Gibson-Park maintains Leinster have been improving and are peaking for Bulls

Irish Daily Mirror

14 hours ago

Leinster will take the field with nine Lions among their 13 Irish internationals, eight of whom are on IRFU central contact. Add the best All Black on the planet Barrett and Leinster's in-form but as yet uncapped Tommy O'Brien to make XV.Opposite this Jake White has picked a forward-oriented side which has six Springboks in the side albeit none of the big RWC stars.While the forwards on the bench look a decidedly weak unit compared to the international Ronan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Slimani, Snyman, Max Deegan juggernaut-in-waiting.If it's ironic that South African rugby has revelled in the Bomb Squad notion, it is Leinster who actually have the heavyweights on the line - it has the ironic feel of somebody offering you an Irish whisky that's been made in Japan...White talked up out-half Johan Goosen during the week and pointed out he was a teenage 'prodigy' but his career never panned out.There is ability there but Rassie Erasmus hasn't touched him for eight years while scrum-half Embrose Papier is rated by Erasmus either and he hasn't been next nor year a Boks cap for six years.The 'Boks stars in the back are just that, Willie le Roux and Can Moodie but an uncapped centre pairing in David Kriel and Harold Vorster are facing Ringrose and Barrett.
"Physicality," says Leinster spinning-top, Six Nations star performers and assuredly Lions first choice no9 when asked to sum up the Bulls threat, "the physicality side of it."They fronted up hugely in a couple of big semi-finals against us previously and, as well as that, they've got a lot of firepower."Out the back there will be Willie Le Roux pulling the strings and although he is a no15 he steps up to first receiver a lot of the time and they've got some other unbelievable backs as well."Leinster, as a group, were not overly agitated by their 'performance' against Glasgow where, to be fair, they were out the gate at 37-5 up with 10 minutes left to play, the match finishing 37-19."From our point of view it was a better overall performance than the Scarlets quarter-final."There are a few different areas that we were happy with, like always a few areas to work on but I think overall the sense was that we're better than we were the week before."It's the final, there's a trophy on the line so it's going to be another level up. The Bulls have had experience in a few finals over the last number of years as well."So they'll be hungry and I think they'll be a different animal again but hopefully one would be ready for and it will be an exciting day in Croke Park."Meanwhile Stephen Ferris, a noted harsh critic of Leinster in the past - perhaps their harshest critic - can't see Bulls having enough to cause a surprise.
'The reality is it will be a huge, huge upset if the Bulls come to Dublin and overturn Leinster and win. "That would make it five years in a row that Leinster have finished a season without a trophy. There is so much to play for. There are so many elements to this Final, it should be a fire-cracker of a game.'There's brilliant match-ups all over the pitch but I can't look any further than the front row."Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels destroyed a World-Cup winning front row at Sharks last weekend - now they're up against expected Lions starter Andrew Porter as well as Dan Sheehan and Thomas Clarkson.'The Bulls are very set piece dominant. It's all about the scrum and big guys getting on top of the opposition, eking out penalties, getting good field position and trying to launch off it.'
Beating Leinster wouldn't just be down to skill either, it would require a game plan and sticking to it when the heat comes on.
'They can't just give Leinster easy opportunities. It's going to be more about what's between the ears.
'The coaches will be trying to get the mental parity of their players right and to make sure they peak at the right time – to ensure they are not going through the motions but that the attention to detail is absolutely spot on.
'There are some key players for Bulls - Sebastian de Klerk for one, he is in fabulous form. Plus Johan Goosen at 10 who gives them that really strong kicking game and percentages as well."
Former Ireland international Ferris is predicting the South African side won't be afraid of the 'three-six-nine' mantra.
'The thing about the Bulls is they are extremely efficient. Expect Bulls to take three points when they are on offer pretty regularly."They might only get three or four (tray-scoring) opportunities in a game - but they will take two of them, they have a high success rate. Leinster will have to sharpen up on their efficiency when they are in the right areas.
'The Bulls will be fully focused on trying to be physically dominant like they were last year, make impact tackles, back their defence and stop Leinster's big runners on the gain line and if they do that hopefully it will stem any flowing attack that Leinster might bring.
"I see Leinster winning this by at least one score - I'd really like to see them lift the trophy.'
Leinster (v Bulls, Croke Park, 5pm, Saturday, TG4, SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv): Jimmy O'Brien, Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe, Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (CAPT)Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jamie OsborneVodacom Bulls: Willie le Roux, Canon Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Jan-hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, JF van Heerden, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje (CAPT), Marcell CoetzeeReplacements: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Devon WilliamsReferee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, 55th league game).VERDICT: Leinster to win comfortably, Bulls don't have the bench to extend the game past the hour.