LEO Cullen and his backroom team will be stressing to the players this week that spots are still up for grabs ahead of the big one in Bilbao. And Saturday’s final-round URC clash with the Ospreys at Aviva Stadium will be the final audition.
Landing a home quarter-final, which takes place a week after the Champions Cup final on Spanish soil, is the big target this week.
Cullen will implore the fringe players on duty to state their case for the European finale seven days later.
Cullen will ask fringe players to state their case for the European finale seven days later
We’re not convinced about that. This Leinster matchday squad virtually picks itself at the moment.
When Cullen confirms his line-up to face Bordeaux on Friday week, there should be few surprises among the 23 names on the teamsheet.
Long-term injuries to Ryan Baird and RG Snyman, along with ongoing fitness concerns about Tadhg Furlong, has simplified the selection picture around the starting forward pack.
It’s hard to envisage any major changes among the starting backline which pitched up against Toulon a fortnight ago either.
Jimmy O’Brien has been showing up well lately and James Lowe, who has been sidelined since the Six Nations, is back training on grass, but it’s hard to see past a combo of Gibson-Park, Byrne, Ioane, Henshaw, Ringrose, Tommy O’Brien and Keenan for Leinster’s fifth Champions Cup final in five years.
As for the bench? Again, a lengthy injury list has narrowed Cullen’s options.
There is one potential selection dilemma among the replacements, however.
And it could have a major bearing on what is set to be a thrilling encounter at San Mames Stadium on May 23.
Harry Byrne has surged ahead as the main man at No10 this season, but the big question is who will provide back-up in Basque Country?
Harry Byrne has surged ahead as the main man for Leo Cullen and Leinster at No10 this season
It appeared that Ciaran Frawley was set to play that role.
After all, he was on the bench as out-half cover for the Champions Cup knockout wins against Edinburgh and Sale Sharks.
Frawley’s versatility was a key reason why he was chosen ahead of Sam Prendergast for those assignments.
Prendergast was also suffering a major dip in form and confidence on the back of a difficult Six Nations when his burgeoning international career hit a major slump on the back of poor displays against France and Italy in the opening rounds of the championship.
Prendergast suffered a major dip in form and confidence on the back of a difficult Six Nations
Prendergast slipped into the background and missed the cut for the matchday squad against England, Wales and Scotland. Jack Crowley shone in the starting role, with Frawley playing second fiddle among the replacements.
Meanwhile, the Byrne and Frawley axis has dominated the Leinster picture in recent months, too.
Cullen is always looking ahead, mind. Which made his bench selection against Toulon all the more interesting.
Prendergast was recalled to the bench for that one, with Frawley, rather unluckily, missing the cut entirely.
Some observers pointed to the presence of Jamie Osborne, another hugely versatile operator, on the bench as a key reason for that change. Ergo, Cullen had another jack-of-all-trades in reserve, so he could select a more specialised No10 like Prendergast.
You’d wonder if the Leinster boss was thinking down the line to the final and what the final quarter might look like, especially if Byrne pulled up with an injury.
Frawley was rather unlucky to miss the cut entirely from the squad for the Toulon semi-final
Or, worse still, if his first-choice playmaker was forced off the field in the early exchanges.
That would mean Frawley pitching in at No10. That would be far from a disaster. The issue for Cullen is that the Connacht-bound back has played barely any rugby in that pivotal role this season.
For the record, Frawley has featured in 18 games for the province this term. Ten of which have been starts and none of which have been at out-half.
Yes, Frawley has switched to out-half during games, which is what occurred in last weekend’s URC game against the Lions. But it’s not ideal.
Prendergast, meanwhile, has played 14 games for Leinster, 10 of which were at No10. He’s been in the saddle a lot during this current campaign.
So, you could see Cullen’s logic be elevating him back into the fold against Toulon.
But some of the old failings resurfaced during that frantic final 10 minutes when the French visitors almost overturned an 18-point deficit. Once again, Prendergast’s defence came under the microscope.
Some of Prendergast’s failings resurfaced against Toulon, a game Harry Byrne, right, started
The feeble effort on Gael Drean in the lead-up to the Toulon wing’s momentum-swinging try was a big moment.
Prendergast had some real moments of quality against the Lions but the ease with which Lions flanker Siba Mahashe swatted him away, en route to what would have been a stunning individual effort, will have alarmed defence guru Jacques Nienaber.
Leinster will need to deliver a defensive performance for the ages against Bordeaux across a relentless 80 minutes.
They simply can’t afford any weaknesses against a team with so many threats, with Salesi Rayasi, Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey primed to cause havoc in the wide channels. The defending champions will make hay if they are afforded any leeway.
Selecting the more robust and physical Frawley would be a smart move. The Skerries native also happens to be a talented fly-half. It’s the major reason why he is heading over to Galway to reunite with Stuart Lancaster next season.
Frawley wants more game-time at No10.
His cameo as conductor-in-chief against the Lions will have given food for thought, too. The Johannesburg outfit have been the league’s surprise package this season the Leinster struggled to shake them off, the hosts holding a slender 14-7 approaching the hour mark.
Frawley, left, with Jack Crowley, has delivered clutch moments like his drop goals in Durban
It was notable that the three try-blast, with scores from Rieko Ioane, Jimmy O’Brien and Hugo Keenan, occurred when Frawley stepped in at out-half in the final quarter. He looked potent and comfortable as the playmaker-in-chief.
Frawley also has good pedigree when it comes to delivering clutch moments. Recall how he narrowly missed that last-gasp drop goal attempt against Toulouse in the 2024 Champions Cup final.
A few months later, he came off the bench and duly blasted over a brace of clutch drop goals to seal a famous win for Ireland against the Springboks in Durban.
Who knows? Frawley might have to do the same again in Bilbao. He looks a safer bet than Prendergast at this stage.
Cullen has a big call to make on that front.