Leinster aiming to make it back to back European Champions Cup titles against Saracens
Saturday 11 May 2019 14:03, UK
Bernard Jackman says the victors of the Champions Cup final can claim to be the best club side ever in European rugby.
With the Champions Cup final between Saracens and Leinster taking place on Saturday, starting hooker of Leinster's first triumph in the competition in 2009, Jackman spoke to Rupert Cox on the Will Greenwood Podcast ahead of the weekend's encounter.
All eyes will be on St James' Park with Saracens and Leinster having supplied five of the last eight European Cup winners.
Bookmakers are barely able to separate them ahead of their eagerly-awaited showdown in Newcastle, but Jackman believes Saturday's winners can claim to be Europe's best ever team.
The Irish provincial club are going for five titles, which would be a record, overtaking Toulouse, while Saracens are seeking their third in four years.
As two sides very familiar to this occasion prepare to lock horns, Jackman said: "Both these teams are incredibly well-equipped to deal with the hype surrounding a European Cup final.
"I think that whoever wins this game can potentially say they're the best team in Europe ever, because I feel that both teams are primed to deliver.
"I think it's massive from a Leinster point of view for players like Johnny Sexton, Dave Kearney and James Ryan who had disappointing Six Nations to finish this club season on a high with silverware to sling-shot them on a high into the World Cup.
"Saracens are a better-drilled side than Racing 92 last year [which Leinster won 15-12], have more strength in depth so this will be the ultimate test for Leinster. For the current squad, they would get massive satisfaction from that."
It is the English champions who start as marginal favourites after establishing themselves as the dominant force in continental rugby in recent times, despite losing 30-19 to this weekend's opponents at the quarter-final stage last season.
You can follow all of the action from St James' Park on the Sky Sports app and skysports.com with our dedicated European Champions Cup final live blog, which will feature the best build-up, commentary and reaction from Newcastle.
Jackman believes the return to form of Cian Healy could play an instrumental role in his former club having the edge on Tyneside.
Only the loose head prop and Sexton survive from the 2009 winning team, with the 31-year-old having overcome recent setbacks in his career to return to his best.
Jackman added: "Some players never get back to their level when they suffer a dip. Healy is a rare case, as he lost form for about a year and a half, and missed out on a Lions' Tour.
"It looked like he would have to leave but he showed unbelievable mental strength. We have to understand the severity of the injury he had.
"He had a nerve injury and lost feeling and power in his left arm, which was his bind arm, but he played for seven or eight months with that. The surgeon couldn't tell him if he was ever going to get it back.
"One day he had a recovery swim in the Irish Sea and got his feeling back so he shelved retirement plans.
"He and Mako (Vunipola) are the two dominant loose heads in European rugby and both will have massive roles to play for their sides this weekend in determining the result.
"I think Leinster can win. I didn't think so after watching the semi-final on the Saturday night between Saracens and Munster but I saw a lot more to be hopeful about against Toulouse.
"The team who can peak on their day will be the winners. I think Leinster might just have enough, but it's going to be phenomenal."
