Cullen warns Leinster to be ready for tough challenge

• Date: 19 December 2020
• Published date: 19 December 2020
• Author: Gerry Thornley

Although it's early days yet, by close of business tomorrow evening we will be halfway through the pool stages, and the prize for topping Pool A would not only ensure playing the second leg of the quarter-finals at home, but would have the additional carrot of home country advantage in the semi-final stages.

They welcome back a half dozen frontline Irish internationals into their starting XV in the shape of Garry Ringrose, Jamison Gibson-Park, Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter and James Ryan, as well as promoting two probable internationals of the future in Harry Byrne and Ryan Baird.

Northampton also make eight changes from the side which lost 16-12 to Bordeaux-Begles in round one, although even without Courtney Lawes and the injured Dan Biggar it is not exactly a team of greenhorns. Chris Boyd also makes two positional switches, with four-times capped England fullback George Furbank providing his running threat from outhalf.

Noting the many established names within their starting XV, which includes a half dozen internationals, Leo Cullen also noted the presence of four players of Test standard on the their bench in the dual World Cup-winning tighthead Owen Franks, who earned 108 caps for the All Blacks, Teimana Harrison, Piers Francis and Matt Proctor.

'Chop and change'

"Teams are going to chop and change, that's just the nature of managing a squad and prioritising different things at different times of the year," said Cullen. "But you couldn't tell me that that's a...