The plot in the GUINNESS PRO14 final revolves around Leinster aiming to create a piece of history by completing a domestic and European double, and the Scarlets focused on retaining their Championship crown and claiming back-to-back titles.
GUINNESS PRO14 FINAL: Saturday, May 26
LEINSTER (1st, Con B) v SCARLETS (2nd, Con B), Aviva Stadium, 3pm (live TG4/Sky Sports Action/S4C/RTÉ Radio 1)
Tickets for the final game of the 2017/18 season are still on sale at leinsterrugby.ie and ticketmaster.ie.
Team News: Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has confirmed that captain Isa Nacewa, who has shaken off a calf injury, will lead the side for what will be his 185th and final appearance in blue. Nacewa’s Leinster career started in September 2008 away to Cardiff Blues and will come to a close at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
He will start at inside centre alongside Garry Ringrose who makes his 50th Leinster appearance. The back-three sees Rob Kearney return in the number 15 jersey, with Jordan Larmour (20) on the right wing and James Lowe on the left after his man-of-the-match performance against Munster.
Luke McGrath is selected at scrum half with Jonathan Sexton recovering from a calf problem to slot back at number 10. In all, there are four personnel changes to the side that edged out Munster 16-15 at the semi-final stage of the Championship.
Up front it is the same front five that started the recent Champions Cup final, with Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Tadhg Furlong in the front row and Devin Toner and the 21-year-old James Ryan continuing together in the engine room.
Rhys Ruddock, who had a 63-minute run-out against Munster on his return from injury, is retained at blindside flanker with Dan Leavy back at openside after missing the interprovincial derby. Finally, Jack Conan, the scorer of Leinster’s lone try against Munster, completes the back row from number 8, while Scott Fardy and Jordi Murphy will provide the back-up at lock and in the loose forwards.
Meanwhile, Wales centre Hadleigh Parkes will make his 100th appearance for the Scarlets in the PRO14 decider. The west Wales side has reached their second consecutive final in as many seasons at the Dublin 4 venue.
British & Irish Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny returns from the hamstring injury that saw him miss last weekend’s 28-13 semi-final victory over Glasgow Warriors. Johnny McNicholl, who made a return from injury in time for last weekend’s clash, moves to the right wing with Tom Prydie dropping down to the replacements bench.
With John Barclay unavailable following surgery to a ruptured Achilles tendon, Wayne Pivac has made changes to the pack. Tadhg Beirne, who has been called up for Ireland’s summer tour to Australia, moves to number 8, partnering James Davies and Aaron Shingler in the back row. Lewis Rawlins comes into the second row to link up with Steve Cummins, while the front row remains unchanged.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Isa Nacewa (capt), James Lowe; Jonathan Sexton, Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, James Ryan, Rhys Ruddock, Dan Leavy, Jack Conan.
Replacements: James Tracy, Jack McGrath, Andrew Porter, Scott Fardy, Jordi Murphy, Nick McCarthy, Joey Carbery, Rory O’Loughlin.
SCARLETS: Leigh Halfpenny; Johnny McNicholl, Scott Williams, Hadleigh Parkes, Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Rob Evans, Ken Owens (capt), Samson Lee, Lewis Rawlins, Steve Cummins, Aaron Shingler, James Davies, Tadhg Beirne.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Wyn Jones, Werner Kruger, David Bulbring, Will Boyde, Jonathan Evans, Dan Jones, Tom Prydie.
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Marius Mitrea (Italy), Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 1/4; Draw: 14/1; Scarlets to win: 3/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Leo Cullen (Leinster) – “It’s huge (that Isa is fit). Isa did well to get through 40 minutes last week so we don’t have to manage him for anything beyond tomorrow, that I know of! It’s great to have him back again for this game.
“Johnny (Sexton) has done a good bit this week, he was touch-and-go last week, but he’s looked okay this week. It’s huge because it’s this amazing window for the team to do something very, very special.
“I think people sometimes just think it happens naturally. How we’ve tried to manage the group, making sure guys in the team are able to give a full account of themselves because we know it’s going to be a huge test for us. You sometimes get the feeling that there’s this assumption that it’s just going to happen for us. It doesn’t just happen, a huge amount of work has to go into it.
“We’ve had two incredibly tight games the last two weeks (against Racing 92 and Munster), a combined winning margin of four points, and we just need to make sure we’re clear in our minds that it’s different to the semi-final when we played the Scarlets before.
“They’ve gone away and completely focused on getting to this point where they can have another crack at us. We know we need to try to deliver our best performance so we’ve prepared accordingly. It’s going to take a huge effort from us.”
