Magners League: Ospreys V Leinster
This game could decide the destination of the 2007 Magners League Trophy. As the tagline says: Time To Play!
Magners League Round 20
Ospreys V Leinster
Liberty Stadium, Friday April 27th
Kick Off: 7:10 p.m.
BBC Wales, Setanta
Referee: Peter Allan (SRU); Touch Judges: Nigel Owens (WRU), Jonathan Mason (WRU)
This game, more than any other could decide the destination of the Magners League Trophy. The midweek win for the Ospreys put them in third place, five points behind Leinster but crucially with a game in hand. That game – another midweek affair against Welsh opposition in May – could be crucial for the Ospreys but a win on Friday night for Leinster would put a serious dent in Welsh ambitions.
Ulster and Cardiff are still in the shake up but realistically it comes down to these two teams and whether the manner in which they win or lose their final games.
Leinster coach Michael Chieka refused to be drawn on transfer speculation at a press conference earlier this week, preferring to concentrate on the final games: My focus is on the three remaining games in the Magners League so I’m not going to be drawn on speculation.”
A clue to his thinking may lie with the inclusion of Cian Healy and Paul O’Donoghue in the squad for this match.
Both are members of the Ireland Under 20 side that won a historic Grand Slam earlier this year.
Healy has already been in the squad but this is a first call up for scrum half O’Donoghue.
Healy, a Leinster Academy player who won a Leinster Schools Cup Final medal with Belvedere College, faces a potentially busy weekend as his club Clontarf have an AIB League Semi Final against Garryowen the following day in Castle Avenue.
Either way the experience of being in the squad is something the coach is keen to see: “Cian had a good look at the competitive level that is required over in the Dragons and there’s no better away game to learn than in that intimidating atmosphere. He wants to be involved and he’s pretty keen to get some game time.
“Paul is a player we see a good future for. He has a lot of work to do but we’re very much looking forward to giving him an opportunity at some stage.”
Previous Meetings
Date | Venue | O | L | Ospreys scorers | Leinster scorers |
Sat 29 Nov 03 | The Gnoll | 25 | 36 | Shaun Connor(D) Gavin Henson(C/5P) Huw Bennett(T) | Brian O’Driscoll(2T) Gordon D’Arcy(2T) Christian Warner(T) John McWeeney(T) Brian O’Meara(3C) |
Fri 30 Apr 04 | Donnybrook | 16 | 16 | Shane Williams(T) Gavin Henson(C/3P) | James Norton(T) Brian O’Meara(C/3P) |
Fri 15 Oct 04 | St Helen’s | 11 | 3 | Sonny Parker(T) Gavin Henson(2P) | David Holwell(P) |
Sun 6 Mar 05 | Donnybrook | 16 | 12 | Jason Spice(T) Shaun Connor(2P) Matthew Jones(C/P) | Christian Warner(T) Shane Jennings(T) David Holwell(C) |
Sun 4 Sep 05 | Liberty Stadium | 22 | 20 | Andrew Bishop(2T) Barry Williams(T) Matthew Jones(2C/P) | Rob Kearney(T) Felipe Contepomi(5P) |
Sat 29 Apr 06 | Lansdowne Road | 21 | 38 | Jonny Vaughton(T) Gavin Henson(T/C/3P) | Guy Easterby(2T) Felipe Contepomi(T/2C/3P) Jamie Heaslip(T) Niall Ronan(T) |
Sat 6 Jan 07 | Donnybrook | 22 | 45 | Brent Cockbain(T) Richie Pugh(T) Shaun Connor(2C/P) Stefan Terblanche(T) | Felipe Contepomi(5C/P) Denis Hickie(T) Brian O’Driscoll(2T) Rob Kearney(2T) Keith Gleeson(T) Jonathan Sexton(C) |
Leinster Squad
FORWARDS: Reggie Corrigan, Will Green, Cian Healy, Stan Wright, Brian Blaney, Bernard Jackman, Owen Finegan, Trevor Hogan, Malcolm O’Kelly, Cameron Jowitt, Stephen Keogh, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip, Kevin McLaughlin
BACKS: Guy Easterby, Paul O’Donohoe, Chris Whitaker, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Sexton, Gordon D’Arcy, Kieran Lewis, Christian Warner, Luke Fitzgerald, Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey, Rob Kearney