Leinster are aiming to back up last Sunday’s 18-8 win over reigning English champions Exeter Chiefs as the sides lock horns once again at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 3: Saturday, December 16
LEINSTER (1st) v EXETER CHIEFS (2nd), Aviva Stadium, 3.15pm (live BT Sport 2/beIN Sports/Newstalk/highlights TG4)
Team News: Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made one enforced change in personnel for today’s much-anticipated return Champions Cup encounter with Exeter Chiefs at the Aviva Stadium.
Leinster Rugby have confirmed that with 40,000 tickets sold, the remaining Leinster v Exeter Chiefs tickets can still be bought online here or on match day from the Ticketmaster van on Lansdowne Road.
With Rhys Ruddock ruled out with a hamstring injury, it means that the player who replaced him early in the second half last weekend, Josh van der Flier, starts at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon.
With van der Flier coming in to wear the number 7 jersey, it means a switch to the blindside for Sean O’Brien. The rest of the Leinster starting line-up is unchanged from the bruising 18-8 triumph over the Aviva Premiership leaders in Devon.
Rob Kearney, who is set for his 190th Leinster appearance, Fergus McFadden and captain Isa Nacewa are the back-three with Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose again joining forces in midfield. Jonathan Sexton, the scorer of 13 points in the Sandy Park fixture, and Luke McGrath command the half-back positions.
Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Tadhg Furlong – the man-of-the-match in round 3 – form an all-Ireland front row, with fellow internationals Devin Toner and Scott Fardy behind them. The back row sees O’Brien and van der Flier combine with number 8 Jack Conan, who scored Leinster’s crucial second try last time out.
There are two changes to the province’s bench with 21-year-old prop Andrew Porter in line to make his Champions Cup debut should he be introduced, while Dan Leavy has shaken off a hamstring injury to provide back row cover.
Meanwhile, Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has made six changes to his starting line-up, one of which is enforced as a rib injury rules out full-back Phil Dollman.
Australian international Lachie Turner comes in to don the number 15 jersey with James Short, their try scorer last Sunday, making way for England’s Jack Nowell on the right wing. There are straight swaps in the front row as Ben Moon and Tomas Francis start at loosehead and tighthead respectively.
Sam Skinner is given the nod at lock ahead of Jonny Hill, while Sam Simmonds, who has come through the Academy ranks at Exeter, is preferred at number 8 to Thomas Waldrom whose ball-carrying threat was negated by Leinster’s defence last time out.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Fergus McFadden, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Isa Nacewa (capt); Jonathan Sexton, Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Scott Fardy, Sean O’Brien, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: James Tracy, Jack McGrath, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Leavy, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ross Byrne, Jordan Larmour.
EXETER CHIEFS: Lachie Turner; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ian Whitten, Olly Woodburn; Gareth Steenson (capt), Nic White; Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tomas Francis, Mitch Lees, Sam Skinner, Don Armand, Matt Kvesic, Sam Simmonds.
Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Alec Hepburn, Harry Williams, Jonny Hill, Thomas Waldrom, Will Chudley, Sam Hill, James Short.
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 1/4; Draw: 20/1; Exeter Chiefs to win: 3/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Leo Cullen (Leinster) – “(We’re) trying to keep reasonably light, but trying to get enough work done as well. We just had a run-out at the stadium there and guys have come through reasonably well. It’s just about making sure we focus and prepare well.
“It was a very long lead-in to last week’s game and on the flip-side it was short this week. Trying to strike that balance and keep the guys fresh. They’ve applied themselves well this week.
“With a short turnaround it’s important we turn our attentions as quick as we possibly can. There are many parts of the game we feel we can get better at as week. so the most important thing is how we can improve ourselves. Both in attack and defence, and couple of little fix-ups from the set piece as well.
“Rhys (Ruddock) is due to go for (surgery) yeah, so it will rule him out for a few months, but not exactly sure of the timeline. He will be out for a period and due to have a procedure next week. He’s a real leader for the group here, he’s in good form as well, even in the November internationals and the part he played there so a big loss for ourselves and Ireland.
“Exeter teams have shown excellent consistency with selection and in what they do as well. They have a very clear picture in what they want to try and do to teams – they will have no fear coming over here.
“So it’s important that we can impose our game on them. If you allow Exeter to play, they will cause teams problems and they were on a good run prior to our game so they are a formidable team.”
Rob Baxter (Exeter Chiefs) – “We have to play better, it’s as simple as that. You can dress things up in all kinds of way, but at the end of the day we didn’t play well enough to win the game last Sunday. Not only did we make a number of unforced errors, but when we looked at the game in detail, there were quite a lot of areas where we a little bit disjointed, a little bit unfocused, and in a tight game like it was, that can be the difference.
