Leinster fell to Toulon at this stage last year, but they could well find themselves heading back to the south of France to play the same opposition if they can sweep Bath aside for a seventh win in 11 European Cup quarter-final appearances.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTER-FINAL: Saturday, April 4
LEINSTER v BATH, Aviva Stadium, 3.15pm (live BT Sport 1/Newstalk/highlights TG4)
Team News: Jamie Heaslip will lead Leinster as he closes in on his 200th cap for the province. Saturday’s encounter will be his 198th provincial appearance and first since the round 6 draw with Wasps back in January.
There are nine changes to the team that drew 34-34 with the Glasgow Warriors in last Friday’s GUINNESS PRO12 with three of those changes in the backs. Leinster welcome back all of their RBS 6 Nations title-winning players, including Rob Kearney who returns at full-back.
Fergus McFadden, who scored Leinster’s first try last Friday and also touched down against Wasps, continues on the right wing with Luke Fitzgerald coming onto the left wing.
There is no change to the centre partnership with Ian Madigan, who scored 14 points from six kicks against Glasgow, starting at inside centre and Ben Te’o outside him. Isaac Boss joins Jimmy Gopperth at half-back, having scored two tries when introduced last Friday.
There are six changes in the pack with a front row unit of Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Mike Ross, while Devin Toner resumes in the second row alongside Mike McCarthy. Wallaby lock Kane Douglas remains sidelined with a hamstring/back injury.
Jordi Murphy retains his place at blindside flanker, while openside Sean O’Brien makes his first appearance for Leinster since the opening day fixture away to Glasgow Warriors. O’Brien captained the side that day from the base of the scrum but has not played for Leinster since having had shoulder surgery.
He did, however, play in four of Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations games, scoring two tries in a man-of-the-match performance against Scotland two weeks ago.
Speaking about the return of O’Brien and the other Championship winners, head coach Matt O’Connor said: “Seanie is a competitor. He fights for everything and he expects the same out of the blokes next to him. It certainly takes the pressure off Jamie in a leadership capacity because he knows he’ll have Seanie there right beside him.
“He (O’Brien) has been fantastic this week. I thought his form against Scotland and throughout the Six Nations got better and better with every minute he played. To have him back, relatively fresh, for us at this stage of the season is a huge bonus.
“The Test boys have come back into the environment and trained really well. It’s given us a very positive vibe which has been great this week.”
Click here to purchase tickets for the game with adult prices starting from €;28 and children’s prices at €;10. Over 40,000 tickets have now been sold ahead of the 3.15pm kick-off on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Peter Stringer, Ireland’s most-capped scrum half, is on the bench for Bath’s Champions Cup trip to Dublin. Head coach Mike Ford is able to recall five international players to his starting side.
Returning from England’s RBS 6 Nations campaign are Dave Attwood, George Ford, Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson, while Paul James has recovered from the thumb injury he suffered in Wales’ win over France.
James starts at loosehead prop and is joined in the front row by hooker Rob Webber and tighthead Kane Palma-Newport. Attwood is named alongside captain Stuart Hooper in the second row.
The back row features blindside flanker Carl Fearns, openside Francois Louw and number 8 Leroy Houston, who last week bagged a brace of tries against London Welsh. Micky Young is the chosen half-back partner for Ford, the 2015 RBS 6 Nations top points scorer.
Jonathan Joseph, the top try scorer in this year’s Championship, is paired in the midfield with Kyle Eastmond for the first time since Bath’s quarter-final-clinching victory over Glasgow Warriors in January. Full-back Watson anchors a back-three that contains wingers Horacio Agulla and Matt Banahan.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Fergus McFadden, Ben Te’o, Ian Madigan, Luke Fitzgerald; Jimmy Gopperth, Isaac Boss; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Mike McCarthy, Jordi Murphy, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip (capt).
Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Jack McGrath, Martin Moore, Tom Denton, Dominic Ryan, Eoin Reddan, Gordon D’Arcy, Zane Kirchner.
BATH: Anthony Watson; Horacio Agulla, Jonathan Joseph, Kyle Eastmond, Matt Banahan; George Ford, Micky Young; Paul James, Rob Webber, Kane Palma-Newport, Stuart Hooper (capt), Dave Attwood, Carl Fearns, Francois Louw, Leroy Houston.
Replacements: Ross Batty, Nick Auterac, Max Lahiff, Matt Garvey, Alafoti Faosiliva, Peter Stringer, Sam Burgess, Tom Homer.
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Berdos, Patrick Pechambert (both France)
Television Match Official: Eric Gauzins (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 8/15; Draw: 20/1; Bath to win: 13/8
Pre-Match Quotes: Jamie Heaslip (Leinster) – “(The Champions Cup) is borderline with international rugby at times. The competition just keeps getting better and better every year. It amazes me. The margin for error on both sides of the ball is just closing.
“Unfortunately, we got a very bitter taste in our mouth from (being knocked out by Toulon) last year, from knowing that if we’re not accurate teams are going to score. Bath are not that dissimilar (to Toulon) in terms of their ability to break the line, their ability to punish you if you don’t have a good defensive set.
“England have different structures (to Bath), yeah they have similar players but they just play very, very differently and we play differently to Ireland, so you can’t really compare them to be honest. You can definitely get individual traits, but we would do that any way in our video work.
“Your individual player kits are on the system and you can go look at those guys. Some of the clips would be of them playing for England and some would be of them playing for Bath. Any good pro does his work, gets the video and analyses the guys they are going up against.”
