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Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is hoping his bench will make a difference in Saturday’s Guinness Pro14 final against Ulster, including surprise replacement, Ireland beating Johnny Sexton.
Along with Sexton, Cullen has also kept talents like Luke McGrath and Scott Fardy in reserve as he watches over next week’s Champions Cup quarterfinals against the Saracens.
Ross Byrne starts at 10, while Garry Ringrose captains the Hunters three in a row.
“It’s not an easy pick for these games,” Cullen said.
“You go at the end of the season and if you are lucky enough to compete on two fronts, make sure you have guys capable of giving a full (account) of themselves on a given day. Try to balance everything also the different variables, who do we has helped get to this point.
“We are blessed with the four mediums that we have. Johnny will make a good impact from the bench whenever he is, but you have to remember how important Ross has been to the team over the course of this long season that we’ve had.
“It’s a 23-man effort, we’ve used 53 players to get to this point. Some of them have moved to other clubs, that’s the unusual dynamic of this season.
“Many guys who were not selected have played an important role in taking us to the final. We would love to have our friends, family and fans on the field, but it is important to focus on performance at this stage.”
Cullen suggested that Ulster’s victory over Edinburgh in the semifinals had shaped his selection.
Dan McFarland’s men scored 15 unanswered points in the final 20 minutes to reserve their spot in the decider.
“Ulster, you saw them against Edinburgh, we are planning a good 80 minute game of them so we have to make sure we have that hit off the bench as well,” Cullen said.
“When you get to these knockout games, you’re looking for a bit of freshness and a bit of continuity at the same time. That’s what we’re looking for.
“During the first three weeks of the season, we haven’t gotten to where we want to be yet. So that’s what’s at the forefront of our minds, how we lead a solid performance from our end.
“Hopefully the conditions are good and we avoid the downpour we had at 7 last Friday.”
Follow the Pro14 final between Leinster and Ulster (7.35pm Saturday) with our live blog on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app or listen to the commentary live on RTÉ Radio 1.
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