Leinster v Benetton: Ross Byrne and Jamie Osborne return from injury

Thomas Clarkson excited to face Italian side in URC encounter

Daire Walsh

Following an extended break from competitive action, Leinster tighthead prop Thomas Clarkson is excited by the prospect of facing Benetton in a top-of-the-table United Rugby Championship clash at the RDS this afternoon (kick-off 3pm).

Because the current structure of the URC avoids crossovers with international weekends, Leinster didn’t have a competitive fixture during the opening two rounds of the Six Nations Championship. This means the eastern province’s most recent outing was a European Champions Cup pool stage win over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on January 20th.

Additionally, their last game in the URC was a New Year’s Day defeat to Ulster at the RDS and this was also the most recent appearance that Clarkson made in the blue of Leinster.

Yet as we now enter into the first fallow weekend of the 2024 Six Nations, the former Blackrock College student is eager to take on a Benetton side that are just two points adrift of pacesetters Leinster in the URC standings. There is also a visit to Cardiff on the horizon at the beginning of March and with five starts to his name already this season, Clarkson is hoping to stake his claim for a regular spot in the Blues’ first 15.

“I think everyone is excited to get a chance at a run of games. For lads like myself, these are the game weeks where you can properly step up and show what you can do. Obviously with internationals missing you don’t want to have any drop off of intensity. We’re prepared to step up and we’re all excited for these few games now,” Clarkson said.

“It’s nice to get a few starts in a row. I’ve never really started this many games in a season. I just want to build on what I’ve put down for the first half of the season.”

Although he only turns 24 next Thursday, Clarkson is the elder statesman in a Leinster frontrow for today’s game that also includes Lee Barron and Jack Boyle – who are aged 23 and 21 respectively.

There is a greater level of experience elsewhere in the pack, however, with provincial centurions Ross Molony and Max Deegan set to occupy the number four and eight jerseys for Leo Cullen’s side. Jason Jenkins, Will Connors and Scott Penny also offer plenty of know-how, while the international triumvirate of Ed Byrne, Michael Ala’alatoa and Rhys Ruddock will provide considerable power off the bench.

Ciaran Frawley’s presence at international training on Thursday paves the way for Henry McErlean (a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s last year) to make his Leinster senior debut at fullback.

There are also welcome returns from injury for both Jamie Osborne and Ross Byrne with the latter being joined at half-back by the vastly-experienced Luke McGrath.

While Benetton have no fewer than 19 players that have been a part of the Italian squad at some point to date in this year’s Six Nations, six of that cohort feature in their match day 23 later on today.

This includes Alessandro Izekor and Giacomo Nicotera, both of whom played for the Azzurri in their chastening 36-0 defeat to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium last weekend.

Indeed, thanks to his strong blend of players from the northern and southern hemispheres, Benetton head coach Marco Bortolami is able to call upon 11 players in his starting line-up that have been capped at senior international level. One of the more notable figures at their disposal will be Malakai Fekitoa, the former New Zealand and current Tongan international who helped Leinster’s arch rivals Munster to claim the URC title with a final victory over the Stormers in Cape Town last May.

LEINSTER: H McErlean; T O’Brien, L Turner, J Osborne, R Russell; R Byrne, L McGrath; J Boyle, L Barron, T Clarkson; R Molony, J Jenkins; W Connors, S Penny, M Deegan.

Replacements: J McKee, E Byrne, M Ala’alatoa, B Deeny, R Ruddock, B Murphy, S Prendergast, B Brownlee.

BENETTON: J Umaga; I Mendy, M Fekitoa, M Zanon, O Ratave; T Albornoz, A Uren; T Gallo, S Maile, T Pasquali; G Koegelenberg, E Snyman; G Pettinelli, T Halafihi, H Time-Stowers.

Replacements: G Nicotera, F Zani, F Alongi, R Favretto, A Izekor, A Garbisi, L Marin, F Drago.