O’Brien Included In Unchanged Leinster Team To Face Bordeaux

O’Brien was a late withdrawal before Leinster’s BKT United Rugby Championship final round win over the Ospreys, but is back to full fitness to be part of the same starting XV from the semi-final victory over Toulon at the start of the month.

Prop Paddy McCarthy has provided another boost for Leo Cullen’s men, earning a place on the bench for his first matchday involvement with province or country since sustaining a foot injury against La Rochelle in January.

Number 8 Caelan Doris will lead Leinster out at San Mamés Stadium, as he did against Toulouse in 2024. Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier complete an ever-dependable back row, with Conan one of eight players in the selected 23 who played when Leinster last lifted the trophy in Bilbao eight years ago.

Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter, the player-of-the-match medal winners from the quarter-final and semi-final stages, respectively, form the front row with fellow international Thomas Clarkson, and Joe McCarthy, the scorer of three tries against the Ospreys, partners James Ryan at lock.

Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw combine in a familiar centre combination – the same one that started the 2018 final win over Racing 92 – and Harry Byrne, making his 15th start of the current campaign, and Jamison Gibson-Park will take the reins at half-back again.

O’Brien, New Zealander Rieko Ioane, and Hugo Keenan will start together in the back-three for the third successive Champions Cup match. Scoring three tries in his last five appearances, Ioane has hit a rich vein of form, as has full-back Keenan who has run in four tries in six games.

Notably, Rónan Kelleher, the 253-times capped Luke McGrath, and Jamie Osborne are the only replacements retained from the 29-25 defeat of Toulon. The versatile Osborne has held onto the number 23 jersey, meaning there is no place for James Lowe who returned from injury last week.

Tadhg Furlong, a starter in the 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 deciders, could have an important impact role in the front row, while McCarthy, the 23-year-old Diarmuid Mangan, and Max Deegan are the other forward options, and Ciarán Frawley completes the matchday squad.

“It was a great day for us here (in Bilbao) in 2018 but that’s in the past now. It is a totally different challenge now and a different group,” said head coach Cullen.

“Everyone has worked incredibly hard to get to this stage. It’s amazing to be here, a beautiful stadium and obviously steeped in a lot of tradition which we understand. It’s a massive challenge for us, isn’t it? Bordeaux are a quality team.

“We know it’s going to be a serious challenge but it’s what we want, isn’t it, to be at this stage. It’s trying to embrace the conditions and make sure we deliver our best performance because that’s what it will take.”

He added: “We think we have a group that’s highly motivated and want to represent the group, the staff, the wider playing group who helped us get to this point.

“Only 23 players can be part of the matchday squad. We’ve a hugely competitive group. You want to be able to test yourselves against the best, and Bordeaux have probably been the best team in Europe over the last couple of seasons.”

LEINSTER (v Bordeaux-Bègles): Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Rieko Ioane; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Paddy McCarthy, Tadhg Furlong, Diarmuid Mangan, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Jamie Osborne.