Doris: Croke will be massive
DUBLIN, IRELAND - MAY 20: Caelan Doris of Leinster breaks with the ball from Jonathan Danty of La Rochelle during the Heineken Champions Cup Final match between Leinster Rugby and Stade Rochelais at Aviva Stadium on May 20, 2023 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Leinster's victorious squad are looking forward to their ‘home” semi-final at the 82,000 capacity Croke Park, two miles across Dublin from the Aviva Stadium.
Skipper Caelan Doris said: “It is a very rare opportunity to play at Croke Park in front of our own fans. What an exciting prospect, and we are looking forward to it massively.
“It was very pleasing to put in a performance like that against La Rochelle. Our defence was very important. You saw some of the shots that went in on some of their key ball-carriers, who have given good go-forward for them over the last couple of years, so it went a long way towards that performance.
“Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half, he is a joy to play with. He keeps the tempo so high and he is so unpredictable but plays within our plan at the same time. The boys are all about running lines off him.”
La Rochelle coach Ronan O'Gara said: “It's clear to anyone with a bit of rugby knowledge that the team in blue were the better side. The better team won.”
