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No Toulouse XV changes but bench includes son of ex-Leinster forward
By
Liam Heagney
Investec Champions Cup finalists Toulouse have named the same starting team they fielded in their semi-final win over Harlequins in early May, but they have tweaked their bench for this Saturday’s final with the inclusion of Joshua Brennan in place of Mathis Castro-Ferreira.
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The French side were 38-26 winners over their Gallagher Premiership opposition on May 5 and with replacement Santiago Chocobares cleared to take his spot on the bench following the expiry of his interim suspension, it means the naming of Brennan is the sole alteration to their match day 23 to take on Leinster at Tottenham.
Brennan will be a surname familiar to Leo Cullen’s Irish side as the 22-year-old is the son of Trevor, the former Ireland back-rower who joined Toulouse from Leinster in the early noughties, going on to win European and Top 14 titles with the French club.
He remained in the area following his retirement, with eldest son Daniel, 25, going on to become a prop with Brive in Pro D2 and Joshua becoming part of the Toulouse pack.
Brennan has started at either lock or openside on 11 occasions in his 16 Top 14 appearances this season and he has now been named for a fifth Champions Cup appearance this term on his club’s bench.
That bench has a five-three forwards/backs split, unlike Leinster who have shuffled their replacements and selected six sub forwards and just two backs for the final.
Leinster have also made three changes to their starting XV, including the naming of Jason Jenkins at second row ahead of James Ryan.
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TOULOUSE: 15. Blair Kinghorn; 14. Juan Cruz Mallia, 13. Paul Costes, 12. Pita Ahki, 11. Matthis Lebel; 10. Romain Ntamack, 9. Antoine Dupont (capt); 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Peato Mauvaka, 3. Dorian Aldegheri, 4. Thibaud Flament, 5. Emmanuel Meafou, 6. Jack Willis, 7. François Cros, 8. Alexandre Roumat. Reps: 16. Julien Marchand, 17. Rodrigue Neti, 18. Joel Merkler, 19. Richie Arnold, 20. Joshua Brennan, 21. Paul Graou, 22. Santiago Chocobares, 23. Thomas Ramos.
