Doris urges Leinster to seize chance against Toulouse after European pain
Leinster captain Caelan Doris has urged his side to use the pain of successive European Champions Cup final defeats to fuel their bid for glory against Toulouse on Saturday.
Irish province Leinster have lost the past two finals to La Rochelle, including an extraordinary match in Dublin last season, when they were beaten after surging into an early 17-point lead.
Dublin-based Leinster are aiming to equal Toulouse's record of five Champions League titles when they take on the French giants at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
"I suppose you're running towards the opportunity to do something special with your best mates and a very close group," Ireland back-row forward Doris said on Friday.
"You've got that side of things pulling you forward and then you've got the hurt and the thought back in the dressing rooms over the last couple of years, and the feelings waking up on that Sunday and Monday (after the final) in particular.
"You don't want to feel that again."
Saturday's match will be the first time the European heavyweights have met in the final, although Leinster beat Toulouse in the 2022 and 2023 semi-finals.
Leinster boss Leo Cullen downplayed the importance of previous meetings, saying: "It's a new day".
His thoughts were echoed by Toulouse counterpart Ugo Mola, who said: "It's a final, already. We're no longer on the semi-final field. We're not at Leinster."
Nevertheless, Mola added: "They are an incredible team. This is effectively the Ireland team, with 90 percent of its squad. They need no introduction but we're focused on ourselves."
Will Connors has been selected ahead of Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier in Leinster's starting side.
Connors started instead of Van der Flier in both of the Irish province's pool and quarter-final wins over La Rochelle, but was left out of the matchday squad for the semi-final win over Northampton.
Van der Flier is on the bench, with Cullen opting for a six-two split of forwards and backs among the replacements.
- 'Good combination' -
"Josh van der Flier coming off the bench will be huge as he's such a dynamic player," said Cullen.
"Will Connors has been excellent in a couple of games he has played. Hopefully we've got a good combination there. I think it is important that we have that freshness in these big games."
Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan is also back in the starting XV for his first Champions Cup appearance since the last 16 after proving his fitness in a United Rugby Championship defeat by Ulster last weekend.
Leinster co-captain and lock James Ryan is on the bench.
Toulouse have made just one change from the matchday 23 that beat Harlequins 38-26 in the semi-finals, with Joshua Brennan on the bench, after Blair Kinghorn was again selected ahead of Thomas Ramos.
"It's never nice to take out players who deserve to start playing this kind of event just as much," said Mola of his decision to bench Ramos.
"But it's more about a general balance rather than Thomas being in competition with Blair. Hopefully, Thomas can bring all his experience at the end of the match."
O.Jonstone--EWJ
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