As Leinster prepare for the Champions Cup final on Saturday against Bordeaux, Leo Cullen has some difficult decisions as he aims to choose his strongest side that could compete for the European title.
My predicted starting lineup for the final:
Porter, Sheehan, Clarkson, McCarthy, Ryan, Conan, Van Der Flier, Doris, Gibson-Park, Byrne, Lowe, Henshaw, Ringrose, Ioane, Keenan
Tighthead prop- Clarkson vs Furlong
Having a choice between two Lions in a single position is not something that many coaches get the option for.
Naturally, many would go straight for the experience of Tadgh Furlong, but Thomas Clarkson has been in incredible form this year and was recently named as a nominee for Leinster fans’ player of the year.
Clarkson has played more minutes than any other prop for Leinster this season and was backed for the semi-final, when Furlong was out injured. Furlong has been a regular injury loss throughout the season, but returned to the Ireland team for the Six Nations almost straight away when he returned from injury. Will Cullen do the same?
What to do with Ioane?
Reiko Ioane has been a signing that hasn’t worked out in a way that many Leinster fans would have imagined. The All Black has struggled to find his feet at Leinster, and while he has been relied on mostly at 13, he has had his best moments for Leinster on the wing.
He played in the 11 shirt in the semi-final and then scored against the Lions. Ioane was rested against the Ospreys in the final URC match against the Ospreys, but an injury in the lead-up to Tommy O’Brien saw James Lowe make his full return for Leinster. He will look to return to the 11 shirt for this crucial match.
Should Sam Prendergast feature for Leinster?
Sam Prendergast started the Six Nations as Ireland’s starting out-half, and after giving up the green jersey to Jack Crowley, he has found it difficult to keep in the starting lineup for Leinster. Similar to Ireland, his role when not starting is difficult to find on the bench, as he doesn’t offer much versatility to the rest of the backline, particularly compared to a player like Ciaran Frawley. Cullen will likely opt to go without the young number 10 despite a strong performance against Ulster in the URC a number of weeks ago.
