The marquee fixture of the opening weekend of this year's Champions Cup is without doubt the repeat of last year's final, as Leinster travel to the Stade Marcel Deflandre to take on La Rochelle.
Rugby's Newest Rivalry
It is club rugby's newest rivalry but also one that is littered with narrative and storylines. La Rochelle ascension to the top of European Rugby was one that few telegraphed. With Ronan O'Gara at the helm they've built a squad of cohesive players who, while playing an attractive brand, know how to get results. As the Irish provinces know all too well.
Ulster were beaten in the final play, 7-3, by O'Gara's men as monsoon-esque rain descended on the Stade Marcel Deflandre in last season's pool stage.While Leinster will still wonder how they were denied a crowning fifth star to finish Johnny Sexton's career in May. O'Gara has instilled a mentality best associated with his Munster teams while also designing a beautiful style of play.
ROG said in an interview with Jim Hamilton that arriving in La Rochelle reminded him of Munster in his earlier playing days;
It reminds me a lot of Munster when I started over 20 years ago. The start of a dream. The fact that you've got supporters, you've got a good team, you've got your identity and you've got something to play for.
Leinster's Newest Chapter
Leinster have turned the page this season. Sexton retired, Stuart Lancaster now with Racing 92 and Jacques Nienaber at the helm. As the Springboks' World Cup winning coach he appears to now be fully acclimatised to his new role with Leinster and he's laid down a marker with his selection this weekend.
Big name players such as Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan can find no place in the matchday squad while Ryan Baird and Will Connors get an opportunity alongside Caelan Doris in the back row. Harry Byrne has been given the backing of the coaches to start at fly half while Leinster's form player this season, Ciaran Frawley, awaits his chance off the bench.
Co-Captains, Gary Ringrose and James Ryan, are still ironing out the wrinkles of the new leadership regime but both will be vital if Leinster are to be successful in their task on Sunday.
Thoughts of Stephen Ferris
Ferris made reference to last season's final and how raw that defeat will still be for Leinster as a squad and how he believes Leinster will get the job done;
I think they'll still be furious, absolutely raging about what happened in last year's final. That does leave a little bit of scar tissue I believe. It also leaves for the Leinster players an even bigger want to go out and do a job. Also away from home, in their backyard. They'll have targeted this game for sure.
There's been huge rotation amongst the Irish provinces but expect a full boar Leinster side to go down to La Rochelle and try and get the result and I actually fancy them.
He also pointed to Ronan O'Gara's recent disciplinary record as a point of contention for this La Rochelle group but that Leinster are still yet to produce their best this season;
Ronan O'Gara was in the press again over the last couple of weeks for some touchline spats and whether he's gonna be banned for a game or two, we'll see how that plays out. It just feels as though Leinster are due a good performance.
They haven't been firing brilliantly in the URC, I don't think any team has but to get your season up and running how good would it be to go down to La Rochelle and get a result to make a statement to the rest of the teams as well.
The biggest question surrounding Leinster is the uncertainty at fly half. There is however, no shortage of options at Leinster as Ferris alluded to moving one of them to Ulster:
Harry Byrne, Ciaran Frawley, Ross Byrne, Prendergast... is there any chance you could just send one of them up to Ulster, or two even! Just look at Johnny Sexton and what he's brought to that Leinster side over the last 15 years since pulling on that jersey.
The former British and Irish Lion stated the importance of the role to Leinster's future success:
There has to be somebody else who steps up and drives the standards, drives the plays. You've got to be the Brady, the quarter back, calling all the moves and making sure you're always getting your team moving forward. Driving standards in training, speaking with the ref in the right tone.
If it is Harry Byrne this week, that's all well and good. Of course, Ciaran Frawley has been playing full back, stepped in to fly half against Munster and played very well. There's a bit of media hype train about Ciaran Frawley especially after that Munster game and backed it up with that last minute try against Connacht.
