Henshaw in Leinster team for La Rochelle showdown
Robbie Henshaw has been named in the Leinster team for the eagerly awaited showdown against Champions Cup holders La Rochelle tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 5.30pm).
The Athlone man and Jamie Osborne will form the centre partnership once more in Saturday's game at the Aviva Stadium which will be shown live on RTÉ2.
In an interview with the Irish Times ahead of the clash with La Rochelle, Henshaw admitted that winning the Champions Cup for the fifth time is an obsession for the province.
“It is an obsession,” Henshaw said. “Within this club it is an obsession. It is huge. We are not shy about saying what we want to achieve and that definitely is the fifth star. So yeah, it is an obsession for everyone, from our head coach [down].”
Henshaw was on the Leinster team which defeated Racing 92 in the 2018 final played in Bilbao, but the men in blue have endured a series of near misses when trying to win the biggest prize in European club rugby since.
Indeed, Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle outfit edged out Leinster in the last two finals - in Marseille in 2022, and in Dublin last year.
Having got married to long time partner Sophie Marren on March 21 shortly Six Nations success with Ireland, Robbie quickly returned to action in the BKT United Rugby Championship match against Vodacom Bulls on March 29.
Henshaw had to enter the 'graduated return to play protocols' following that game, but was able to play in the Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 win over Leicester Tiger last Saturday. And now Henshaw and Leinster are getting ready for another massive encounter against La Rochelle.
Leinster team (vs La Rochelle): Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Jason Jenkins; Ryan Baird, Will Connors, Caelan Doris (captain).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Michael Milne, Michael Ala'alatoa, Ross Molony, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Josh van der Flier.