IT REMAINS TO be seen if Will Skelton is back from his knee injury for La Rochelle when they name their team to face Leinster this afternoon.

They won’t be a bit surprised in Leinster camp if the totemic Australian international second row has indeed been passed fit.

Skelton was injured during La Rochelle’s win over Clermont on 21 December and has missed their two Top 14 games since, with uncertainty over his fitness this week.

However, French media have predicted that Skelton will be in La Rochelle’s starting XV for Sunday’s Champions Cup battle against Leinster at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

And that seemed to be Leinster’s sense of it earlier this week.

“He’s always fit for the Leinster game, no matter what,” said Leinster lock Joe McCarthy with a smile when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.

“You don’t even look at the injury reports or whatever!”

McCarthy was hopeful about getting another chance to lock horns with Skelton, who has done damage to Leinster in the past with his influential performances in La Rochelle’s two Champions Cup final wins over the Irish province in 2022 and 2023.

Skelton also hurt them during his time with Saracens but they’ve had happier experiences on the last two occasions, beating Skelton and La Rochelle twice last season.

“I’ve played against him a few times, it’s a good challenge, he’s a real good second row so we really relish it because he’s a big, physical second row and you kind of find out where you’re at playing against those kind of guys,” said McCarthy.

“We have a big, physical team ourselves at the moment so…”

McCarthy during Leinster's win in La Rochelle last season. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Skelton enjoys getting stuck into opponents verbally as well as physically, something McCarthy welcomes even if he’s no expert in this area.

“Yeah, a lot of chirping,” said the Ireland international lock. “I think it’s good. I think it’s kinda funny to hear it and it brings a bit more into the game because if you’re chatting a bit of stuff in the game, you have to bring it.

“But I wouldn’t be as good as maybe chatting during the game, I focus more on my role, but I find it entertaining, it’s kinda funny hearing a bit of chat like that in the game. I like that in the game.”

These two clubs have become very familiar with each other in recent seasons and despite Leinster’s wins against La Rochelle last season, the scars of those final defeats and a semi-final loss in 2021 still exist.

McCarthy made no bones about the strength of feeling between the teams.

“It is a proper rivalry, that’s definitely how it feels. It’s almost like a Munster, similar to that,” he said.

“The training week always feels a bit different but you always try to hold yourself to that high standard. You’re trying to prepare yourself as well as you can because you know if you’re not at your best physically, scrum and maul, it’s going to be a tough day. So there’s definitely a bit of extra edge, mainly in any Champions Cup weeks but with our history against La Rochelle, it’s a bit more personal.”

The physical battle when they met at Stade Marcel Deflandre in the pool stages last season was of the highest intensity, with heavy rain ensuring even more trench warfare than might have been the case.

Leinster just about edged the physical battle in that 16-9 win before they knocked La Rochelle out in the Champions Cup quarter-finals with an impressive 40-13 win in Dublin.

McCarthy carries during last season's quarter-final.

McCarthy believes Leinster are a better team now than when they won in Stade Marcel Deflandre in December 2023 but he stressed that they must bring another level of physicality this weekend.

There has been lots of talk about Leinster’s playing style in recent weeks but McCarthy hopes there is good balance in their approach in La Rochelle.

“In the bigger games, being physical and coming out physically on top is extremely important,” said McCarthy.

“Usually, you come out the right side of the battle. If you have a nice fancy plan and no physicality, that rarely ever works in rugby.

“So we always want to be super physical, on the edge, pressuring teams. But we also want to keep an important part of the Leinster DNA which is attacking really well.

“That’s something we don’t want to come away from so that is something ‘Swifty’ [Tyler Bleyendaal] is very good at drilling into us.

“We want to be as hard and physical as we can but have that ability to play the space. We don’t want to be running into brick walls, we always want to play the space, and using our forwards too.”