Byrne in lead role as Leinster look to win big in Bayonne

Murray Kinsella Reports from Bayonne

THE TOP PRIZE for Leinster is clear: silence the Bayonne crowd and claim the bonus-point win that gives them the best chance of being one of the top two seeds for the Champions Cup knock-out stages.

That would ensure home advantage for the Round of 16, as well as a possible home quarter-final and home semi-final. In short, it would improve Leinster’s chances of earning a spot in the final in May in Bilbao, where they last won this title in 2018.

Bordeaux [15 match points], Glasgow [15], and Bristol [14] are all vying for top seeding, so it should be tight. Bordeaux and Glasgow can guarantee their spots with bonus-point wins away to Bristol and at home to Saracens, respectively, but Leinster [14] are hoping to maintain their run of top seed status for a fourth consecutive season.

One step at a time, of course.

Leinster’s knock-out place is already secured but Leo Cullen’s side visit the boisterous Stade Jean Dauger looking to seal the deal with a fourth win from four pool games [KO 3.15pm Irish time, Premier Sports].

The Irish province are firm favourites, yet Aviron Bayonnais will enjoy the chance to defend their home patch with as much pride as ever. This is a special French rugby town in the Basque region of southwest France.

They have lost all three of their Champions Cup games so far – including at home to the Stormers last month – and Bayonne are out of running for the knock-out stages. Mathematically speaking, they could still secure a place in the Challenge Cup round of 16, but they’d have to obliterate Leinster and hope the Stormers do the same to Leicester for that to happen.

Even still, they have chosen to field big guns like ex-England centre Manu Tuilagi, out-half Joris Segonds, Springboks scrum-half Herschel Jantjies, Fijian firecracker Sireli Maqala, and France-capped back rows Alexandre Fischer and Arthur Iturria, who skippers the side.

Leinster have welcomed back some heavy-duty firepower of their own, however.

Advertisement

Ireland tighthead Tadhg Furlong returns from injury and Springboks lock RG Snyman is also fit again, with both of those tight-five forwards adding a little more grunt and more than a little class around the pitch too.

On a day when rain is forecast in Bayonne, set-piece qualities are sure to be as important as anything.

So with Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy sidelined, there is relief in loosehead prop Jack Boyle being fit again. Boyle obviously hasn’t enjoyed seeing McCarthy pass him out for province and country this season, but has quietly continued to play well. He is now an important man for Leinster and Ireland.

Happily, Jerry Cahir gets a chance to build on the impression he made against La Rochelle last time. The ‘Jerry, Jerry, Jerry’ chant in Jerry Springer style is a nice addition to the Leinster fans’ repertoire. 

Ireland boss Farrell will be happy to see Garry Ringrose back up and running too, with the Six Nations less than three weeks away. Fullback Jimmy O’Brien is also straight back into the starting XV after injury, another timely return given that Ciarán Frawley damaged his ankle against La Rochelle last weekend and Hugo Keenan still isn’t back.

With Ireland in mind, it’s intriguing to see Leinster go with Harry Byrne at out-half, as Sam Prendergast swaps back onto the bench. It seemed likely that both of them would get a start apiece in this Champions Cup window, as they did last month, even if neither of them would be happy with that scenario.

Byrne has had a strong first half to this season with Leinster, earning his chance. We know he was in Farrell’s thoughts in November, even if he didn’t call him up, and he has been catching the eye ever since. The certainty with which he strikes the ball off the tee is an insight into Byrne’s general confidence in his game at the moment. Cullen said that the out-half returned from last season’s loan spell in Bristol a more mature player. The knock-on effect of this Leinster selection is that Ireland’s merry game of musical chairs at out-half looks set to continue.

To be fair to both Leinster out-halves, they have impacted notably off the bench in recent times, with Byrne nailing a linekick and then the winning penalty last weekend against La Rochelle. Prendergast shone as the replacement against Leicester in December.

So, whatever about the national team, Leinster will be hoping to see Prendergast make another impression as part of an impressive bench that also includes Dan Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, and Rieko Ioane. Not too shabby at all.

The plan for Leinster will be to build on the good stuff from last weekend’s thriller against La Rochelle. Their transition attack took an encouraging step forward after hard work on the training ground in that area, while the scramble defence was exceptional.

But Leinster will hope they don’t have to scramble quite as often. They’ll also hope they don’t have to show the level of grit they have had to deliver in recent times, as they’ve found themselves in a few proper battles. And they’ll be out to avoid a repeat of last weekend’s lack of discipline in the first half.

Bayonne deserve respect, but this is a game Leinster would love to start with a bang, getting some scoreboard breathing room, and then producing some flow in their performance on both sides of the ball. 

They’ve welcomed the tough tests so far this season, but Leinster would love to get this job done with a minimum of fuss.

AVIRON BAYONNAIS:  Cheikh Tiberghien; Tom Spring, Sireli Maqala, Manu Tuilagi, Yohan Orabe; Joris Segonds, Herschel Jantjies; Ignacio Calles, Lucas Martin, Luke Tagi; Ewan Johnson, Lucas Paulos; Alexandre Fischer, Arthur Iturria (captain), Nika Lomidze.

Replacements: Facundo Bosch, Emosi Tumania, Emerick Setiano, Alvaro Garcia Iandolino, Baptiste Heguy, Manex Ariceta, Guillaume Martocq, Victor Hannoun.

LEINSTER: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Joshua Kenny; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jack Boyle, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; RG Snyman, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain).

Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Jerry Cahir, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Sam Prendergast, Rieko Ioane.

Referee: Luke Pearce [RFU].