Leo Cullen: Will Connors is the best chop-tackler in the game

It says a lot about Will Connors' skillset that the flanker's only previous Investec Champions Cup appearance this season also came against La Rochelle.

The 28-year-old was given the nod to start over Josh van der Flier in the December meeting of the sides in their pool game at Stade Marcel Deflandre, and Leo Cullen has decided to follow that blueprint again for tomorrow's clash at the Aviva Stadium (5.30pm, live on RTÉ).

The Leinster coach can often be coy when asked for the specific reasons behind team selections, but when pressed about what what makes the Kildare man a perfect fit for going up against the defending champions, Cullen made a clear case.

"I think he's the best chop tackler in the game, that I've come across," he said.

Remarkably, this is just a third ever Champions Cup appearance for the Ireland international, whose career was been chequered by injury since 2021.

With La Rochelle boasting big ball-carriers like Will Skelton, Jonathan Danty and Greg Alldritt to name just three, Cullen believes his ability to stop the French side's momentum will be vital.

"In terms of getting guys on their backs, and they've got some big guys, so getting them on their backs and make them have to work, I think he delivers that in spades," he added.

"I thought he did a good job in the pool stage [game], and we'll see how he goes tomorrow.

"But he's a great guy in the squad, lads love playing with him, and Josh [van der Flier] will give good impact as well, like he did over there, and we'll need that over the course of the game.

"We've got some good quality coming off the bench so those guys need to be able to deliver impact off the bench and it allows the starters to go hard and deliver, they're not sort of conserving any energy,