Ireland legend names two players pivotal to Leinster securing Champions Cup success against Bordeaux Begles
Leinster are set to square off with Bordeaux Begles in the final of the Champions Cup this Saturday afternoon in Bilbao, with the Irish province coming into the clash as underdogs, and so they will require huge performances from their squad, with two being singled out by an Ireland legend.
Leo Cullen’s side are aiming to win their first Champions Cup since 2018, when the final was also in Bilbao, with it set to become their fifth title in the competition for the Irish side.
However, they will have to overcome the current European champions Bordeaux, who are considered to be favourites for the clash on Saturday.
Leinster have lost three of the last four Champions Cup finals, and so there will be an incentive to finally get over the line by claiming some silverware for the club and get a monkey off their back by earning a fifth star for their jersey.
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Now, Ireland and Leinster legend Gordon D’Arcy has given his view on which players will be pivotal to the club earning a victory over the Top 14 outfit.
Writing in his Irish Times column, he said: “The halfback partnership of Jamison Gibson-Park and Harry Byrne has developed into something genuinely appealing and has the lingering promise of more.
“Gibson-Park has always been what the French call “le petit general”. He is the metronome, the one who regulates the rhythm.
“As the season has progressed, Byrne has added a willingness to operate as a genuine first receiver, holding the defensive line and releasing the ball with accuracy and timing.
“As I wrote a few weeks ago, the outhalves winning at the highest level right now – Jack Crowley, Matthieu Jalibert, Finn Russell and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – all share that quality. Byrne is moving towards them. The stage on Saturday is the biggest of his career.
“There is another dimension to the Byrne and Gibson-Park dynamic that matters specifically against Bordeaux. Leinster’s accuracy in possession will not only drive their own attack, but it will also limit Bordeaux’s opportunities in transition.”
While Gibson-Park and Byrne will be important in the eyes of D’Arcy, there will be several players that will feel they need a standout performance, including their captain Caelan Doris and James Ryan, with the forward pair knowing how important it is for them to disrupt the speed of the Bordeaux ruck.
It will be an interesting contest on Saturday, but D’Arcy will be hopeful his Leinster side can add to their European haul by the final whistle in Bilbao.
Topics: Rugby, Rugby Union
Brendan McGilligan