Leinster's Leo Cullen: "There seems to be a bit of a Cork bandwagon" for Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle

With a sell-out crowd expected, the Blues boss said: "You’d love it if all of Ireland got behind you. That’s not the way it works, as we know"

This rivalry is now very personal for Leo Cullen and his players after two Champions Cup final losses to La Rochelle.

Ronan O'Gara returning to the bosom of his home city Cork with his back to back defending champions, with all welcomed with open arms, ahead of today's quarter-final was well noted by Leinster's head coach.

“Yeah, there seems to be a bit of a Cork bandwagon," said Cullen yesterday, after his side's Captain's Run at the Aviva Stadium.

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"The (Cork) mafia have jumped onto the bandwagon along with La Rochelle.

"Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it? That’s what sport needs and I’m glad that we’re a part of it."

O'Gara spoke this week of La Rochelle's practical need to travel directly to Cork, via Paris, after the last 16 victory over the Stormers - how it allowed his players to have two full training sessions ahead of this fifth meeting with Leinster in four years.

He has also referenced the craic that the travelling party have had while on Leeside.

It has all fed into the notion that by thinking outside the box, O'Gara has come up with a masterplan to win in Dublin for the second year running.

You also wonder how much of the Rebel county love-in has needled Leinster.

“We’re the only Irish team in the competition and you’d love it if all of Ireland got behind you," Cullen said.

"That’s not the way it works, as we know. But we’re the last man standing of the Irish provinces.

"The Bulls and ourselves are the last two teams from the URC involved. So, we’re representing that competition.

“The Top 14 teams are always going to be there because they’re playing in a league where they have billionaires involved."

As his press conference was winding up, Cullen was asked for a reaction to the news that Ireland skipper Peter O'Mahony had signed a new deal with Munster.

"It feels weird talking about Peter O'Mahony here today," he admitted.

"Ronan will be in here after, they were being hosted down in Cork Con this week...Donal Lenihan organised a few things for them, so maybe ask the lads."

Clearly the edge is there and it should translate into another close encounter between Europe's current big two.

"We’ve this rivalry because we’ve played in two finals," explained Cullen. "In previous years we weren’t even at the table."

There were previous rivalries, of course.

Leinster lost to Saracens in the 2019 final, then the 2020 quarter-final, while before that Leinster were going for the three in a row under Joe Schmidt but Toulon took on that baton, winning the three-peat themselves.

A feat that O'Gara and La Rochelle are pushing for this season.

"That’s the beauty of the tournament," said Cullen. "It’s what makes it so special, some of the rivalries there.

"New teams come forward all the time, and why do they?"

Cullen says that money is the answer. Bags of it. During Toulon's dominant era, he highlighted the might of the French clubs and their billionaire backers. He refers to it again in the context of La Rochelle.

"It's not by accident you turn up here," he said. "It's off the back of a lot of hard work that goes on across the year, staff, players, management - everyone involved in the club.

"It's the same with the French teams. They're going to the market, signing the top players.

"La Rochelle is an example, they lost (Pierre) Bourgarit, the hooker. What do they do?

"They don't bring a young guy through, they replace him with another international hooker, they sign (Tolu) Latu - an Australian international hooker.

"They can sign 10-12 internationals from around the world and they've assembled a great group of players.

"They're competing against other French teams doing the same - we talked about Toulon who were the first instigators of that type of model.

"It’s not like millionaires and club unions, it’s billionaires that are backing some of those teams. That’s what you’re up against. It’s big business.

“But the rivalry is the thing. It’s great, we’re delighted to be part of the rivalry because we’ve to fight to make sure that we are there.

"That’s off the back of the supporters that turn up - because they fund the team to an extent. We don’t have a billionaire backer, believe it or not!

“That’s the beauty of sport here. Our guys are trying to fight the fight for Irish provincial rugby at the top table, but it’s tough work.

"It’s tough work to get there and then it’s about performing.

"Our guys are desperate to be successful, which brings a certain pressure. But it’s a positive pressure.

"It's a great show to be part of."

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