Here’s the man at the centre of the Bloodgate controversy, TOm Williams, talking about that day. ‘QUINS BY NUMBERS 1 - Harlequins have beaten Leinster once in their previous three Champions Cup meetings, those two defeats came by margins of just a single point. 3 - Quins have won three of their last five knockout stage games in the Champions Cup. 4 - Quins have scored four tries from the scrum in the Champions Cup, the joint-most in the tournament. 21 - Jack Kenningham still tops the turnover won charts in the Premiership with 21 while Will Evans is just four behind him. 100 - Harlequins are one of just four clubs in the Champions Cup to boast a 100% success rate at scrum time, winning all 32 of their put ins. 495 - Harlequins average of 12 clean breaks and 495 metres per 80 minutes in the Investec Champions Cup this season, is among the highest in the competition. 1980 - Quins are just 20 metres away from gaining 2000 metres in the Champions Cup, a milestone three clubs have reached. Leinster and Harlequins have produced some brilliant tussles in European competition but unfortunately the ‘Bloodgate’ match in 2009 casts a long shadow. I was at The Stoop that day and five years ago, during a series about sporting scandals in this newspaper, wrote an updated version of what transpired that day. [ Blood but no guts on a day that rugby and Harlequins would rather forget Opens in new window ] Johnny Watterson spoke to Jamison Gibson-Park about his wife Patti, who is looking to revive her sporting career, where she competed in Judo. The Leinster and Ireland scrumhalf explained: “She represented New Zealand, she has done a bit of stuff at international level,” says Gibson-Park. “She’s kind of getting back into it. “The kids are kind of at the age where she feels like she’s got a bit of time back. They’re over the baby age and they’re all into school and creche and so she has a bit of time to get after something herself. “She did end up qualifying for the Commonwealth Games, but she didn’t end up going. There was just a bit going on personally. It’s another kind of reason she feels like it could be an itch to scratch. So, she’s pretty keen to give it another crack.” [ Patti Gibson-Park rekindling a former sporting passion in JudoOpens in new window ] I spoke to Andrew Dunne during the week about his time at Harlequins (2003-2005) which he described as the best of his rugby career, about the outhalf situation in Irish rugby, we chatted about Jack Crowley, Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley, the latter whom Dunne argued might have to look beyond Leinster to fulfil his potential. He also spoke about his admiration for Marcus Smith and which instinctive outhalves like playing against a rush defence. [ Andrew Dunne talks all things outhalf, Ireland, Leinster and Harlequins Marcus SmithOpens in new window ] Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jamie Osborne, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Rabah Slimani; Joe McCarthy, RG Snyman; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt). Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Jack Boyle, Tadhg Furlong, Ryan Baird, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jordie Barrett. Harlequins: Leigh Halfpenny; Tyrone Green, Oscar Beard, Ben Waghorn, Nick David; Marcus Smith, Will Porter; Fin Baxter, Jack Walker, Titi Lamositele; Joe Launchbury; Chandler Cunningham-South; Jack Kenningham, Will Evans, Alex Dombrandt (capt). Replacements: Sam Riley, Wyn Jones, Simon Kerrod, Irné Herbst, George Hammond, Danny Care, Jamie Benson, Luke Northmore. Harlequins are without wing Cadan Murley (foot), fullback Rodrigo Isgro (concussion) and Stephan Lewies (Achilles) as head coach Danny Wilson makes six changes to the side that lost 48-27 to Bath last weekend. England international and club captain Alex Dombrandt returns at number eight, while former Wales and Lions fullback Leigh Halfpenny comes into the team. Chandler Cunningham-South’s repositioning from his traditional home in the backrow to lock alongside Joe Launchbury shows that ‘Quins have prioritised athleticism and mobility while augmenting the poaching threat at the breakdown, an area in which they already excel. Jack Kenningham has pilfered more ball (21 steals) in the English Premiership than anyone else while team-mate Will Evans is not far behind (17). England’s Marcus Smith might not be England head coach Steve Borthwick’s preferred choice in the 10 jersey but that’s not applicable at club level. He is the man that makes ‘Quins tick and the one that Leinster will have to shut down. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen plumped for Jamie Osborne on the right wing, a position he was due to play for Ireland against France, before James Lowe pulled up lame in the warm-up that day. Jordie Barrett is on the bench, Rabah Slimani wears the number three jersey, while Jack Conan starts at blindside flanker. Here is what Cullen had to say about some of those decisions. “Those guys prepared together (for the French match) which gives you some level of confidence. It’s not like we are going out on a wing here and making our own calls. “The Jack (Conan) dynamic, he was very good (in) the last two Champions Cup matches in terms of impact, La Rochelle in round three and Bath in round four. Him and RG (Snyman) came on after 45-minutes (of the Bath game) and made a big impact. He delivers that well. “We have to respect some of the form that is coming off the back of the Six Nations. I thought Jack was excellent, and I thought that looked like a good combination for Ireland. That is the rationale there. “Max (Deegan) started that (Bath) game at six, Ryan Baird started the La Rochelle game at six; Jack came off the bench in both those games. We have good options there. James (Ryan) would have been in the 23 earlier in the week,” a reference to a calf injury that will sideline the secondrow for a few weeks. Hello and welcome to the Irish Times rugby blog for today’s Champions Cup match between Leinster and Harlequins at Croke Park. John O’Sullivan here and I’ll be keeping you up to date before, during and after the game as will Johnny Watterson who will be writing the match report. Leinster announced that they were about 56,000 tickets sold on Friday lunchtime and that weather permitting, and it has in terms of temperature if not sunshine, they might get a walk-up crowd that would take the attendance over the 60,000 mark. The home side will carry the scars of three consecutive final Champions Cup defeats, twice to La Rochelle (2022, 2023), who face Munster this evening at the Stade Marcel Deflandre (5.30, Irish time), another match we will be blogging, and last season Leo Cullen side lost to Toulouse after extra time. The fact that they have been within touching distance of winning all three matches makes the heartbreak that little bit more acute. The Leinster players and coaches though are a resilient bunch, working their way through a set of tricky pool fixtures to give them home advantage in the knockout stage of this season’s tournament if they continue to win. It won’t be easy against a Harlequins side that have proved tough opponents when the two clubs have met in times past. Paths to the Round of 16. Leinster (W4 L0): beat Bristol Bears (a) 35-12; beat Clermont Auvergne (h) 15-7; beat La Rochelle (a) 16-14; beat Bath (h) 47-21. Harlequins (W2 L2): lost to Racing 92 (a) 23-12; beat Stormers (h) 53-16; lost to Toulon (a) 33-21; beat Glasgow Warriors (h) 24-7.