Leinster make two changes for URC semi-clash with Bulls
Despite seeing his side putting Glasgow Warriors to the sword in such comprehensive fashion in the same venue last Saturday, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made two changes to his starting line-up for tomorrow’s United Rugby Championship semi-final clash with the Bulls at the RDS (kick-off 7.35pm).
Robbie Henshaw rekindles his centre partnership with Garry Ringrose at the expense of Ciaran Frawley, while Jack Conan indirectly replaces Ryan Baird at the back of the Leinster scrum. To accommodate Conan in his more natural position of No 8, Caelan Doris has switched to the blindside role that Baird filled in the 76-14 demolition of Glasgow.
With Hugo Keenan and James Lowe still on the road recovery, Jimmy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour and Rory O’Loughlin continue in the back-three.
Ross Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park are retained at half-back, but Byrne’s younger brother Harry drops out of the match day 23 to make room for the fit-again Jonathan Sexton amongst the replacements.
After shrugging off a back injury he sustained in the Glasgow game, Tadhg Furlong keeps his place in a front-row that also features Andrew Porter and Dan Sheehan. Joe McCarthy once again holds off the claims of Ross Molony to partner James Ryan in the second row and Josh van der Flier completes a formidable Leinster pack at openside flanker.
In what he hopes will be his penultimate game in the Leinster colours, Limerick native Sean Cronin is named in reserve alongside the aforementioned quartet of Sexton, Frawley, Baird and Molony. Cian Healy, Michael Ala’alatoa and Luke McGrath round off the bench options for Cullen.
While four players are added to their replacements, the Bulls are unchanged from the team that edged out South African rivals the Sharks in Pretoria last Saturday. This means that team captain Marcell Coetzee and Arno Botha – formerly of Ulster and Munster respectively – are retained in their back-row.
J O’Brien, J Larmour, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, R O’Loughlin, R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong, J McCarthy, J Ryan, C Doris, J van der Flier, J Conan.
Replacements: S Cronin, C Healy, M Ala’alatoa, R Molony, R Baird, L McGrath, J Sexton, C Frawley.
C Moodie, D Kriel, C Hendricks, H Vorster, M Tambwe, C Smith, Z Burger; G Steenkamp, J Grobbelaar, M Smith, W Steenkamp, R Nortje, M Coetzee, A Botha, E Louw.
: B Du Plessis, S Matanzima, R Hunt, J Swanepoel, WJ Steenkamp, E Papier, M Steyn, K-L Arendse.