Dave Rennie predicts Glasgow and Leinster will bring brutality to Celtic Park.
Warriors boss Rennie is enthused about playing in such a sporting theatre, with 43,000 tickets sold for the PRO14 showpiece decider.
But he knows it won’t be pretty as Glasgow bring their renowned physicality and his expectation is that Leinster will try to match it. ‘We pride ourselves on our brutality and so do they,” stated the Kiwi. “So there will be some sore bodies.
“Leinster are a powerhouse in Europe, they’ll be tough to roll. There’s plenty to play for and we expect to see the boys front up.”
But while Glasgow cantered to a 50-20 victory over Ulster eight days ago, Leinster were embroiled in a second bruising high-stakes encounter in the space of seven days against Munster.
That derby came hot on the heels of the collision with Saracens in the Champions Cup decider.
Rennie admits to praying that Leinster will have lost some of their gas as a result, though Johnny Sexton did not start last week while Rob Kearney was left out completely.
“‘Yeah, I hope so,” said the Kiwi. “But it’s not something we’ve spoken about a lot.
“We’ve focused on us. Sure, from a defensive standpoint, we know what we need to do. But a big focus has been on what we need to bring. Quick ball is essential for us.
“They’ll have a mindset of wanting to get on the ball quickly and slow it down. We know what’s coming.”
Rennie, 55, has turned Glasgow into one of Europe’s top sides again, though they were steamrolled by Sarries in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
Leinster coach Leo Cullen has massive respect for the two-time Super Rugby title winning coach.
“There’s lots of Dave Rennie traits in Glasgow’s game,” said Cullen. “I was lucky enough to go to the Chiefs for a week. I couldn’t speak highly enough of Dave, of how he allowed me access to everything.
“I was coming to the end of my playing career, with having a position in Leinster coaching-wise, and then you get to go away and experience some different environments.
“I learned a huge amount about the way they played but also how you actually deal with people coming in. I’ve so much respect for Dave. He had me around to his house for dinner and I’ve tried to stay in contact since.”
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