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O'Driscoll's 'generous bookies' Champions Cup final prediction

(Photo by Xavier Leoty/AFP via Getty Images)

Brian O’Driscoll has made his prediction for this Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup final featuring his old club Leinster in action against Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle in Marseille. The European showpiece is a rematch of last year’s semi-final which was won by the French club 32-23 at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, but the legendary O’Driscoll is now predicting a very different outcome twelve months later. 

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Put on the spot by RugbyPass, BT Sport pundit O’Driscoll is backing Leinster to deliver at Stade Velodrome. “I think Leinster,” he said when quizzed on which team will be celebrating on Saturday evening in France.  

“On the back of what we have seen it’s very hard to see how if Leinster play that way that even La Rochelle, despite having beaten them last year, will be able to stay with them. But the bookies are being generous on twelve-point favourites for Leinster. It will be six or seven.”

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Bristol and England’s Dave Attwood joins the guys this week to reveal some loose stories from a well-traveled career. We hear about his run-in with Owen Farell, why his modern man approach didn’t go down well with a certain head coach, and skiing in France with the Galacticos of Toulon. We also get Dave’s first-hand account of Carl Fearns and Gavin Henson’s bust-up and the fallout from Sam Burgess’ move to Bath.

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Dave Attwood on bust ups with Owen Farrell, Sam Burgess & new Bath era | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 35

Bristol and England’s Dave Attwood joins the guys this week to reveal some loose stories from a well-traveled career. We hear about his run-in with Owen Farell, why his modern man approach didn’t go down well with a certain head coach, and skiing in France with the Galacticos of Toulon. We also get Dave’s first-hand account of Carl Fearns and Gavin Henson’s bust-up and the fallout from Sam Burgess’ move to Bath.

What gives O’Driscoll the confidence that Leinster will be a far tough proposition for La Rochelle a year after the Irish club were left bruised by the level of physicality they encountered on their last Champions Cup trip to France? That was a game in which they started Ross Byrne and Luke McGrath at half-back, as Johnny Sexton and Jamison Gibson-Park were both injured.  

“I just think the consistency of performance, the big personnel shift, particularly at half-back, (Andrew) Porter moving to the loose, (Caelan) Doris has really come to the fore, and there is the emergence of guys like Ross Molony and Jimmy O’Brien where you might have felt you were a bit light in the second row and wondering what the strength in depth on the wing was. 

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“I just think there is a real consistency of performance over the course of the season. Yes, you can only play the opposition you are up against and Bath have been poor and Montpellier sent a second-string but what they did to Leicester, what they did to Toulouse as well was very, very impressive.

“If they play with that speed and accuracy against La Rochelle, even the most organised defence can’t deal with that ream of different options in how to play the game coming at you. It’s how they can strike from different facets of play that has been their real strength.”  

  • BT Sport is the home of the European Rugby Champions Cup. The 2021/22 season concludes this weekend with Leinster vs Stade Rochelais live on BT Sport 2 at 4pm on Saturday, May 28. Find out more on how to watch at BT Sport bt.com/sport
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AM 4 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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