Conor O'Shea tells GAVIN CUMMISKEYwhy Saturday's clash is anything but a foregone conclusion

CONOR O’SHEA chuckles at the comparison. For Ulster’s progress to the Heineken Cup final see Harlequins’ giant leap into the Aviva Premiership decider, also at Twickenham, on Saturday week.

Replace Leinster with the kings of the English game, the Leicester Tigers.

Winning a knockout European game at Thomond Park also helps. Harlequins and Ulster are the only teams to ever achieve this feat.

It leaves O’Shea, as the Quins director of rugby, well placed to run the rule over Saturday’s all-Irish showdown.

“Yes, I see the parallel with ’Quins and Ulster in that we intend to grow stronger and stronger over the coming years.

“A win for Ulster changes their whole mindset and dynamic as a club.

“A loss wouldn’t be the end of the world but it certainly helps when you start winning silverware. For us, winning in the Amlin Challenge Cup last year was a massive fillip of belief.”

Of course, O’Shea hails from Terenure College, via a deep Kerry bloodline, but his is a legitimate English perspective, having nurtured his impressive sporting CV in the UK since joining London Irish as a hard running fullback in 1995.

His reputation has taken a staggering leap of late, what with Harlequins surpassing their pre-Bloodgate status in just three years.

What we wanted to know of O’Shea is simple: how on earth can Ulster prevail? The answer is quite simple.

The Ulster pack must replicate what they did to Leicester and Clermont at Ravenhill. That means making Brad Thorn look 37, cleaving Seán O’Brien’s tree trunks, shunting Jamie Heaslip backwards and smearing his best pal Cian Healy with some Twickenham dirt.

The names of Ulster forwards must ring out come Saturday night and not the aforementioned quartet.

“Their pack must cut off the source of Leinster ball. That means dominating the set-piece.

“Ulster have shown the whole way through the competition that their lineout is exceptional with Johann Muller in command.

“Declan Fitzpatrick did very well against Edinburgh but John Afoa has been an absolute force of nature for them this season, both around the pitch, defensively and in the scrum. He does more than is expected of a tighthead.

“It is going to be about the destructiveness of Stephen Ferris with Muller, Afoa, Rory Best and Chris Henry being the most influential players on the day.

“Muller is their pack leader, but Ferris is their talisman. It is the way he carries and the timing of the hits he puts in that is so important.”

Only then can we talk about Ruan Pienaar and his long-range accuracy from placed balls.

“Yes, he has been the most influential person in getting them there because his goal kicking has just been out of this world in the knockout stages.

“When you go through their team anybody who thinks this will be a foregone conclusion must see that they are wrong.

“It will be a lot tighter than many people think.”

We then offer O’Shea the opportunity to contradict himself. Are Leinster not the best team in Europe?

“Yes, they are. And they have the best squad. That doesn’t mean they are going to win.

“I love watching their so-called second team in the Rabo; there is no difference in the way they play, with such tempo and their accuracy is exceptional.

“But just because you are the best team doesn’t mean, as history has shown, you will win the final.

“How did Barcelona lose to Chelsea?”

Defence, luck and accurate counter-attacking! – we reply internally. No need to interrupt the man in full flow. Ask your question and let him answer, unlike the RTÉ panel, who constantly disrupt his nuggets of wisdom.

“Barcelona are the best team in Europe but Chelsea beat them. The gulf between the two sides on Saturday isn’t as big as that.”

He then comes up with the Irishman’s version of the Adidas slogan:

“Anything is doable.”

Much like Ulster are comparable to ’Quins, the achievements of O’Shea and his opposite number David Humphreys is not dissimilar.

“For short-term success you have to go and get guys like Muller, Afoa and Pienaar. Humphs has invested well but you can also see the young guys coming through. Short-term success and long-term planning.”

He is very close to edging for a surprise Ulster victory but then he remembers the dreamlike sequence of last year’s second half against Northampton.

“After what Leinster did that day there will be a belief even if Ulster get on top of them. It is a belief that they can do anything.

“Leinster have built a culture around that and Ulster are trying to build something similar. You have to start somewhere.”

Expert View

KIERON DAWSON

Ex-Ulster and Ireland flanker

How do Ulster win this game?

Squeeze the life out of them. Cut off the supply. Get numbers into the breakdown. The backrows are the main strengths of both sides. Kick loosely and Leinster will punish you. There is no margin for error really against them.

Who will be Ulster’s and Leinster’s most influential players?

It’ll be interesting to see who Leinster pick at nine as it will tell how they are going to play. Reddan gets the ball away very quickly, whereas Boss is stronger and as a former Ulster player he’ll have a point to prove. I think if we get to their halfbacks, Ulster have a chance. That brings it back to the backrow battle.

There is an eight-point handicap in Ulster’s favour – call it?

Yeah, that is pretty accurate. The thing with Leinster is they can score from literally anywhere. They’ve a strong pack and their backs are lethal. I don’t think Ulster have the ability to score as many tries but we saw in the quarter-final how strong their defence can be. Stingy defence against the best attacking team in Europe. My head says Leinster.

GEORDAN MURPHY

Leicester and Ireland fullback

How do Ulster win this game?

They must turn it into a dog fight. Granted, the physicality of Leinster is their main strength, right across the board, as it allows them create space for the slickness of their backline to prosper. But Ulster must make it an arm wrestle; the intensity of their performance against us in Ravenhill is their template. They hoed into us at the breakdown and got over our ball. It was all passion, all night long.

Who will be Ulster’s and Leinster’s most influential players?

Sexton will run the show as usual. So too Ruan Pienaar, if he is allowed. Leinster’s backrow should try and hurt him early on. Not so easy to land all those long-range penalties with a dead leg or bruised ribs. Although Pedrie Wannenburg, Stephen Ferris and the hugely-underrated Chris Henry might have something to say about this.

There is an eight-point handicap in Ulster’s favour – call it?

I think eight points is about right. Leinster are the better side. Ulster will raise their game to new heights but so will Leinster and that will be the difference. Two scores sounds about right.

CONOR O’SHEA

Harlequins coach and ex-Ireland fullback

How do Ulster win this game?

Set-piece. Ulster have shown the whole way through the competition that their lineout is exceptional with Johann Muller. John Afoa and Rory Best in the scrum are also hugely important. That’s where it starts.

Who will be Ulster’s and Leinster’s most influential players?

Pienaar and Sexton, obviously, but from an Ulster perspective it is going to be about Stephen Ferris, Johann Muller, John Afoa and Rory Best – who always performs for them anyway – being the most influential players on the day.

There is an eight-point handicap in Ulster’s favour – call it?

The bookies are very rarely wrong. It probably will be an eight-point game but would I be surprised if Ulster came out with a massive performance and won? Not at all