Two teams that, traditionally, loved to fling the ball around.
Leinster and Bath meet up this Saturday, in the Champions Cup quarter-final, at the Aviva Stadium.
The two sides have four European Cup titles to their name and, in the past 20 years, have boasted enough star names to adequate man a Panamax Class cargo-ship.
We have looked at some of their best sides, and players, over the Heineken/Champions Cup era and compiled our definitive dream team.
Backs
A few names simply had to be included – Brian O’Driscoll, Jason Robinson, Johnny Sexton and Isa Nacewa. Jeremy Guscott controversially edges out Gordon D’Arcy while Ieaun Evans displaces Shane Horgan on the right wing.
Nacewa drops to fullback, which means there is no place for Rob Kearney. Bath’s Heineken Cup winning scrum-half, in 1998, was Andy Nicol but he cannot hold a candle to four-time winner [once with Wasps] Eoin Reddan.
Forwards
With Cian Healy and Lee Mears automatic selections, the big front row call is Mike Ross over Victor Ubogu. While we selected Malcolm O’Kelly and Steve Borthwick in the second row, it could have easily been Leo Cullen, Brad Thorn and, at a stretch, Bath’s Danny Grewcock.
Leinster all over the back row like a lampshade. Ultimately, we opted for Rocky Elsom, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip rather than O’Brien, Shane Jennings and Heaslip. The only Bath players that threatened to break the Leinster monopoly were Springbok flanker Francois Louw and former United States No.8 Dan Lyle.
SportsJOE’s Leinster-Bath Dream Team
Replacements: Dave Hilton (Bath), Sean Cronin (Leinster), Victor Ubogu (Bath), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Andy Nicol (Bath), Mike Catt (Bath), Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster), Rob Kearney (Leinster).
Coach: Joe Schmidt (Leinster)
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