Cullen: We Will Relish Saracens Challenge

Rugby fans at home and abroad are licking their lips at the prospect of unbeaten Leinster and defending champions Saracens colliding in the last-eight of the Champions Cup, following confirmation of the quarter-final line-up on Sunday. The clash will take place at the Aviva Stadium over Easter weekend.

Leinster finished top of Pool 3 thanks to six wins out of six over Exeter Chiefs, Montpellier and GUINNESS PRO14 rivals, Glasgow Warriors. They scored 176 points and 22 tries in the process, with Saracens the only team to score more with 205 points and 24 tries following their thumping 62-14 round 6 defeat of Northampton Saints.

Tickets for the much-anticipated showdown between Leinster v Saracens will go on sale to Leinster Rugby Season Ticket holders first, with the general sale commencing on Tuesday, February 6, via leinsterrugby.ie and Ticketmaster only.

Speaking to the Leinster website after the tie with the two-time European champions was confirmed, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen first reflected on the hard work that went into making it through to the quarter-finals with home advantage.

“Our focus all along was to just get out of our pool given that we were drawn against three teams at the top of their respective domestic competitions,” he said. “The players and the backroom staff have worked incredibly hard to achieve that goal and to achieve the home quarter-final in the Aviva Stadium on Easter weekend.

“The challenge doesn’t get any easier against a Saracens team looking for three Champion Cup titles in a row. They’re well coached under Mark McCall and have an array of English and foreign talent at their disposal and they’re showing good form in Europe and in the Premiership. They’re the top try scorers in both competitions so we’re under no illusions as to the task ahead.”

There is a while to wait until the quarter-final encounter, but Cullen and the squad are looking forward to the challenge that awaits, with the Leinster support expected to be out in force at the Aviva Stadium for a third time this season.

“It’s a while away yet but great to know who we have and we can start planning. It’s a challenge that we very much look forward to and I know the Leinster supporters will respond in kind to make it a brilliant occasion at the Aviva.”