Leinster and Ulster are in European Final action this weekend. Ulster play Montpellier in the Challenge Cup Final tomorrow evening at 8pm in Bilbao. Leinster face Bordeaux Begles in the Champions Cup Final on Saturday at 2.45pm.
Ulster defeated Exeter in the semi final stage and although they will be missing a number of big names through injury and suspension, they will still feel they can end the season on a high note after some poor results at the end of the URC campaign.
Richie Murphy has worked hard with the Ulster squad to get them playing an attacking brand of rugby. Jimmy Duffy for his part has worked tirelessly to keep the Ulster forwards competitive in games where they have struggled at scrum time. Aengus Bell will be fit to take his place in the 23 from the start or off the bench.
This is a first Final for Ulster since the loss to Leinster in Twickenham in the Champions Cup Final of 2012. Ulster have gone from rock bottom to Challenge Cup finalists over the past year and also improved their overall showings in the league this season.
Mark Sexton is part of the Ulster coaching set up after working with Richie Murphy with the Ireland under 20s before accepting the role with Ulster. He has worked his magic and has Ulster playing well. They still get caught up front and will need to work hard against Montpellier to make sure that the set piece doesn’t completely derail any hopes of a win tomorrow evening.
Ulster need some luck in the game tomorrow evening, they did have a poor end to the League season but will just have to tap into the good form of mid-season in particular if they are to win. It will be a huge effort to get past a powerful Montpellier side who will also see this as a way of securing Champions Cup rugby for next year by winning the game.
Both teams will be hell bent on putting their best foot forward, let’s hope both sides go out and attack each other and it doesn’t end up in a slug fest. Ulster have shown this year they can score from anywhere, they will need that quality along with a water tight defence to snuff out any Montpellier attacks.
I think Montpellier will have too much power up front and that will mean they will squeeze Ulster and that alone might be enough to win the game tomorrow.
Leinster go into familiar territory on Saturday afternoon in another Champions Cup Final appearance. They last won the title in 2018 in Bilbao beating Racing 92 in a tight contest, since then though they have appeared in a number of finals and come up short in their own stated aim to win another Champions Cup title.
Even though players old and new may not like to admit it, there is serious pressure on Leinster this weekend to add a 5th star to the 4 previous wins. Mentally, another defeat will do more harm than good again no matter what might be said publically or privately from the playing squad or coaching staff.
Leinster have had a mixed year, they have been caught between two stools in terms of a playing style and the defence system employed since Jacques Nienber came on board. Rieko Ioane replaced Jordie Barrett as Leinster’s marquee signing and will want to be involved on the big day as Jordie Barrett didn’t start last season’s semi final loss vs Northampton Saints. He may get a place on the wing as Leinster could be without Tommy O Brien, JJ Kenny through injury but could welcome James Lowe back into the starting XV after his return against the Ospreys last weekend. His return could be very timely given the injuries in the Leinster wing department.
Leinster will face a Bordeaux side who know how to win on the big day having won against Northampton in last season’s decider in Cardiff. Leinster should have a number of loose heads back at their disposal with Paddy Mc Carthy and Alex Usanov returning to full fitness to provide competition for Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson will back up Tadgh Furlong on the tight head side.
Leinster have the fire power to defeat Bordeaux Begles but the pressure that Leinster will be under because of all the near misses could be an unseen complication.
They have plenty of players who have been there and done it on the big day in blue and green jerseys. Those are the players that Leinster will need to lean on when they are under the pump at various moments through the game.
It has been pointed out that French sides have taken control of the Champions Cup in terms of winning on the big day and would it not be good for the competition for Leinster to win on Saturday, unfortunately sport like life doesn’t do sentiment and even though it might be nice to see Leinster win on Saturday, they will need to go out and perform to wrestle the Cup away from French hands.
That being said, I give Leinster a decent shot at beating Bordeaux but like the game the previous evening, I think the Bordeaux forwards along with their scintillating back play might over power Leinster and win yet another Champion Cup for France…