URC quarter-finals: Wounded Leinster a dangerous proposition for the Lions

The backlash after Leinster’s recent Champions Cup loss will be raging away unabated in the coming days, as their supporters and the Irish pundits try to make sense of another final defeat in that competition.

Although he presented a calm demeanour after the 41-19 lashing in Bilbao this past weekend to Bordeaux, there can be no doubt that Leo Cullen and his team will be under immense pressure on Saturday in the last quarter-final clash of the weekend in the United Rugby Championship (URC), when they host the Lions at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (kick-off 9pm).

By then, the semi-finalists between Glasgow Warriors and Connacht (Friday, kick-off 8.45pm), and the Bulls and Munster, and Stormers and Cardiff – both on Saturday at 1pm and 3.30pm, respectively – will have been decided.

While they record those results, the defending URC champions, Leinster, will still be smarting from the latest setback – their fourth Champions Cup final loss in five years – and will be a dangerous proposition for Ivan van Rooyen and his team to tame.

After the loss to Bordeaux, Cullen remained pragmatic as he looked towards the clash against the Lions, saying: “I don’t think there is any shame in what the guys have produced in this competition this year …

“We are going to turn the page for the quarter-final this week. We will make some fresh changes to the team against the Lions and we have a chance of winning a trophy in the next four weeks.

“The URC is getting better every year as a competition. The competition is fierce and the Lions have been getting ready for the quarter-final (last week), while our guys have been getting ready for this game …

“We have to enjoy the moment here together. I know it is not the moment we wanted but we can still reflect upon a lot of great things that happened.”

The Lions, meanwhile, could perhaps see opportunity in that. Ride out what will be a wounded giant's initial lashings and cultivate the seed of doubt planted by Bordeaux, and they could still effect an upset. It will be a massive upset, to be sure – the Lions have never beaten Leinster in Ireland – to write a bit of history in their name in the tournament’s record books.

In their most recent match there, earlier this season, the Doornfontein-based side were manful in their performance, with a final 15-minute blitz from their hosts resulting in a 31-7 loss.

The Stormers, meanwhile, will have similar sentiments towards Cardiff – a chance to right a wrong and make a statement while doing it. The Cape-based side fluffed their chances in their final two regular-season matches of finishing within the top two.

The 22-17 loss to Cardiff on matchday 18 was especially frustrating, as John Dobson’s team had done more than enough to win that game, but poor execution and a lack of a cutting edge conspired against them. They will want to roll over the only Welsh side left in the competition at the Cape Town Stadium.

Arguably the most intriguing quarter-final will pit the Bulls against former champions Munster at Loftus Versfeld. The latter have suffered setbacks both on and off the pitch this season, but have still managed to produce season-defining moments when required. Like Leinster, they too are wounded, if only in a different fashion.

After a slow start to his tenure at the Bulls, coach Johan Ackermann is finally getting the correct response from his players. They are, for sure, nowhere near the finished product, but victory over Munster will reinforce confidence in his project.

Elsewhere, and despite their recent run of form, former champions Glasgow will be favourites to end Connacht’s participation in the tournament. Coach Franco Smith’s stock continues to rise, with rumblings of a national team gig coming his way.

It makes sense - Glasgow play an enterprising brand of rugby that is pleasing to watch. Under coach Stuart Lancaster Connacht have achieved some impressive feats but there is a sense that the match-up at the Scotstoun Stadium is the host's to lose.