Brian O’Driscoll has tipped former side Leinster to surge through the rounds of the European Rugby Champions Cup which kicks off this weekend across the continent.
The Irish rugby legend – who will feature as part of BT Sport’s coverage of the competition – believes his old team and Toulouse are destined to meet once again.
However, O’Driscoll also picked out a handful of other runners and riders who could make a surge in the tournament with some outsiders threatening to make waves.
RadioTimes.com spoke exclusively to O’Driscoll ahead of the opening round of European Rugby Champions Cup matches.
Champions Cup predictions
Exclusive chat with Ireland and Leinster rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll.
The big thing over the last few years where Leinster have come unstuck in finals and semi-finals is around their physical game. Against Saracens it definitely did feel that way, you know, because they got done twice.
It does feel that another year of experience and looking particularly at the front row – that Irish front row – it just brings another dimension to them with Furlong, Kelleher, Porter and Cian Healy on the bench, having Dan Sheehan, who’s this new breakthrough sensation on the bench as well.
All of a sudden you’ve got really top quality international players playing in a province where in the past, Leinster might have struggled. If you can build performance around that and have your X factor in the backline and getting guys like Caelan Doris playing well, I just feel as though they’ve got all the attributes to definitely get to the semi-finals and finals.
I can’t see beyond Toulouse and Leinster, maybe with a smattering of English clubs in there, with maybe Racing if they hit their straps.
I’m excited to see more of Harlequins, I think they’re playing well this year. Leicester are nine from nine in the Premiership in a good bit of form there and George Ford playing with a real chip on his shoulder.
It does feel as though the barren years of the last decade are forgotten. Can they translate that Premiership form into Europe? And if they can, if they can win away from home this weekend against Bordeaux, then they’d be a great bet.
Racing have done three finals but now have shown a bit of poor form over the last months, you’d be nervous for them, particularly having to go to Saints who are doing okay in the Premiership this time around. It’s really hard to call it on Round One.
We haven’t even mentioned Munster because of their predicament, they’re vastly improved and they’ve been decent in the URC. They’re playing a much better brand, offloading, they realised they’ve had to evolve their game.
Clermont are a weird one. We shied away from talking about them as perennial underachievers. They’ve fallen away from that conversation, so it’d be good to have them back.
I’m excited about what unknowns might come at us this season because it always feels as though there will be one Bordeaux last year, maybe a bit of Racing or La Rochelle – who’s going to be the outlier this time around?
It’s those that start well, maybe those who win away first up. You look at someone like Bristol. Sometimes you need something like Europe to act as the catalyst for the rest of your season to get going.
BT Sport is the home of European Rugby Champions Cup.
The 2021/22 season kicks off with a weekend full of games, including Leinster v Bath live on BT Sport 2 at 3.15pm on Saturday 11th December.
Find out more information on how to watch at BT Sport bt.com/sport
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