This is what dream finals are made of

If at the outset of the current Heineken Champions Cup campaign, you were trying to pick the ‘ideal’ final – accepting that, objectively, it doesn’t exist and everyone is subjective anyway – there’s a strong possibility that you’d have landed on Leinster v Saracens.

The competition’s holders, with four previous wins, against the side they succeeded as champions, who had begun the 2017-18 campaign seeking a three-in-a-row and are now aiming to regain the crown. It’s hard to argue against the pair being the top two in European club rugby right now and all of the ingredients are there for a classic final at Newcastle’s St James’s Park at 5pm on Saturday.

For those seeking omens – and, as we know, omens are always stronger than on-field ability – Leinster’s first four European titles have come with final wins against four different opponents and Saracens would be a fifth, following on from Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Ulster and Racing 92 last year.

While they are the dominant forces in Europe in recent years, it’s only the fourth meeting between the sides. Leinster won both games when they were paired in the pool stages in 2010-11 but those games carry no weight now, while last year’s 30-19 quarter-final win for Leo Cullen’s side carries an asterisk or two in that it was at the Aviva Stadium and Irish rugby was on a high after winning the grand slam at Twickenham.

Leinster have responded well since Ireland’s disappointing – by the standards of recent times – Six Nations campaign

This time round, the sides meet on English soil and it is the Saracens players who will have the grand-slam bump behind them.

That said, Leinster have responded well since Ireland’s disappointing – by the standards of recent times – Six Nations campaign. While they lived by the seat of their pants a little bit in the quarter-final against Ulster at the Aviva, and may not have recovered if Jacob Stockdale had got ‘that’ try, ultimately they came out on the wrong side of the result, despite the team missing more than a few key men.

With Jonathan Sexton back to conduct the play against Toulouse in the semi-final, Leinster were closer to the animal we’re more familiar with, indicating that their form is on an upward curve, notwithstanding the one-point loss to Ulster with an under-strength side a fortnight ago.

Injuries to important players are a fact of life in rugby, with a top side generally having about a third of its squad carrying some level of niggle, but Leinster this season have definitely had the thinner end of that wedge. In that regard, things could be turning at the right time – hooker Seán Cronin is likely to be back after the calf injury he sustained against Toulouse. In addition, Rhys Rudock and Andrew Porter are available after missing the semi-final.

Somebody who is still out is Jamison Gibson-Park, but the scrum-half’s absence has a silver lining in that it means fellow southern-hemisphere players James Lowe and Scott Fardy can be selected to start

While Josh van der Flier won’t be fit, he could nevertheless make an incredible recovery from the groin injury that looked to have ruled him out for the season, giving them an extra option for the Pro14 semi-final against Munster on Saturday week.

Somebody who is still out is Jamison Gibson-Park, but the scrum-half’s absence has a silver lining in that it means fellow southern-hemisphere players James Lowe and Scott Fardy can be selected to start by Cullen. The other beneficiary is 21-year-old Hugh O’Sullivan, with the academy graduate set to take his place on the bench as back-up to first-choice number nine Luke McGrath. He got a couple of minutes as a replacement against Toulouse and while it would be a massive test if he were called upon, the Leinster set-up hasn’t been found wanting in producing fully formed stars straight out of the game – just look at James Ryan if any proof is needed.

Saracens warmed up for Saturday by beating their main rivals for the Premiership title, Exeter Chiefs, on a 38-7 scoreline last weekend. While both sides had second-string teams out, such a victory against the next best team in England just shows how deep the Saracens squad is. While Mako Vunipola wasn’t involved and wore a protective boot, he is expected to be back for the final.

Vunipola and his brother Billy – who endured such a “tough week” ahead of the Munster semi-final, as the TV commentators kept reminding us – are part of a supremely talented pack. This provides the platform for the equally skilled back division, led by Owen Farrell, the chance to shine.

Leinster may not cede as much territory to Saracens in the opening half and are more likely to take more of a front-foot approach

In the last four, Munster defended heroically in the first half but still wound up trailing 12-9 at half-time and once Saracens got in for a try soon after the restart, it was hard to escape the feeling that that was it.

Leinster may not cede as much territory to Saracens in the opening half and are more likely to take more of a front-foot approach, with a backline capable of starting strongly and asking questions of the Sarries defence. You sense, though, that the English side are just as capable of standing up such a challenge.

‘Dream finals’ like this one often turn out to be disappointing affairs but the conditions certainly exist for Saturday evening to provide us with a game to remember. However, green-tinted glasses mean that a 3-0 Leinster win would be more preferable to a 36-35 defeat.

Next week, we will focus properly on what we hope and expect will have been a rip-roaring start to the Munster and Leinster Senior Hurling Championships.

Both of those and the Tyrone-Derry Ulster football clash signal the ‘real’ start of summer GAA fare, with Galway and Mayo having expected Connacht football wins over London and New York last weekend.