‘There were 12 internationals in the stand’ - Ronan O’Gara dismisses Munster win and expects very different Leinster in final

The La Rochelle coach believes his side will face a very different proposition when Leo Cullen restores his big guns to the team for this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup final at the Aviva Stadium.

The Corkman rested the majority of his squad for last week’s defeat to Montpellier with the rematch of last year’s show-piece in mind and believes Leinster’s focus has been on this weekend all along.

“Obviously, Leinster will be disappointed by that, but their focus has been on winning in Europe and they’ve made their plan that that was the team they were going for,” the Munster and Ireland legend said.

“Last weekend, there were 12 Leinster internationals in the stands for the game against Munster. Munster won, but it wasn’t against Leinster’s strongest side.

"It was like for us in Montpellier. It will be a completely different team.

“We’re expecting the best version of Leinster and the best version of them is a formidable task.

"We know how difficult it is going to be, but we want to test ourselves against the best.”

O’Gara has masterminded wins over Leinster in the 2021 semi-final in La Rochelle and the 2022 final in Marseille and he rejects the notion that the mission is to stop the Irish province.

Instead, he’s flipping that narrative and believes Leo Cullen’s men must find ways to deal with what his champion side can do as they seek to become the fourth team to win back-to-back Champions Cups.

“We talk all the time about stifling or stopping Leinster, but stopping La Rochelle is also a subject,” the 46-year-old said.

“This perception is also important. Our last defeat (in the Champions Cup) was almost two years ago. It’s important to get there and make it 50-50 to win the match.

“I’m not too interested in the opponent even if I respect them. I am focused on my team, on our path and what we are going to do on Saturday.

“We know it will be very hard, but it is possible. It will be crucial to manage stress in a venue where there will be a lot of adversity. It will be a big test.”

Much has been made about the match-up in last year’s final when La Rochelle came from behind to win it at the death with Arthur Retiere’s try, but O’Gara said that things have changed in the intervening 12 months.

"There is a difference. It would be a lie to say anything else,” he said. “We don't have a lot of experience either. We are in the process, I hope, of creating a great club but we are still far from it.

“The fact of having experienced this sensation makes you want to taste it again very quickly.

“All the clubs in Europe would like to be there, we are lucky and we do not want to waste this opportunity.

"We know that the opponent, the stadium, the atmosphere will not be favourable to us, but bring it on.

"The players are better, the group is better (than last year).”