This weekend promises to be a feast for rugby fans with Leinster spoiling an otherwise all-French party in Dublin.
By Declan Whooley
The action gets underway tonight with Stade Francais looking to upset the odds and deprive Leinster the chance to hold both European trophies, even if it is for less than 24 hours.
Brian O’Driscoll may have decided to slug it out for another season, but this game has come too early for him, while Gordon D’Arcy also misses out from the side that dismantled Biarritz so comprehensively in the semi-final.
The opposing captains tonight are more than familiar with each other
Stade coach Christophe Laussucq, like Schmidt, is departing at the end of the season and could provide that little added motivation for his troops, while the battle between Sergio Parisse and Jamie Heaslip could be worth the admission fee alone. Their pack is notably dogged and American lock Scott Lavala will be keener than most to impress after failing to make the cut in a provincial set-up after four years in Trinity.
However Joe Schmidt’s side should have too much firepower and add yet another European crown to their list of growing silverware.
Here are some Amlin numbers to digest ahead of the big one tonight:
26
Lineouts taken by Stade Francais player Pierre Rabadan in the competition
3
Number of European finals Stade have competed in and lost, two Heineken Cup finals and an Amlin loss to Harlequins in 2011.
14
Number of seasons since Leinster last lost to a French team at Donnybrook. Since Stade beat them in 1999, eight different teams have tried but failed to lower Leinster colours at the RDS.
Heineken Cup Final:
The main event takes place tomorrow evening at the Aviva and an intriguing clash is in prospect between the two sides currently topping the Top 14, with the game being billed in most quarters as a clash between a highly functional/forward-orientated Toulon and a more expansive free-flowing Clermont outfit.
There’s no doubt that Jonny Wilkinson is the cornerstone of this Toulon side and any penalty will be punished severely by the out-half. And 10 years on from that World Cup winning drop-goal against Australia, you wouldn’t back against a repeat trick if the game is in the melting pot with the clock ticking down.
Heineken Cup by numbers:
21
Millions in revenue expected to be generated for the Dublin economy this weekend as a result of both finals.
667
Metres made by Napolioni Nalaga in the competition this season, more than any other player.
49
Defenders that Napolioni Nalaga and Wesley Fofana have beaten in Europe this season, the top two in the category.
1
Number of scorers when Toulon lost 24-21 away to Clermont in the Top 14 this season, with all the points coming from the boot of Jonny Wilkinson. The other game was a draw, 26 apiece at the Stade Mayol.
10
The number of French-born players that started for Clermont and Toulouse in the semi-finals.
84
Number of tackles made by Clermont’s Julien Bonnaire, more than anyone else on the pitch on Saturday. Only Kelly Brown (92) has more.
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