Leinster braced for La Rochelle and a 'Cork bandwagon'

There have been plenty of big rivalries throughout the 29 years of the Investec Champions Cup.

As four-time winners of the competition, Leinster have had their share of great battles with the traditional powers of Europe like Leicester Tigers and Toulouse, before the likes of Toulon and Saracens became their nemeses during the 2010s.

In the last four years, La Rochelle have muscled in on the action, and as they prepare for their latest set-to with the Irish province, the pair are locked in arguably the best rivalry this competition has seen.

It says a lot about the French side's ascent that they have played just four quarter-finals in the Champions Cup before today, and made it all the way to the decider three times. Leinster, meanwhile are preparing for their 19th appearance in the quarters.

Even without garnish of Ronan O'Gara being the head coach of the French side, this is a rivalry that has grown organically on the pitch.

Five meetings in four years will do that, with their first three duels coming in a semi-final, final and final in consecutive seasons. The last team to beat Leinster in this competition, aside from La Rochelle, were Saracens way back in 2020.

"That's the beauty of the tournament. It’s what makes it so special, some of the rivalries that are there," Leinster head coach Leo Cullen says, as the sides prepare to lock horns once again.

"Rivalry is the thing. It's great and we’re delighted to be part of the rivalry because we’ve to fight to make sure that we are there."

This year's Champions Cup has struggled to ignite, with a pool stage lacking jeopardy leading to a fairly predictable Round of 16 last week.

This evening's game at the Aviva Stadium (5.30pm, live on RTÉ) shows that when the conditions are right