Leo Cullen: Champions Cup format stops teams from being ‘compromised’
It has served him and the province well in the past, but Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is more than content with the move away from a six-game pool stage format at the top level of European club rugby.
A four-time winner of the competition as a player or coach, Cullen and his troops will kick-start their latest Heineken Champions Cup campaign against Bath this afternoon (Aviva Stadium, 3.15pm). A trip to Montpellier will follow next Friday, before Leinster face the same two sides on consecutive weekends in January.
The reduction in the number of pool games to four was initially intended for last season’s Champions Cup, only for Covid-19 to ensure that just two rounds of fixtures were played prior to the knock-out stages. Even though some would welcome a return to the old ways, Cullen recognises the benefit of this revised format.
“Because a lot of us are very fond of this competition, you become quite nostalgic and you remember certain things. The season is different. The lead-in to those November [international] Tests is different now,” Cullen explained.
“In many ways, if you had two games prior to November, we would feel very compromised probably. Because of the nature of guys coming back from tours and playing tests and all the rest. You wouldn’t be coming potentially straight into a European game. Based on that, we’re probably comfortable enough with the new format.”
The starting 15 that the Wicklow man has selected for today’s game is backboned by a group of 10 players that featured for Ireland over the course of a productive autumn international window.
Garry Ringrose started at outside centre in all three internationals that Ireland played during this period and will line out in the same position on his return to the Aviva. The 26-year-old recently signed a new three-year contract with the IRFU and is partnered by Ciarán Frawley in the absence of Robbie Henshaw.
“Garry is someone who is so curious, inquisitive and works so hard at all aspects of his game. He has a great mindset, always looking to improve. Growing his leadership as well. I know he’s a very, very important player with Ireland and he’s certainly a very, very important player with us,” Cullen said.
“It’s great news for Leinster and Irish rugby that he’s committed for another three years. I always think 13 is such a difficult position to play, particularly from a defensive point of view. For us to have someone with that level of intellect and interest in the game is hugely valuable.”
Ringrose was one of six players that Cullen handed European debuts to when Bath locked horns with Leinster at the RDS in January 2016. While that was the only win the Blues enjoyed in that season’s Champions Cup, they have since re-established themselves as one of the main challengers for the crown – winning the top-tier European title in 2018 and reaching the final again 12 months later.
By contrast, Bath have struggled to make an impact in Europe and currently find themselves bottom of the English Premiership with eight straight defeats.
Their starting line-up for this game includes six debutants at this grade, albeit Max Ojomoh and Orlando Bailey did feature for the Somerset outfit in last season’s European Challenge Cup.
While the international trio of Jonathan Sexton, James Ryan and Jack Conan were already ruled out before the confirmation of three positive Covid-19 cases in the squad, a Leinster side captained by Rhys Ruddock should prove too strong for their cross-channel counterparts.