Nienaber has Blues ready to stand ground against French side’s global giants

Ahead of the pool meeting in December, the Leinster coaches knew, as sure as night follows day, much of the pre-match build-up would be dominated by talk of La Rochelle’s sheer size and power.

For all that players and coaches alike speak about being immersed in their own bubble, it’s impossible for the outside noise to be kept out completely.

Jacques Nienaber had only been at the province a wet week when Leinster were preparing to take on the double champions in their own backyard, but as a man who knows a thing or two about working with enormous players, the South African quickly set about putting the record straight in a team meeting.

In short, Nienaber did some digging and found that when he compared the overall weights of both starting teams, there was very little difference between them. It sounds simple, yet tapping into that mental edge which helped the Springboks win back-to-back World Cup is a major part of why Leo Cullen was so keen to add Nienaber to his backroom staff.

Whatever was said behind the scenes that week had the desired effect, as Leinster beat La Rochelle for the first time. However, as the bitter rivals lock horns again in this evening’s Champions Cup quarter-final, the question remains: can Leinster nullify the major threat posed by La Rochelle’s behemoths in a knock-out clash?

Thorny

For some, the suggestion that Irish teams continue to struggle against the power teams is a tired debate, especially after Ireland beat South Africa at the World Cup last year; however, the Six Nations defeat, when Andy Farrell’s side came off second best in the physicality stakes against England, has brought the thorny issue to the fore again.

Taking on La Rochelle remains the biggest test in club rugby, with Ronan O’Gara having built a fearsome squad that is plucked from all over the world.

From Tralee (Ultan Dillane) to Fiji (Levani Botia), South Africa (Dillyn Leyds) to Samoa (UJ Seuteni), Australia (Will Skelton and Tolu Latu) to Argentina (Joel Sclavi), backed by a hefty budget, O’Gara has done a fine job in getting the best out of a group of players from so many different backgrounds.

Then there is the size aspect which, although it isn’t the only reason for their success because the players’ skill level is also exceptionally high, cannot be ignored when it comes to analysing this outstanding La Rochelle team.

With a pack backboned by France tighthead Uini Atonio (145kg), Wallaby duo Skelton (145kg) and Latu (123kg), as well as Fijian powerhouse Botia (106kg) and their talismanic French skipper Gregory Alldritt (115kg), not to mention Argentinian prop Sclavi (137kg) on the bench, it’s easy to see why La Rochelle are bidding to become only the second team to win three Champions Cups on the bounce.

However, for all the talk of La Rochelle’s awesome power, Nienaber is once again unperturbed as he downplayed the power element by raising some very interesting points.

“If you look at the Ireland team, and that I know because at the World Cup it was a reality, Ireland was the second biggest team in the World Cup if you look at weight,” Leinster’s senior coach and defensive expert Nienaber said.

“Ireland have the biggest backs in the world in rugby currently so yes, there will be a narrative that they (La Rochelle) are bigger, they are heavier, they are bigger bullies.

“But if you look at the reality and just look at the size of Irish players in the Irish national side compared to other national sides around the world, in the tier one nations there isn’t a bigger, heavier side than Ireland.”

Leinster pack a significant punch, even if James Ryan is a colossal loss from their pack, with a huge onus now on Ryan Baird to call the lineout.

Will Connors has been picked for his chop-tackling prowess, while South African Jason Jenkins needs to deliver his best performance in blue.

Connors was outstanding in La Rochelle earlier this season but the openside has been used sparingly since. He will be tasked with taking the knees of Skelton, who has long been Leinster’s kryptonite, whether that’s been with Saracens or O’Gara’s side.

Ross Byrne and Jamie Osborne can expect plenty of heavy traffic down their 10/12 channel, especially from Jonathan Danty, who has been named to start despite carrying a knock. Like Ryan, Garry Ringrose’s absence will be sorely felt, while Byrne must front up defensively, with Robbie Henshaw on hand to give his out-half a dig-out.

“Listen, it’s part of the challenge,” Henshaw said of taking on La Rochelle’s power. “We know the likes of Botia, Skelton, Atonio, Danty, they’re all coming straight for us, and I think that’s a challenge I relish and all the lads relish.

“We love getting stuck in and I think our point of difference this year is our defence. Our defence will be tested but we’re looking forward to it.”

Nienaber’s blitz defence will certainly be challenged. The breakdown will be ferocious, and with Botia, one of the world’s best poachers, lurking, Leinster’s game-plan must be on point to finally get one over on La Rochelle in a knock-out game.

With Cullen and O’Gara opting for 6/2 splits on the bench, the power theme will continue for 80 minutes in what promises to be another epic clash.

For Leinster, it’s about withstanding the inevitable wave that is coming their way.