Leinster and La Rochelle is now a rivalry to match Leinster and Munster admits top Ireland star
"It is almost like Munster, similar to that, it is a proper rivalry, usually it’s a bit niggly the games we play, getting hit...but with our history against La Rochelle, it's a bit more personal."
Leinster and La Rochelle is now one of the world's biggest club rivalries - Sunday will mark their sixth meeting in five seasons.
A running battle that, to here, the Irish side have come out the wrong side of on two fronts.
La Rochelle are three-two ahead on victories; while their wins have been two finals and a semi-final, easily trumping Leinster's quarter-final and pool game wins.
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It is enough to give the Blues the hump and given a win in this weekend's game at Marcel Deflandre would level the 'series', the idea the clubs could meet again at the business end of the season could swing the pendulum in their favour.
Admits Leinster second-row Joe McCarthy of this new rivalry: "It is almost like Munster, similar to that, it is a proper rivalry, usually it’s a bit niggly the games we play, getting hit a bit late here and there but it’s something to be expected.
"That's definitely how it feels, there is always a bit of extra edge in any Champions Cup week, but with our history against La Rochelle, it's a bit more personal.
"The training week always feels a bit different but you always try to hold yourself to that high standard.
"You're trying to prepare yourself as well as you can because you know if you're not at your best physically, scrum and maul, it's going to be a tough day.
Last season's pool game, played in December 2023 in France and won 16-7 by Leinster, preceded a comprehensive April 2024, 40-13, quarter-final win.
Continues McCarthy: "That pool game last season was a proper slog of a game, it was shocking weather, pouring down so it was very satisfying getting that win. It was the first time we had beaten La Rochelle.
"It was probably a good game to start off our European campaign, get this win and we will get a bit of momentum. It was a great feeling after winning, Frawley obviously kicked the 60-metre last-minute penalty.
"It was a nice end to it but we knew it was just the first Champions Cup game. Nothing had really been won, it was just the start of the job."
McCarthy and James Ryan are expected to start in the second-row with RG Snyman on the bench for a game where La Rochelle are expected to target Leinster's lineout.
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"It will be huge at the lineout, they will definitely try to attack the ball in the air but then they are very destructive on the ground so you have to be quite accurate with your delivery.
"And, then, make sure you're not letting anything through your front or back seams, getting forward as well so you can get clean ball off it . They've a strong maul where they look to get corners and edges so it will be huge in the lineout."
Moreover, having had two weeks to prepare for this game has most likely given Leinster time to expand their lineout menu.
"For example, if you have a six-day turnaround and one less training day, you might not change as much as in to simplify it down and play at the front but it's probably a bit of a balance.
"What we like to do is play with a lot of variance and change our lineout menu a lot from week to week which obviously has its benefits.
"I know that because talking to lads in the other provinces, sometimes when they're previewing us they were saying they might spend a few minutes during the week preparing a different set-up and then we don't even use it.
"There's definitely benefits to that and you show different pictures but against Munster, we were better. We had a 100 percent lineout and we probably played a bit more off the front, won the ball, prioritised that - there's obviously not as much to play off it or it's a bit harder."
La Rochelle are expected to have man-mountain Will Skelton back.
"He's always fit for the Leinster game, no matter what, you don't even look at the injury reports or whatever!
"I've played against him a few times, it's a good challenge, he's a really good second-row, big, physical, and you kind of find out where you're at playing against those kinds of guys.
"We have a big, physical team ourselves at the moment so the scrum will be a huge battle again."
But then that is increasingly the way of the French clubs - Toulouse, Bordeaux, Toulon and La Rochelle with the addition of Bulls and Sharks and in no particular order, are probably the 'biggest' sides in this 2024/25 Champions Cup.
"French teams like La Rochelle definitely have an edge and you have to bring it and, in the bigger games, being physical and coming out physically on top is extremely important, usually lets you come out the right side of the battle.
"If you have a nice fancy plan, and no physicality, that rarely ever works in rugby so we always want to be super physical, on the edge, pressuring teams."
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