Leinster looking to secure home comforts with victory over Racing
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has insisted there will be ‘plenty of edge’ to their Champions Cup clash against Racing 92 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 3.15pm), despite the eastern province already being assured of a knockout spot.
Sitting on top of Pool A with a maximum points tally of 15 from three games to date, Leinster are looking for a fourth consecutive victory to ensure they remain in the Lansdowne Road venue until their 2022/23 European campaign reaches a conclusion. On the other hand, Top 14 outfit Racing face the prospect of elimination from the Champions Cup if Saturday’s result doesn’t go their way.
While it wouldn’t be a disaster if the Blues suffered defeat for the first time this season across all competitions, there is no indication that complacency has seeped into their ranks.
“There’s still plenty of edge to it, because Racing are desperate to qualify for the last 16. For us, we want to try to put in a big performance. We have that desperation. I think there’s going to be plenty of edge to the game,” Cullen remarked at a pre-match press conference held in the Aviva on Friday.
“I’ve seen Racing plenty and there’s a bit of inconsistency in their form, but when they get it right they have a ton of threats. Finn Russell at 10, he’s a constant danger.
“Some of the quality they have; Eddy Ben Arous and Trevor Nyakane. Wenceslas Lauret, [Nolann] Le Gerrac, [Gaël] Fickou. They have tons of threats. For us, we need to make sure we’re fully focused on us and make sure we put in a big performance.”
There is certainly a formidable look to the Leinster team for the visit of Racing with Samoan international Michael Ala’alatoa the only player in the starting line-up not to be named in the Ireland squad for the forthcoming Six Nations Championship. Additionally, the international triumvirate of Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy and Ryan Baird will be amongst the replacements on Saturday.
If he comes off the bench, Luke McGrath (who last played for Ireland at the 2019 World Cup) will make his 50th European appearance. Scott Penny is in line for a Champions Cup debut, having accumulated 48 caps to date at provincial level.
One of the remaining three players in the 20-strong Leinster contingent to make the cut for the Six Nations – James Lowe and Johnny Sexton being the others – Tadhg Furlong also spoke to the media in the Aviva on Friday as part of a Just Eat launch.
The tighthead prop hasn’t featured for his province since a United Rugby Championship win over Ulster at the beginning of December, but revealed that he is still on course to be available for Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff on February 4.
“That’s the plan, to be back available for selection anyway. We have to see how we go. You have to hit certain markers and stuff like that along the way. It wasn’t major or anything like that. Just one of those things that can happen,” Furlong acknowledged.
“I pulled my hamstring against Ulster. Then I got back and usually they integrate you into units and stuff the week before you go back fully training. I did all that and then I was fit the Ospreys week [January 7]. Scrum session, one of them ones. Scrum collapsed. Leg got caught weird and ping goes the calf.
“It’s one of them ones, but it’s unrelated. Sometimes you re-injure something and that’s a real pain, but it’s just one of them things. It’s part of the job.”
: H Keenan; J Larmour, G Ringrose, J Osborne, J O’Brien; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, R Kelleher, M Ala’alatoa; J McCarthy, J Ryan; C Doris, J van der Flier, J Conan.
D Sheehan, M Milne, C Healy, R Molony, R Baird, L McGrath, H Byrne, S Penny.
W Gelant; C Wade, O Klemenczak, G Fickou, L Dupichot; F Russell, N Le Garrec; E Ben Arous, J Tarrit, T Nyakane; B Chouzenoux, B Palu; W Lauret, M Coulibaly, K Kamikamica.
P Narisia, G Gogichashvili, G Kharaishvili, A Hemery, M Baudonne, A Gibert, F Saili, M Spring.