Where Simon Zebo believes the Champions Cup final will be decided

Simon Zebo believes that Jamison Gibson-Park coming out on top of the scrum-half head-to-head with Bordeaux’s Maxime Lucu will be key to Leinster winning the “holy grail” of a fifth Investec Champions Cup crown in Bilbao tomorrow.

Zebo, 36, has picked the battle between the two number nines as the one to watch as Leinster seek to win their first Champions Cup final victory since 2018, which, coincidentally, was also at San Mamés Stadium when they saw off Racing 92 15-12.

French international Lucu scored tries in the round of 16 win over Leicester Tigers and the semi-final victory over Bath, and Zebo believes that stopping him from pulling the strings will be key to a potential victory.

“Lucu’s form has been out of this world, and he could be my player of the championship if Bordeaux were able to get over the line. So Gibson-Park will be crucial for Leinster if they want to have a chance.

“He really needs to play at his very best, and if he does, Leinster could do it. He is so good in big moments and pressure moments, and has been for quite a number of times with Ireland as well.

Fixture

Investec Champions Cup

Leinster

19 - 41

Full-time

Bordeaux

All Stats and Data

“So that Lucu & Gibson-Park, who gets front foot ball, who’s able to pull the strings a bit more for their, for either side, and I think that will have a massive bearing on the game. That’s one head-to-head. I’m really looking forward to.

“Gibson-Park will be putting pressure on him at scrum time. He’ll be chasing him around the back line when Lucu, who’s looking to get a second touch. He’ll be in his face all day, you’d imagine.

“Everything except putting kick pressure on his box kicks because he’s too short, but everything else, he’ll be right there after them, no doubt,” he laughs.

Bath showed in their semi-final defeat that teams can have success against Bordeaux with accurate box kicking, and Zebo thinks it’s an area that Leinster will do well to take advantage.

“Bath had a lot of success with box kicking against Bordeaux in that semi-final. I think that could be an entry point for Leinster to get momentum on their side and to start the game well because Leinster traditionally start really, really well.

“And usually blow teams out of the water in that first 20 minutes, similar to what Toulouse tried to do to Bordeaux. If Bordeaux can withstand that 20 minutes or if Leinster don’t get a lead, you’d sway towards Bordeaux winning it.

“But if Leinster are able to get off to a good start, then this is right up in the air, and it’s going to be as good a contest as we’ve seen all tournament because there’s such a clash in styles. I have to give Leinster a lot of credit. They are within a 50-50 shot of winning the Holy Grail,” he adds.

Premier Sports is the host broadcaster of the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup across the UK and Ireland.  This weekend, Premier Sports will bring rugby fans live action from the EPCR Challenge Cup Final as Ulster take on Montpellier in Bilbao on Friday (Premier Sports 1 from 7pm); plus Saturday afternoon’s Investec Champions Cup Final between Bordeaux-Bègles and Leinster Rugby (live on Premier Sports 1 from 1.45pm).  To join in visit www.premiersports.com @PremSportsTV for more than 400 top flight club rugby fixtures every season across EPCR, URC, Top 14, MLR in the USA and Japan League One.