Key events
TRY! Leinster 12-0 La Rochelle (O’Brien, 6′)
This is going to be a long afternoon for the French club!
5 min: Not a try this time! The line-out was good but Porter’s offload to Sheehan was knocked on, the first try of the game to come. Leinster come away with it and they are on the attack.
4 min: Conan makes another break, he is having a blinder so far! Sheehan has another line-out and it works well and it comes to Lowe who slots a 50:22. Wow! Another line-out to come, another try?
3 min: That is the fastest Champions Cup final try ever! Huge start, the crowd are fully in this now.
CONVERTED TRY! Leinster 7-0 La Rochelle (Sheehan, 1)
Wow, wow, wow! Dulin sliced the kick from the start and Sheehan shaped a good line-out. Conan collected and made a great run, laying the ball back to Sheehan who is over! Sexton celebrates in the stands. Leinster have a perfect start. Byrne has the conversion.
Kick-off! Leinster 0-0 La Rochelle
Here we go! One of the biggest matches in the rugby calendar is underway.
The players will soon be out on the pitch at the Aviva! Will Leinster finally get their drive for five over the line? Or will La Rochelle break their hearts once more? We will find out soon enough!
And the TV has decided to cut out, I have switched to BT Sport on the laptop! I was prepared for this eventuality!
The signal on my TV is unbelievably patchy, why do these things happen when you need things to run smoothly? Don’t fret though I can still hear the commentary so you won’t miss any action!
It is the last match of the season for Leinster after they lost the URC semi-final to Munster. This means it will be their chance to say goodbye to captain Johnny Sexton, who will retire after the Rugby World Cup, legends like Dave Kearney and coach Stuart Lancaster who are both also leaving. Andrew Porter said of saying bye to players: “We want to send them off on a high, but it is more for the wider group, for everyone who has contributed this week and put in the work for that jersey and some lads have had to hang up the jerseys early this season in terms of ‘JT’ [James Tracy and Charlie Ryan, who retired due to injury]. It’s for guys like that, who have given so much to this club and unfortunately aren’t with us but have given a lot of their lives to this.”
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has said: “You can’t fault the lads, they have prepared unbelievably well this week and I can’t wait to see them play and deliver something close to their best, that is all they can do. Pressure is a good thing, we all want to be here so it is the most positive pressure we could ask for. We hope to have a great turnout of supporters and that everyone gets behind the team.”
La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara has spoken ahead of the final and said: “There is a certain enjoyment factor when you go into the lion’s den. We will either grow or shrink. We have high standards and we have ambition to do something special in these players’ lives. We have the chance to play for each other in the final of a European Cup. It doesn’t get any bigger and it doesn’t get any better, we are here and we are ready to go.”
Speaking of a Wales rugby player, there were two massive shocks in the Wales rugby world yesterday when Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones both announced their retirement from international rugby. That is despite being named in the training squad for the Rugby World Cup which begins in September. Read about the surprise news:
The Challenge Cup final happened last night and it was a one-sided affair. Toulon blew Glasgow Warriors out of the water in a 43-19 win but it wasn’t all rosy for the French side after they lost Dan Biggar early on after he failed a HIA. There haven’t been any concrete updates on Biggar’s condition yet, a nervous wait for Toulon and Wales fans. Read the report:
It is such a beautiful day today, are you watching the rugby in a sunny pub garden? Or are you keeping up to date with the action over a BBQ? Let me know what you are up to via Twitter or email.
Our very own Rob Kitson has written about the upcoming match, have a read: “To be a Leinster player or supporter this weekend is to be standing at an era-defining junction. One way lies the sweetest of dreams: a record-equalling fifth gold star on the blue jersey and Champions Cup immortality. The other leads straight to their worst nightmare: another painful knockout defeat at the hands of their all-too-familiar bogeyman.” Read the full piece here:
La Rochelle are looking to add a second Champions Cup to their club history after winning the competition for the first time last season. Leinster, meanwhile, are bidding for their fifth Champions Cup – the last time they claimed the title was in 2018.
Rugby pundit Ugo Monye has written a column about where the final will be won and lost, here’s a snippet: “There is a desperation about Leinster to finally get their hands on their fifth title, they’ve had the benefit of playing all their knockout matches at the Aviva Stadium, but desperation is not something you can rely on in elite sport. The one question mark still hangs over Leinster and it is how they can handle a team as physically dominant as La Rochelle.” You can read the full piece here:
What a cracking fun fact:
📘 | 𝐀 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬!
Cian Healy will today become the first player to feature in SEVEN European Finals…
And add in a Challenge Cup Final for good measure too! pic.twitter.com/DdbPb4ZaTB
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 20, 2023
The team news is here! Let’s start with Leinster and they have made two changes from their Champions Cup semi-final starting XV with Robbie Henshaw replacing Charlie Ngatai and James Lowe in on the wing in place of Jordan Lamour.
Leinster: Keenan; O’Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Molony, Ryan (captain), Doris, Van der Flier, Conan
Replacements: Kelleher, Healy, Ala’alatoa, Jenkins, Baird, McGrath, Frawley, Ngatai.
La Rochelle have also made two changes to their starting 15 from the semi. Jules Favre has been benched in favour of Jonathan Danty and Pierre Boudehent comes in in place of Ultan Dillane.
La Rochelle: Dulin; Leyds, Seuteni, Danty, Rhule; Hastoy, Kerr-Barlow; Wardi, Bourgarit, Atonio, Sazy, Skelton, Boudehent, Botia, Alldritt (captain)
Replacements: Lespiaucq, Sclavi, Colomber Reazel, Lavault, Bourdeau, Dillane, Berjon, Favre.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Champions Cup final where defending champions La Rochelle will be attempting to keep their trophy. They will have to fend off an impressive and almost impenetrable Leinster side to do it but they have beaten tough opposition to get to the final this season.
La Rochelle were the menace for English teams as they knocked out Saracens in the quarter-final and then defeated Exeter Chiefs in the semi. But Leinster create a whole new challenge. The Irish club have only been defeated twice in all competitions this season.
Leinster destroyed Leicester Tigers in the quarter-final and inflicted a high score on Toulouse in the semi as well. The Irish side also have home advantage as the final is being played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The form of both clubs in today’s final should mean it is a tasty battle and one where supporters will be on the edge of their seats. If you’re a neutral for this one just sit back and enjoy the rugby that will unfold!
The team news is already out so stay tuned for updates ahead of kick-off at 4.45pm BST.
