magnificent stadium,” says Leo Cullen. “It’s iconic, not just in terms of sport but in Irish society.
“For this generation of players to get that chance, Cian being the only one that’s still there from the previous time Leinster played here 15 years ago, is brilliant. That’s what it is about, playing in a great arena in front of lots of support.
Crowd
“It’s an amazing response that the crowd have given the team on the back of the previous couple of knockout games that we have had at the Aviva.
“Everyone is looking forward to it now. I hope we do it justice, the guys have prepared well not just this week but the previous week as well.”
There is, of course, the matter of the 80 minute game, one for which the Blues are big favourites and for which the bookies have posted a 15 point difference between the team sitting second in the URC and the one first in the English Premier.
“The coaches and the players have done a huge amount of analysis on Northampton as a team because they’re sitting top of the Premiership and they’re in the semi-final, so they’re in the last four teams in the competition.
Pressure
“That’s a touchstone to start with, there are so many strong teams that are not left in the competition, so it’s not like they’ve just magically arrived here. They have a lot of strengths themselves but for us it is making sure we’re able to pressurise some of their perceived strengths themselves.
“That’s the thing about playing in these big games, to apply the (left) most pressure on the opposition, so that’s what we try to focus on.
“There’s dealing with the occasion and all the rest, there’s nerves and different pieces, which is natural but you harness that in the right manner so it’s a positive for you and hopefully that will be the case.”
LEINSTER: Ciaran Frawley; Jordan Larmour, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Ross Molony, Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris capt. Subs; Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala’alatoa, Jason Jenkins, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne, Jimmy O’Brien
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: George Furbank; James Ramm, Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, George Hendy; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Alex Waller, Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison, Alex Moon, Alex Coles, Courtney Lawes capt, Sam Graham, Juarno Augustus. Subs; Sam Matavesi, Emmanuel Iyogun, Elliot Millar-Mills, Temo Mayanavanua, Angus Scott-Young, Tom James, Tom Litchfield, Tom Seabrook REFEREE: Mathieu Reynal