The Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final takes place in Croke Park, Dublin, this weekend.
There are two changes to the starting XV from Saturday’s 37-19 win over Glasgow Warriors, with Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier coming into the team.
Jack Conan captains the team once again, with Ryan Baird lining up at blindside flanker with van der Flier on the other side.
Joe McCarthy and James Ryan continue their partnership in the second row with Andrew Porter and Thomas Clarkson scrumming down either side of Dan Sheehan.
Ringrose partners Jordie Barrett in the centre, with Jamison Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast the half-backs.
Tommy O’Brien and James Lowe continue on the wings with Jimmy O’Brien named at full-back once more.
Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle and Rabah Slimani provide the front row reinforcements, with RG Snyman and Max Deegan providing their muscle from the bench.
Jamie Osborne moves to the replacements alongside Luke McGrath and the departing Ross Byrne, who is set to make his 186th and final appearance for Leinster.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said:
“They’re all individual games. Every play-off game is a final as such, so we have played in lots of play-off games, whether they come in a quarter-final, semi-final or final. The group is learning all the time, young players come through and you are adding layers of experience.
“I think the way some of the questions are leading me, it’s like whoever loses is a failure in this game. So they are two good teams going at it. If you lose in a final are you classified as a failure?
“You can play your best game in the final. So both of these teams could play their best games of the season but unfortunately one of the teams has to lose. They are classified as losers because they have lost, but are they failures?
“You have really good teams going at it but you are guaranteed nothing. So you have to prepare the best you can with the time you have available to put in your best performance, but I hope the group goes out and does itself justice.”
Leinster Rugby: 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 Osborne
The Vodacom Bulls have made one forced change to their matchday 23 for the 2024/25 Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final in Dublin.
The South Africans are all set for a classic clash of the titans against the Irish at Croke Park on Saturday, 14 June, at 6pm South African Time.
Jake White, having lost Next-Gen playmaker Cameron Hanekom in the Semi-Fnals, has brought in Marco ‘Eskom’ van Staden into the forward pack with Nizaam ‘Nemo’ Carr coming into the impact squad in an otherwise unchanged 23 in personnel and duty.
Eskom slots in at loose forward alongside skipper Ruan Nortje, which sees Marcell Coetzee shifting to eight. Ahead of the back row, the tight five remains unchanged with Jan-hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw at front row with Cobus Wiese and JF van Heerden combining at lock.
The backline of Sebastian de Klerk and Canon Moodie on the wings, Harold Vorster and David Kriel at centre and el maestro, Willie le Roux, at full back, is unchanged. Halfback duo, Embrose Papier and Johan Goosen, are paired up once more to direct the flow of traffic under the Dublin skies.
Nemo is the only change to the five-three split impact squad in favour of the forwards pack. He is alongside Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes and Devon Williams.
Vodacom Bulls head coach Jake White said:
“If you reach a final, everyone is desperate to win; let’s be fair.
“No one sits in a final and says we are not desperate or as desperate as the other team… it would be naïve.”
“I’ve got some messages from back home, people are supporting the Bulls.
“People in Cape Town are supporting the Bulls. People in Durban are supporting the Bulls and think about it, that’s like Munster supporting Leinster tomorrow against the Bulls.
“That’s just what happens when rugby fever is high.”
Vodacom 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 Coetzee
Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Devon Williams