Wayne Pivac (Scarlets) – “Leinster are a very good side. We only have to look back to our semi final (last month) where we were completely outplayed. They’ve gone on to win the big prize and be crowned European champions, and deservedly so.
“To back that up against a good Munster team, not an easy task a week later after celebrations and euphoria of winning it, was to me a testament to how strong that squad is, they’ll be better this weekend with some guys freshened up.
“We’re expecting a massive game. It’s a massive challenge for us but I think it’s a great game, last year’s PRO12 champions up against this year’s European champions. If you want to win it you want to do so against the best.”
Top Scorers – 2017/18 GUINNESS PRO14: Leinster – Points: Ross Byrne 116; Tries: Barry Daly 12; Scarlets – Points: Dan Jones 93; Tries: Steff Evans 8
2017/18 TEAM FORM: Leinster – Played 22, Won 15, Drawn 1, Lost 6, 70 Points; W 39-16 v Dragons (away), W 37-9 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 31-10 v Southern Kings (away), L 38-19 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 21-13 v Edinburgh (home), W 23-17 v Munster (home), W 25-10 v Ulster (away), L 31-21 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 54-10 v Dragons (home), W 36-10 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 34-24 v Munster (away), W 21-18 v Connacht (home), W 38-7 v Ulster (home), L 29-24 v Edinburgh (away), W 20-13 v Scarlets (home), W 64-7 v Southern Kings (home), D 10-10 v Scarlets (away), L 32-18 v Ospreys (away), W 41-6 v Zebre (home), L 17-15 v Benetton Rugby (home), L 47-10 v Connacht (away), Semi-final: W 16-15 v Munster (home); Scarlets – Played 23, Won 16, Drawn 1, Lost 6, 70 Points; W 57-10 v Southern Kings (home), W 41-10 v Zebre (away), L 27-20 v Ulster (away), W 28-8 v Edinburgh (home), W 36-27 v Connacht (home), W 19-18 v Ospreys (away), W 30-17 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 20-8 v Benetton Rugby (home), W 34-30 v Southern Kings (away), L 28-21 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 12-9 v Ospreys (home), W 14-11 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 47-13 v Dragons (home), L 22-12 v Benetton Rugby (away), L 20-13 v Leinster (away), W 34-10 v Ulster (home), D 10-10 v Leinster (home), W 19-7 v Scarlets (home), W 26-8 v Glasgow Warriors (home), L 52-14 v Edinburgh (away), W 33-8 v Dragons (away), Semi-final qualifier: W 43-8 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), Semi-final: W 28-13 v Glasgow Warriors (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, November 6, 2015 – Leinster 19 Scarlets 15, the RDS
Friday, November 25, 2016 – Scarlets 38 Leinster 29, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, March 4, 2017 – Leinster 45 Scarlets 9, the RDS
Friday, May 19, 2017 – Semi-Final – Leinster 15 Scarlets 27, the RDS
Saturday, February 17, 2018 – Leinster 20 Scarlets 13, the RDS
Friday, March 9, 2018 – Scarlets 10 Leinster 10, Parc y Scarlets
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster are seeking to become GUINNESS PRO14 Champions for the fifth time, and become the first non-English or French side to claim a domestic title and European Cup double in the same season
– Leinster have played in seven previous Championship finals, winning three and losing four, just one of those was at Lansdowne Road/Aviva Stadium, beating Munster there 24-20 in 2001
– The Leinstermen have won their last eight matches at the Aviva Stadium in all tournaments since losing there to Toulon in the pool stages of the 2015/16 Champions Cup
– Leinster’s only defeat in Dublin to a Welsh region since February 2015 was in last season’s semi-final, to Saturday’s opponents, the Scarlets, at the RDS
– The Scarlets, the defending PRO14 Champions, are bidding to win the title for a third time. Only Leinster have ever retained the Championship title, having done so in 2013 and 2014
– The Llanelli outfit have played in just three previous finals in all competitions, losing to Munster at Lansdowne Road in the Celtic Cup final in 2005, and being beaten by Wasps at Twickenham in the Anglo-Welsh Cup final in 2006
– Last season they overcame Munster in the PRO14 final at the Aviva Stadium
– The Scarlets have lost on all four occasions they have visited Ireland in all tournaments this season
– The two sides have met on three occasions this season, twice in the GUINNESS PRO14, with Leinster winning 20-13 at the RDS in February and drawing 10-all at Parc y Scarlets in March
– Leinster also beat the Scarlets 38-15 in the semi-final of the Champions Cup at the Aviva Stadium last month
– The two sides have met three times before at Lansdowne Road/Aviva Stadium with Leinster victorious on each occasion, including two regular season fixtures in the PRO14 in March 2005 and April 2006
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