JAMES LOWE was not too fussed when he did not play in Leinster’s 2018 Champions Cup final win because he figured there would be plenty more where that came from.
But, with no European title won since, the winger is determined to go all the way this year.
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Within six months of his arrival at the province, they defeated Racing 92 in the decider in Bilbao to claim the trophy for a record-equalling fourth time.
Although he had played his part in getting them there – scoring a try in the quarter-final win over defending champions Saracens – he did not make the matchday 23, although it did not stop him from celebrating.
Lowe recalled: “We were in a bakery at nine o’clock in the morning and we weren’t having croissants.
“That was a cracker of a day in Bilbao.
“I probably took it for granted, I’m not going to lie.
“I didn’t play but the training week, the prep leading up to it, I remember that so well and the boys performed so well on the day and were able to get over the line.
“There is a famous photo of them going for the charge-down on the drop goal attempt right at the end.
“That sticks in my memory like there’s no tomorrow. Hopefully one day there will be memories of an effort by us in a final that leads to us winning it.
“We have been trying ever since then and we have put ourselves in a very good position now to give ourselves another crack and that’ what we will do.
“We will keep knocking on the door and one day it will open.
LEINSTER SICKNESS
“It’s a sick obsession. It’s heartbreaking. Every single year you try so hard and on the day it’s been so cruel to us for so many years, but we’ll keep going after it, and please God…”
Leo Cullen’s men, of course, reached the last two finals only to be defeated by La Rochelle – who had also beaten them in a semi-final in 2021 – on each occasion.
They avenged those with a comprehensive 40-13 win over Ronan O’Gara’s side in the quarter-final last year.
Lowe sighed: “It’s such a fickle game because we’re talking how many points in those last two finals?
“If something else had happened, if a call had gone a different way, if we’d been given a pen at a different time or the interpretation of a ref [was different] we wouldn’t be talking about it, you know? It’s the same throughout all the tight matches.
“We can sit here and argue about every point but it’s all hands on deck and we’re going to do our best to put our best foot forward and hopefully come away with a result.
“No one’s going to care if we lose today that we beat La Rochelle in the quarter-final.
“We had them in the pool stages, the boys went over there in horrible weather and did an absolute job, so it came back to Dublin, managed to put in a performance we were so happy with but we can’t rest there
“The likelihood is thatwe are going to have to put our head in a dark place but it is a credit to Northampton and how they attack and play the game and I think they said earlier they do want to play rugby when they come here, it is tee-d up for a good spectacle.”
Hugo Keenan and Garry Ringrose failed in their race to be fit for the fixture and remain sidelined along with James Ryan meaning Caelan Doris will again skipper the side.
Leo Cullen is able to welcome back Jimmy O’Brien among the replacements where he has gone for a five-three split with Will Connors – man of the match against La Rochelle – missing out on a place in the matchday 23.
CIAN HEALY
If Cian Healy comes off the bench he will move clear of O’Gara with whom he currently jointly holds the record for most appearances in the competition with 110.
The sole survivor of Leinster’s only previous game at Croke Park – the 2009 Heineken Cup semi-final win over Munster – will also move to within five of Devin Toner’s record of 280 Leinster games.
Cullen said: “I was lucky enough to play a lot of games with Cian, weirdly enough, and he played in that gamein 2009, I was pushing behind him.
“He would admit himself maybe as a younger player he wouldn’t have been the most professional player but as time has gone on it’s remarkable, because he’s had some very significant injuries.
“How he’s managed himself throughout that and number of caps he has for Ireland and Leinster, particularly in this competition, it’s a remarkable achievement.
“He’s such a popular fella is Cian in the group. He was a pleasure to play with and a pleasure of a player to coach as well.”
