The first of four Irish-French clashes this weekend sees GUINNESS PRO12 high flyers Leinster host a Castres side who currently lie 10th in the Top 14 table.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 4: Saturday, October 15
LEINSTER v CASTRES OLYMPIQUE, the RDS, 3.15pm (live BT Sport 3/beIN Sports/RTÉ Radio 1/highlights TG4)
Team News: Tickets for the first round game are still on sale at leinsterrugby.ie/tickets with over 14,000 sold ahead of the 3.15pm kick-off on Saturday.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made four changes to the team that accounted for Munster in the GUINNESS PRO12 last weekend, with two in the backs and two in the forwards.
Rob Kearney continues at full-back as he wins his 180th cap with Zane Kirchner coming in on the right wing and Isa Nacewa again selected on the left wing and as captain.
Having made his debut at the Aviva Stadium last time out, Robbie Henshaw will make his first start for the province the RDS tomorrow, pairing up again with Garry Ringrose in the centre.
Jonathan Sexton felt a tightness in his hamstring at training during the week, so there is one change at half-back with Joey Carbery coming in for his European debut alongside Luke McGrath.
In the pack, Jack McGrath is added to the front row alongside Sean Cronin and Tadhg Furlong. Loosehead McGrath will win his 100th cap for Leinster having made his debut in April 2010 against Glasgow Warriors.
It is as you were in the second row with Devin Toner and Ian Nagle again lining out but it will be Corkman Nagle’s European debut. The final change comes in the back row where Josh van der Flier returns at openside flanker, combining with Rhys Ruddock and number 8 Jamie Heaslip.
Heaslip will become the second most-capped player in Leinster history when he lines out for his 222nd game. Gordon D’Arcy, on 261, is the player with the most Leinster appearances.
Dan Leavy and Jamison Gibson Park, one of the try scorers against Munster, will make European debuts if they are introduced off the replacements bench.
Meanwhile, Castres come into Europe on the back of a 28-19 Top 14 defeat at Montpellier last Saturday, with director of rugby Christophe Urios reacting by making eight changes in personnel.
Geoffrey Palis and Thomas Combezou, a starter when Castres last visited the RDS in January 2015, will start at full-back and outside centre respectively, while Argentinian international Benjamin Urdapilleta and Antoine Dupoint have been promoted from the bench to form the half-back partnership.
A completely new front row includes Antoine Tichit, French cap Daniel Kotze and South African hooker Jody Jenneker, with Mathieu Babillot getting the nod at blindside flanker. Experienced Uruguayan international Rodrigo Capo Ortega captains the side from the second row.
Castres return to the top tier of European rugby after a season in the Challenge Cup, but have not won in the Champions Cup since the third round in 2013. They were whitewashed in the 2014/15 campaign, including two defeats to Leinster and a 50-8 hammering in Dublin, and have lost their last seven games on the road.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Zane Kirchner, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Isa Nacewa (capt); Joey Carbery, Luke McGrath; Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Ian Nagle, Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: James Tracy, Cian Healy, Mike Ross, Ross Molony, Dan Leavy, Jamison Gibson Park, Cathal Marsh, Noel Reid.
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE: Geoffrey Palis; Remi Grosso, Thomas Combezou, Robert Ebersohn, David Smith; Benjamin Urdapilleta, Antoine Dupont; Antoine Tichit, Jody Jenneker, Daniel Kotze, Victor Moreaux, Rodrigo Capo Ortega (capt), Mathieu Babillot, Steve Mafi, Alex Tulou.
Replacements: Brice Mach, Mihaita Lazar, Damien Tussac, Thibault Lassale, Anthony Jelonch, Rory Kockott, Maxime Javaux, Florian Vialelle.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Tim Wigglesworth, Steve Lee (both England)
Television Match Official: David Sainsbury (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 1/7; Draw: 22/1; Castres Olympique to win: 5/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Leo Cullen (Leinster) – “Castres won the Top 14 a few seasons ago and we are preparing for a very tough battle. They showed in their recent game against Clermont that there is a real desire to play for one another within their squad and that makes them very dangerous.
“We had a difficult start to last season’s European campaign and we ran into a strong Wasps team. Then we lost a tight game against Bath and had to go to Toulon after that.
“There were three very strong teams in our pool last year and there were always going to be some big casualties. Things didn’t go as we would have liked them to, but had we been successful we would have approached this season’s tournament in exactly the same way.
“We’ve had better preparation this year than last, but we know we’ve got two very physical French sides in our pool to go along with Northampton Saints.
“Joey (Carbery) has obviously played a few games at the start of the season so we feel pretty confident there. He’s been involved in all of the games this year. He’s gone well. He’s got a lot of confidence, he was involved with the Ireland camp a couple of weeks ago as well. He’s come back in energised from that.
“He’s a young guy coming into the team but he’s dealt with all the pressure so far really, really well. Saturday is just another step in that progression. He’s excited. He’s just someone who works really hard at his game. He’s going well in the games so far, he went pretty well with a couple of tries in the first half (against Treviso) and we’d love to see more of that.”
Current Form – Leinster – (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 20-8 v Benetton Treviso (home), Lost 33-25 v Glasgow Warriors (away), Won 33-20 v Edinburgh (away), Won 31-19 v Ospreys (home), Won 16-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), Won 25-14 v Munster (home)
Castres Olympique – (Top 14 Championship): Won 28-11 v Pau (home), Drew 12-12 v Bayonne (away), Lost 26-18 v La Rochelle (home), Lost 29-25 v Stade Francais (away), Won 46-9 v Grenoble (home), Won 31-23 v Racing 92 (home), Lost 29-19 v Clermont Auvergne (away), Lost 28-19 v Montpellier (away)
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Champions Cup: Leinster – Points: Jonathan Sexton 37; Tries: Josh van der Flier, Sean Cronin, Zane Kirchner, Eoin Reddan 1 each; Castres Olympique – Points: N/A; Tries: N/A
Previous European Meetings: 6
Saturday, January 17, 2015 – Pool 2 – Leinster 50 Castres Olympique 8, the RDS
Sunday, October 26, 2014 – Pool 2 – Castres Olympique 16 Leinster 21, Stade Pierre Antoine
Sunday, January 12, 2014 – Pool 1 – Castres Olympique 22 Leinster 29, Stade Pierre Antoine
Saturday, October 19, 2013 – Pool 1 – Leinster 19 Castres Olympique 7, the RDS
Friday, December 13, 2008 – Pool 2 – Castres Olympique 18 Leinster 15, Stade Pierre Antoine
Saturday, December 6, 2008 – Pool 2 – Leinster 33 Castres Olympique 3, the RDS
Match Facts –
– This will be the seventh meeting between the teams in the competition, Leinster have won five of the previous six, including the last four in a row
– The province have won all three home games against Castres in the competition, restricting the French to single figures on each occasion
– Leinster have won 19 of their last 21 home matches against Top 14 opposition, although they lost their last such fixture against Toulon last season
– Castres have never won in Ireland in the top tier European tournament, losing all nine away to the provinces
– Leinster had the lowest lineout success last season on their own throw (79%), however, they averaged 2.3 steals per game on their opponents’ throw, the joint highest rate in the competition
European Cup Records:
Leinster –
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
Castres Olympique –
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2008/09: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2005/06: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2001/02: Reached the semi-finals
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1995/96: Failed to qualify from Pool D
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