Donal Lenihan preview: La Rochelle represent Leinster's ultimate test

From a wider perspective, it's massively important for Irish rugby that Leinster beat La Rochelle and lift the Heineken Champions Cup on Saturday.

When you look at the team they're going to announce today for the final, 12 of them will be starting for Ireland at the World Cup.

Given it will be their last outing of the year, given what happened in the semi-final and the final over the last two years when La Rochelle beat Leinster, I think it's hugely important that Leinster win this one.

There is no doubt that La Rochelle are a better team this year than the one that beat Leinster last year.

Antoine Hastoy has come in at out-half and I think he's a more rounded player than Ihaia West who was there.

The World Cup-winning scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow missed the final last year but he's back and they've a guy called UJ Seuteni in the centre whose combination with Jonathan Danty has been hugely impressive.

But it has also meant that Levani Botia, who is normally a centre but plays in the back row for Fiji, has been able to play at seven in the latter games of Europe and he was outstanding in the back row from a poaching point of view.

So they have more threats but I think Leinster know that. For me, I think it's the ultimate test of Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster from a coaching perspective because they know what is coming.

It's going to be a massively attritional game at the breakdown. They know La Rochelle have huge power in the scrum and the maul and they have a better kicking game with Hastoy.

So they know what's coming but Leinster are sprinkled with international quality all over the field and from that point of view, their attacking game has been brilliant in the tournament throughout.

Leinster have scored 310 points but I