Croke Park Will Be Set for URC Final if Leinster Win
If Leinster manage to defeat Glasgow Warriors in Saturday’s semi-final clash, Croke Park will officially host the BTK United Rugby Championship Grand Final on June 14. Leinster’s usual home ground, the RDS, is currently under redevelopment, so the team has been playing their home matches at both the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park over the past two seasons. Just this past weekend, 12,879 fans showed up at the Aviva to watch Leo Cullen’s squad take down the Scarlets in the quarter-final.
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Familiar Territory at Croke Park
Leinster have grown increasingly comfortable at Croke Park. They played Munster there in Round 4 of the URC back in October, and more recently hosted Harlequins in the Champions Cup round of 16 in April. Now, with a spot in the URC final on the line, a win this weekend would bring them back to the iconic venue once again. However, if Glasgow pull off an upset, the final will instead be held in South Africa.
South African Challenge Looms
On the other side of the bracket, the Bulls are set to face the Sharks in Pretoria. The Sharks are riding high after knocking out Munster in the quarter-finals and are looking to carry that momentum into another strong performance on South African soil.
Injury Updates and Player News
Good news for Leinster fans: Jordan Larmour is back in full training after recovering from injury and is expected to be available for selection this week. However, there are a few players still in doubt. Josh van der Flier, part of Andy Farrell’s Lions squad, is being closely monitored after sustaining a hamstring issue during Saturday’s game. According to senior coach Jacques Nienaber, the staff will give him every chance to prove his fitness before making a final call. Meanwhile, centre Garry Ringrose (calf) and wing Tommy O’Brien (foot) will also be assessed in the coming days as Leinster prepares for one of their biggest matches of the season.
