RUGBY
Plenty of Kildare involvement as Leinster’s season begins
By Daire Walsh
LEINSTER had a strong Kildare contingent in their squad on Saturday, as their kick-started their pre-season friendly series with a hard-earned 31-14 victory over Ulster in Navan RFC.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Co Meath venue, James Tracy and Adam Byrne were handed starting berths by Leo Cullen, while Billy Dardis, Fergus McFadden and Joey Carbery all featured on the replacements bench.
For all of these players, the 2016/17 season should prove to be a significant one. Tracy has established himself as the third-choice hooker for Leinster within the past 12 months, and having made a total of 13 first-team appearances last term, he is hoping for more opportunities to impress.
Byrne was just 18 years of age when he made his debut for the province back in December 2012, and in his final season as an Academy player, he scored two tries in three appearances at Guinness Pro12 level.
Highly-rated Naas native Dardis is yet to make his competitive bow for Leinster at senior level, but he will be aiming to take his chance during the hectic pre-season schedule. Athy’s Carbery enjoyed a brief cameo against Glasgow Warriors during a campaign that ended with him starring at out-half for Clontarf in their Ulster Bank League success in May, and he is expected to play a prominent role for the Leinster ‘A’s in their British & Irish Cup odyssey.
Along with Jamie Heaslip (who wasn’t a part of the squad for the weekend’s game as he was getting married), McFadden is one of the most experienced players in the Blues’ set-up, and he will be looking to add substantially to his current record of 142 provincial caps and 389 club career points.
Despite a lively opening to the contest by Ulster, it was the hosts who ultimately broke the deadlock with a try from Dan Leavy on 11 minutes. A Ross Byrne conversion helped Leinster to open up a seven-point gap, before Les Kiss’ men replied with a well-worked Sam Windsor score.
However, Leinster had the final say in the opening period, when Jack Conan’s stoppage-time try was supplemented by a Ross Byrne bonus kick. The introduction of several replacements on either side meant that it was difficult to build momentum after the restart, but a Robert Lyttle converted try ensured that the teams were on level terms (14-14) moving into the final 15 minutes of the play.
The Blue Army were able to find extra gears in the closing stages, however, with the likes of Dardis, McFadden and Carbery adding fresh energy to their play. Indeed, a Josh Murphy try was followed by similar efforts from McFadden and Adam Byrne (who re-entered the action after being substituted at the break), and thanks to a concluding Carbery conversion, Leinster ultimately had 17 points to spare in the end.
Cullen and his charges will now move on to the Tallaght Stadium this Saturday, when Aviva Premiership outfit Gloucester will make the journey to south Dublin.