Leinster and Ireland star Hooker Dan Sheehan insists that there is absolutely no way a team will be hungrier than Leinster looking ahead to the URC Grand Final showdown at Croke Park this Saturday.
The newly capped British and Irish Lion has been vital for Leinster this season, scoring an impressive seven tries in the United Rugby Championship, totalling 35 points, along with ten points from two tries in the Champions Cup.
With a dominant display, Leinster dispatched the Glasgow Warriors in their third meeting in eight months with a 37 – 19 victory at the Aviva Stadium last week to nicely set up a home Grand Final at the iconic Croke Park against the South African giants, The Bulls.
With 30,000 tickets already sold and more expected with ticket prices as low as €22, it’s estimated that there will be an attendance of over 40,000 on Saturday’s heavyweight clash.
Paths to the Final
Leinster, having only lost two games in the URC, have sat comfortably at the top of the table, earning them a home final.
The Bulls, however, have always proved something of a problem for Leo Cullen’s boys. Having already beaten Leinster by one point this season, the South African team have got the better of Leinster in their last four out of five encounters, including two semi-finals in this competition back in 2022 and 2024.
Used to playing at altitude, their home stadium in Pretoria stands 1350 meters above sea level, the Bulls boast electric wingers and a fierce scrum and maul dominance that will certainly put Leinster to the test.
Since the Championship Cup exit back in May, Leinster’s performance, whilst still achieving regular victories, was not as characteristic as some of the season’s earlier performances.
An impressive 76 – 5 win over second-from-the-bottom-of-the-table Zebre was followed by a 13-5 win over Glasgow, a 33– 21 win over Scarlets, who got the better of Leinster in Llanelli, followed by last week’s semi-final victory over Glasgow once again.
Leinster’s Hunger
With focus firmly set on their first silverware since 2021, Dan Sheehan is adamant that his team’s insatiable hunger will provide the motivation to get over the line in Croke Park.
“We’ve had six weeks to prepare to focus on the URC, and with us being trophyless for a number of years, the hunger is there for sure in the group, and there’s absolutely no way a team will be hungrier than us.
“We have a strong squad with a good depth, and we definitely have a core group that is well able to take on any mismatches and fill in the gaps.” “
Snyman gets excited every week; however, this week, I don’t know if it’s because it’s the final or because it’s his old team that’s really getting him going.
“He’s been massive for us this year, and we’ve relied heavily on him.
“We look forward to putting on a good show, hopefully getting a trophy at the end of it.”
By Chris Collyer
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