Leo Cullen predicts a massive "aerial battle" when Leinster take on the Bulls but ruled Hugo Keenan out of contention for the BKT URC semi-final.
The Ireland full-back switched his attention to Sevens rugby following Leinster's Champions Cup final defeat to Toulouse.
Keenan made his comeback at the Madrid Sevens and was in Croatia at the weekend in a Rugby Europe competition in which Ireland lost out in the final to France.
Having said he intends to "fully commit" to the side ahead of the Olympics Games this summer, he appeared to rule himself out of the remainder of Leinster’s campaign, and Cullen confirmed Keenan won’t rejoin the squad for the trip to Pretoria this week.
"No. Not for the semi-final. One game at a time. He won’t be playing in South Africa," Cullen told RTÉ Sport.
Leinster have recorded derby wins over Connacht and Ulster to reach the semi-final and Saturday’s win at the Aviva will have given Cullen’s side a taste of what to expect when they face the Bulls.
Having beaten Leinster twice this season, thanks largely to a well-executed kicking game, Richie Murphy’s side stuck to the template and did enjoy some return from high balls targetting the backfield, where Ross Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park were often covering.
With 46% possession, the visitors kicked 29 times from hand in the 43-20 loss.
Over in Pretoria, where the Bulls scraped past Benetton, Jake White’s side operated off just 43% possession and 37% territory.
They kicked 33 times out of hand during the 30-23 win, in which Johan Goosen scored 15 points off the tee.
"The aerial game will be massively important," Cullen said.
"I watched the very start of that [Bulls v Benetton] game Bulls, the kick that bounced and Kurt-lee Arendse scored that try.
"There is so much experience in our group, it’s just about embracing the challenge now, making sure we are imposing our game on the opposition.
"We played the Bulls in Round 13 when they had a fully loaded group.
"We were coming off the back of the Six Nations and we had a mix of some guys coming back from the Six Nations.
"We are hugely excited, you don’t want it to end really.
"For the group it is about embracing the challenge, it will be hard but it’s brilliant and we want to get excited by it. It’s different but hugely exciting nonetheless."
Jimmy O’Brien started at full-back in the last two games for Leinster, scoring twice against Connacht and posing a threat on the ball against Ulster.
However, 27-year-old Keenan is regarded as one of the world’s best full-backs and given the importance of winning a first trophy since 2021 to their fans, Cullen was asked about the decision to allow Keenan to move codes.
"You have to understand for all our fans, the group as well, you want a top end player like Hugo, he has been an unbelievable servant for Leinster and for Ireland, he is still a relatively young man," he said.
"He gets the opportunity to represent Ireland and to win an Olympic medal.
"If you look through his lens, it is a difficult choice for him to make, he felt bad, particularly off the back of losing the Champions Cup final. He doesn’t like leaving the group.
"But again there is an opportunity there and it is one of those tough choices.
"Everyone has to support him in making a tough choice.
"There are two amazing opportunities really and you just want to support players because again you want to give them opportunities so in the future when we are playing a match like the Bulls it won’t be in an Olympic cycle.
"You hope when he is up for contract next and has the opportunity to go somewhere else, he goes, 'I want to stay here because of the loyalty and support that everyone has given me'."
Cullen said he expects all of Saturday’s panel to be on the flight to South Africa, while Garry Ringrose and Jack Conan are "good to go, the plan is for them to travel."
Simple, beautiful rugby 🥹
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) June 8, 2024
David Kriel gets the Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby crowd on their feet with their third try of the match!@vodacom #URC #BULvBEN pic.twitter.com/619mr9D7jk
Saturday’s game (3pm, Irish time, live on RTÉ), will be Leinster’s first away URC play-off game since the final in 2019.
"It is a great challenge, that's what you want," said Cullen of the Bulls, who will be without injured Springboks duo Arendse (face) and Canan Moodie (finger).
"You want different experiences. That's the beauty of having the big four South African teams in the competition.
"You think back to professionalism and lots of us have been around for that and where we've got to with expectations and pressures.
"I know we haven't won the last three finals but that was a thing of dreams to play in three finals in a row in the Champions Cup, the old European Cup. We've had plenty of success in the competition as well, so the work that goes into getting to that point.
"At certain times when you have the altitude plus the heat but at this time of year, it's the middle of wintertime, probably similar temperature to our summer. But I think our guys will be okay."
Watch highlights of all the weekend's action on Against the Head, 7pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
