LEINSTER and Bulls will contest the 2025 URC final from the unusual setting of Croke Park this evening.
The Blues secured their spot in the play-off finale by walloping holders Glasgow Warriors 37-19 at the Aviva Stadium.
Bulls, meanwhile, triumphed in an all-South African affair as they won their semi-final versus Munster’s conquerors Sharks by 25-13.
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s match-up:
What TV channel is Leinster vs Bulls on?
The showpiece game will be shown live on TG4 as well as Premier Sports 1. So everyone can avail of the free streaming platform provided by the TG4 Player.
Kick-off from Jones’ Road will be at 5pm.
What are the odds?
Leo Cullen’s men are 1/7 favourites while the visitors are 9/2. You can back the draw at 30/1 while the handicap is set at +/-11 points.
Leinster team:
Leinster have been boosted by Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier both being declared fit and named in the starting XV. But Tadhg Furlong and Hugo Keenan miss out.
Ross Byrne is on the bench for what is his last game before he joins Gloucester but Cian Healy — who is retiring — is denied a farewell appearance after failing to make the 23.
LEINSTER: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, Ringrose, Barrett, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Clarkson; McCarthy, Ryan; Baird, van der Flier, Conan.
Reps: Kelleher, Boyle, Slimani, Snyman, Deegan, McGrath, Byrne, Osborne.
What’s been said in the build-up?
Cullen has insisted that Leinster do not deserve to be branded as failures if they are beaten today.
If the province do not overcome Bulls at Croke Park in the URC final it will mean a fourth season without winning silverware.
During that time, they have lost three finals and one semi-final in the Champions Cup and three semi-finals in the URC, twice when they had finished top of the standings in the regular season.
They topped the pile again this time around and Cullen does not believe his charges deserve to be automatically dismissed if they cannot get over the line again.
He said: “They’re all individual games. Every play-off game is a final as such. We have played in lots, whether they come in a quarter-final, semi-final or final.
“The group is learning all the time, young players come through, you are adding layers of experience.
“I think the way some of the questions are leading me, it’s like, ‘Whoever loses is a failure’. In this game there are two good teams going at it. If you lose in a final, are you classified as a failure?
“You can play your best game in the final. So both of these teams could play their best games of the season but unfortunately one of the teams has to lose.
“So one of the teams, who has just played their best game, they are classified as losers because they have lost but are they failures?
“You are guaranteed nothing. So you have to prepare the best you can with the time you have to put in your best performance. I hope the group goes out and does itself justice. It’s on the day.”