Peter Stringer (Bath) – “I always had the dream and the ambition to play there (Lansdowne Road) again for Ireland, as I’ve had many great days in the old and new stadium. I’ve been waiting for a fixture like this since I joined the club just over two years ago. Now that it’s here, I cannot wait.
“The 2006 Heineken Cup semi-final against Leinster at Lansdowne Road stands out. We won 30-6. Playing against Leinster, you’re always prepared for a tough and physical match. The fixture is labelled as an Irish trial match and there’s always so much at stake when you take the field.
“Irish rugby supporters have always had an interest in watching Premiership rugby and, particularly over the last couple of years, will have seen our performances and certainly will have taken note.
“With the performances of our guys in the Six Nations for England, the Irish public are certainly more aware of Bath as a team on the up. For me personally, to play a part in a win against Leinster in Dublin wearing the Bath colours would be very special.”
Current Form – Leinster – (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 22-20 away to Glasgow Warriors; Won 42-12 at home to the Scarlets; Lost 10-9 away to Connacht; Won 37-23 at home to Cardiff Blues; Lost 34-23 at home to Munster; Won 20-3 away to Zebre; (European Champions Cup): Won 25-20 at home to Wasps; Won 21-16 away to Castres Olympique; (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 33-8 at home to Edinburgh; Drew 24-24 away to Benetton Treviso; Won 18-12 at home to the Ospreys; (European Champions Cup): Lost 24-18 away to Harlequins; Won 14-13 at home to Harlequins; (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 21-11 at home to Connacht; Lost 28-13 away to Munster; Won 24-11 at home to Ulster; Won 22-13 away to Cardiff Blues; (European Champions Cup): Won 50-8 at home to Castres Olympique; Drew 20-20 away to Wasps; (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 16-14 at home to the Newport Gwent Dragons; Won 29-8 at home to Zebre; Drew 9-9 away to the Ospreys; Lost 23-13 away to the Scarlets; Drew 34-34 at home to Glasgow Warriors
Bath – (Aviva Premiership): Won 29-20 away to Sale Sharks; Won 53-26 at home to London Welsh; Won 45-0 at home to Leicester Tigers; Lost 31-24 away to Northampton Saints; Won 21-11 at home to Saracens; Lost 29-22 away to Wasps; (European Champions Cup): Lost 37-10 away to Glasgow Warriors; Lost 21-19 at home to Toulouse; (LV= Cup): Won 47-7 at home to London Welsh; Lost 18-6 away to Exeter Chiefs; (Aviva Premiership): Won 23-14 at home to Newcastle Falcons; Won 33-23 away to London Irish; Won 25-6 at home to Harlequins; (European Champions Cup): Won 30-5 away to Montpellier; Won 32-12 at home to Montpellier; (Aviva Premiership): Won 39-16 away to Gloucester; Won 31-14 at home to Exeter Chiefs; Lost 17-8 away to Leicester Tigers; Won 39-26 at home to Wasps; (European Champions Cup): Won 35-18 away to Toulouse; Won 20-15 at home to Glasgow Warriors; (LV= Cup): Won 23-21 away to Harlequins; Lost 13-10 at home to the Ospreys; (Aviva Premiership): Lost 34-24 away to Saracens; Lost 21-13 at home to Northampton Saints; Lost 16-6 away to Exeter Chiefs; Won 12-3 at home to Sale Sharks; Won 29-14 away to London Welsh
Top Scorers – 2014/15 European Champions Cup: Leinster – Points: Ian Madigan 80; Tries: Darragh Fanning 3; Bath – Points: George Ford 69; Tries: Matt Banahan 4
Previous European Meetings: 6
Saturday, December 17, 2011 – Pool 3 – Leinster 52 Bath 27, Aviva Stadium
Sunday, December 11, 2011 – Pool 3 – Bath 13 Leinster 18, Recreation Ground
Sunday, January 22, 2006 – Pool 5 – Bath 23 Leinster 35, Recreation Ground
Saturday, October 22, 2005 – Pool 5 – Leinster 19 Bath 22, the RDS
Saturday, January 8, 2005 – Pool 2 – Bath 23 Leinster 27, Recreation Ground
Saturday, October 30, 2004 – Pool 2 – Leinster 30 Bath 11, Lansdowne Road
Match Facts –
– Leinster have won six of the 10 quarter-finals they have contested in the European Cup, including four of the last five
– In knockout stages in general, Leinster have lost just two of the last 12 and won the last four in a row against English sides
– Bath have lost their last seven in a row against Irish sides in the competition, however three of the last four defeats in that run came by five points or fewer
– Only one player has made more carries in this year’s tournament than Jamie Heaslip (83)
– Ian Madigan is the top scorer in the tournament so far with 80 points, having kicked more successful goals than any other player (30)
– George Ford has the second highest kick success rate of players to attempt at least 15 shots at goal
– Bath have lost five of the six meetings between the sides, which all occurred in the pool stages, though their only victory against Leinster did come on Irish soil
– Five of Leinster’s last six home defeats in the tournament have come at the hands of English opposition.
However, they have won 30 of their last 33 home matches in the competition
– In all European competitions, Bath have won nine of their last 10 away matches. Bath are playing in their sixth European Cup quarter-final but their first in six years. They have won two of the previous five
European Cup Records:
Leinster –
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
Bath –
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Reached the semi-finals
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2001/02: Reached the quarter-finals
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
1997/98: Champions
1996/97: Reached the quarter-finals
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