Steve Tandy’s men secured a third placed finish in the regular season to set up a Thomond Park showdown with second placed Munster. The trip across the Irish sea will hold no fear for the Liberty Stadium side, who triumphed 19-14 in the Limerick cauldron back in September to prove their title credentials.
12 of the starting XV who emerged with the four points that day return looking for a repeat result and a place in the Kingspan Stadium final against the winner of Friday night’s clash between Glasgow Warriors and Ulster. Ben John is the one back who didn’t start that day and partners Josh Matevesi in the centre. Eli Walker, Jeff Hassler and Dan Evans form the back three with the PRO12’s dream team half-backs Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb pulling the strings.
Alun Wyn Jones will lock horns with Ireland great Paul O’Connell in the second-row. Backing Jones and Ardron up is a full-strength, international back-row of Justin Tipuric, Dan Lydiate and Dan Baker.
Head Coach Tandy said: “We’re at the stage of the season now where it’s all about what happens on the day. The 22 game season is done and dusted, it’s not about bonus tries, or who finishes where. Everything rests on the next 80 minutes and who performs the best on the day. What’s gone earlier in the season has gone. We won’t be reading too much into the two wins against Munster, and you’d expect that would be the same for them. It’s all about Saturday
“Our prep has been good this week. It’s been important to keep the routine the same as normal, to keep the same habits, the fact that it is a semi-final makes no difference in how we approach the game. We have to be consistent in how we do things, ensure that we follow the same practices and habits that have got us to this point. To that end it’s a good mental test of a young group and how they deal with the different pressures of the week.”
