Leinster have point to prove as the doubters circle ahead of URC semi-final

Irish Daily Mirror

20 hours ago

Leinster will have to avoid the pressure-trap against Glasgow Warriors in the URC semi-final at The Aviva this afternoon.
Notwithstanding, they lost last year's Champions Cup final in extra-time, lost this year's semi-final by three points and have lost three consecutive URC semi-finals by a point, a point and five respectively.
But it is surely fair to suggest a squad with 12 Lions, three highly rated foreigners and another dozen chosen to tour with Ireland this summer have little to fear - but themselves.
But that's not the full story as Leo Cullen finds himself dealing with the growing 'noises off' as much as what's happening centre stage.
As for the main actors Hugo Keenan has pulled out with a calf-strain which sees Jimmy O'Brien move no15 and a fit-again Tommy O'Brien brought onto the right-wing while Scott Penny deputising for Josh van der Flier as he did for the last hour last week.
Tommy O'Brien had been their in-form late-in-the-season back while spare a thought for Penny who was the glaring overlook when the Ireland squad was named midweek. Penny will hardly lack motivation.
"To be honest I was more focussed on trying to prepare the group, no offence, Scott," said Cullen of a player who will be seeing 15 Leinster players touring this summer - and it would have been 17 but for Will Connors and Caelan Doris's injuries.
"Scott has 86 appearances for Leinster and I hope he goes well, and he just needs to be ready and play well and focus on that.
"Selection (for Ireland) is one of those things that are out of your control, injury is out of your control, those are the frustrating things about being a professional sportsman.
"The only thing you can control is preparation and performance. If he plays well enough, hopefully he won't be too far away in the future."
Meanwhile Cullen is for reminding the sceptics, growing day by day this week it seemed, that Leinster don't lose ALL their play-off/knockout games - they have won 14 of the last 17 played in Dublin in the last four seasons.
"We've had positive play-off games where we've racked up big scores on dry days and conceded no points but it didn't ultimately help (win anything), do you know what I mean? So, you'd prefer, what, two 6-3 wins if it meant you were going to win semi-finals."
But then knockout rugby is, by its nature, hard to predict.
'None of us know exactly what way it will unfold. That's the pressure of knock-out games and all the rest.
'I was looking at the Champions League final in the football and a lot of the pundits were saying that the other team were going to win, that lost. They got steamrollered in the end.
"That's the beauty of sport isn't it? We think we might know what's going to happen but it's two teams going at it and we'll wait and see."
Former Scotland captain and Premier Sport TV commentator John Barclay has been one for putting up a case for Warriors and, even then, he is worried about sounding 'daft'.
'There's a lot of talk about a vulnerability to Leinster after what Saints did to them in the Champions Cup but it feels a bit daft, given they finished top of the league, we may be losing sight of that," he says.
'There's a template of how to beat Leinster from the Scarlets and Northampton games, the key message being that Leinster are not unbeatable, but you have to be disruptive, really go after them.
"There's lots to admire and learn from what the Scarlets did last weekend, they were brave, they attacked well and they didn't just sit back.
'If you are Leinster you are probably quite liking people writing you off as well. They topped the URC, got to the semi-finals of Europe. Yes there will be bits of their game they will be wanting to sharpen up – but I think they will also be pretty confident.
The Scots need to be able to consistently shut Leinster's playmakers.
'For Glasgow, it's about disrupting the flow of the game that quality players like Jamison Gibson-Park, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe dictate, the guys that determine where and how they play the game.
'The up front battle will also be huge but how good will that contest be between the likes of Tom Jordan, Sione Tuipulotu and Jordie Barrett?
"Tom Jordan will be even more motivated with the prospect that it could be his last game for the club.'
Warriors finished fourth in the league-proper and come to the game as outsiders to make the final but they shouldn't be written off.
Continues Barclay: "Glasgow are looking good, looking sharp and are peaking at the right time, I think they will be confident going over there.
'They dominated the Stormers up front last weekend which surprised a few people given the size of them, but the Warriors are so well coached now, they know how to do that.
'If you look at the coaching ticket that Glasgow have, the way they evolve and have a plan for every week, I think they'll be pretty comfortable in what they have to do as a team on Saturday.
'It's fascinating that a Glasgow team that can get beaten 52-0 points over there a few weeks ago and actually people say they have a reasonable chance."
Leinster: Jimmy O'Brien, Tommy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe, Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (CAPT)
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Ciarán Frawley
Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay, Kyle Steyn (CAPT), Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe, Adam Hastings, George Horne, Jamie Bhatti, Gregor Hiddleston, Fin Richardson, Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings, Euan Ferrie, Rory Darge, Henco Venter
Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakai, Max Williamson, Jack Mann, Macenzzie Duncan, Stafford McDowall, Jamie Dobie
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)