Te’o To Make Leinster Debut For ‘A’ Team

Head coach Girvan Dempsey has made a number of changes to the team that accounted for Jersey last weekend at Donnybrook, with recent signing Ben Te’o included for the first time in a Leinster jersey.

There are seven changes in personnel – four in the backs and a further three in the pack – plus a number of positional switches.

WIth Billy Dardis starting at full-back, Cian Kelleher moves to the left wing and Adam Byrne drops down to the bench. Sam Coghlan Murray retains his place on the right wing. Steve Crosbie captains the side from inside centre with provincial debutant Te’o outside him.

It is a new half-back combination with Nick McCarthy and Cathal Marsh starting at scrum half and out-half respectively, having both come off the bench in the 26-6 defeat of Jersey.

In the pack Aaron Dundon is selected from the start at hooker this weekend having recovered fully from his hamstring injury, with Peter Dooley and Oisin Heffernan either side of him. Gavin Thornbury starts again at lock with Ben Marshall his second row partner for the trip to Wales.

Finally, there is one change in the back row as Peadar Timmins gets the nod at blindside flanker. Josh van der Flier, at openside, and the versatile Jordan Coghlan complete the starting line-up.

There is also a welcome return from injury for Dan Leavy who is named among the replacements. Leavy injured his knee playing for the senior team in August’s pre-season friendly against Ulster.

For updates from the game, please follow the Leinster Rugby twitter account on www.twitter.com/leinsterrugby and use the hashtag #COTAT.

LEINSTER ‘A’ (v Carmarthen Quins): Billy Dardis; Sam Coghlan Murray, Ben Te’o, Steve Crosbie (capt), Cian Kelleher; Cathal Marsh, Nick McCarthy; Peter Dooley, Aaron Dundon, Oisin Heffernan, Gavin Thornbury, Ben Marshall, Peadar Timmins, Josh van der Flier, Jordan Coghlan.

Replacements: James Tracy, Jeremy Loughman, Ross Molony, Dan Leavy, Adam Griggs, Ross Byrne, Adam Byrne.