“At the same time, there is no way you can leave Leinster out of the equation because they were hugely in it. The way they played and the qualities they showed were part of the reason we found ourselves under pressure and making mistakes.
“That said, we shouldn’t have made some of the errors we did. At times we were probably uncharacteristically lacking in what I would call that ‘go and win the game’ type of edge. It was there in patches, but it wasn’t there enough.
“I know this sounds strange, especially when we are a team who have been in two Premiership finals in the past two seasons, but actually when it comes to these big European games, there are still elements that we have to learn because it is much different to a Premiership game.
“Although our game-plan stood up very well on the day, our individual commitment to certain areas wasn’t at the level it needs to be to ram home a victory. We’ve talked about it this week, but it’s not an easy fix because we are playing against a good side with good players. We know it will take a lot to win over at Leinster, but it’s not something we are not capable of.
“We are a good side, with good individuals, and we think we can do a job. As we often say, the biggest reason we drive as hard as we do in the Premiership is to be in the Champions Cup or the old Heineken Cup as it was. These are the big days where you not only learn the most, but also learn the quickest.
“We are not going to be a worse side for playing Leinster here in front of a sell-out crowd – and we’re not going to be a worse side for going over to Ireland and playing in front of a big crowd at the Aviva.”
Current Form – Leinster – (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 39-16 v Dragons (away), Won 37-9 v Cardiff Blues (home), Won 31-10 v Southern Kings (away), Lost 38-19 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), Won 21-13 v Edinburgh (home), Won 23-17 v Munster (home); (Champions Cup): Won 24-17 v Montpellier (home), Won 34-18 v Glasgow Warriors (away); (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 25-10 v Ulster (away), Lost 31-21 v Glasgow Warriors (away), Won 54-10 v Dragons (home), Won 36-10 v Benetton Rugby; (Champions Cup): Won 18-8 v Exeter Chiefs (away)
Exeter Chiefs – (Aviva Premiership): Lost 28-21 v Gloucester (away), Won 37-7 v London Irish (home), Won 41-10 v Worcester Warriors (away), Won 31-17 v Wasps (home), Lost 20-13 v Leicester Tigers (away), Won 34-24 v Newcastle Falcons (home); (Champions Cup): Won 24-15 v Glasgow Warriors (home), Won 27-24 v Montpellier (away); (Aviva Premiership): Won 10-6 v Sale Sharks (away); (Anglo-Welsh Cup): Won 43-28 v Northampton Saints (home), Won 40-0 v Scarlets (away); (Aviva Premiership): Won 31-17 v Harlequins (home), Won 20-18 v Saracens (away), Won 42-29 v Bath (home); (Champions Cup): Lost 18-8 v Leinster (home)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Champions Cup: Leinster – Points: Jonathan Sexton 25; Tries: Cian Healy, Jonathan Sexton 2 each; Exeter Chiefs – Points: Gareth Steenson 24; Tries: Don Armand 2
Previous European Meetings: 3
Sunday, December 10, 2017 – Pool 3 – Exeter Chiefs 8 Leinster 18, Sandy Park
Saturday, January 19, 2013 – Pool 5 – Exeter Chiefs 20 Leinster 29, Sandy Park
Saturday, October 13, 2012 – Pool 5 – Leinster 9 Exeter Chiefs 6, the RDS
Match Facts –
– Leinster claimed a hard-fought 10-point win at Sandy Park courtesy of a late Jack Conan score to end a 17-match unbeaten run in Devon for Exeter Chiefs, who now find themselves six points adrift of the pool leaders
– That result in the south of England means Leinster have now won all three of their encounters with Exeter Chiefs, who will be desperate to right the wrongs of last weekend and revive their hopes of making the knockout stages of the Champions Cup
– Last weekend’s attritional affair is expected to be repeated in Dublin, but Leinster lead the way at the breakdown in Pool 3 having won 349 rucks, while Exeter Chiefs flanker Don Armand has won 20 lineouts, more than any other player in the Champions Cup this season
– Victory could see Leinster move as far as 11 points clear at the Pool 3 summit, which would secure a quarter-final berth with two rounds left to play, although should Montpellier beat Glasgow Warriors earlier in the day that gap could be lowered to just six points. Meanwhile, an Exeter Chiefs win would blow the pool wide open again
European Cup Records:
Leinster –
2016/17: Reached the semi-finals
2015/16: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2014/15: Reached the semi-finals
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2011/12: Champions
2010/11: Champions
2009/10: Reached the semi-finals
2008/09: Champions
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2006/07: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Reached the semi-finals
2004/05: Reached the quarter-finals
2003/04: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2002/03: Reached the semi-finals
2001/02: Reached the quarter-finals
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1998/99: Failed to qualify from Pool A
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool A
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool B
1995/96: Reached the semi-finals
Exeter Chiefs –
2016/17: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2015/16: Reached the quarter-finals
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
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