Leo Cullen: Leinster won't take eye off the ball v Sharks

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen says complacency won't be an issue for his side in Saturday's BKT United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Cell C Sharks (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player), with last year's defeat to the Bulls still fresh in their memory.

The province were stunned by the South Africans in last year's URC semi-final at the RDS, who ensured Leinster would end last season without a trophy for the first time since 2017.

Cullen's side turn their attention towards the URC this week, having booked their place in the final of the Heineken Champions Cup a week ago, with a 19-point win against Toulouse.

But with a URC quarter, and potentially a semi-final to come before they face La Rochelle in the European final, Cullen says their minds are firmly set on the Sharks.

"Definitely, it's very much on our mind, that Bulls game, and the flatness of our performance that day," the Leinster coach said.

"That has a lot to do with the Bulls and how they played, and the Sharks will come with a similar mindset."

The South Africans have extra motivation in the URC, with Neil Powell's side needing to win the title in order to pip Connacht to a place in the Champions Cup last season.

And Cullen says it makes them a dangerous proposition.

"You could imagine that that is just another layer of motivation for them. They'll be full-steam to do everything the can to win.

"They’ll definitely push the boundaries for sure and giving everything they possibly have to get a positive outcome. There’s a huge commercial upside to being in the Champions Cup so they will be fully motivated for sure," he added.

The Sharks will be without influential Springbok pair Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth due to injury, but can call upon a host of powerful South