Larmour And Henshaw Set To Return For Leinster Against Cardiff
Jordan Larmour will start on the right wing for Leinster in their pre-season game against Cardiff in Tallaght ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Ireland internationals Jordan Larmour and Robbie Henshaw has been included in the Leinster Men’s matchday squad to play Cardiff at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
Tickets are available to buy here, and Leinster Rugby have confirmed that their returning British & Irish Lions players will be in attendance at the match and for the supporters’ signing session afterwards.
Leinster’s only pre-season game will see Larmour play for the first time since the derby win away to Munster last Christmas. He was sidelined in January by a troublesome hamstring injury, before returning to full training in June.
Larmour will start on the right wing against the Welsh side, in a team captained by hooker John McKee. Harry Byrne is back from his loan spell with Bristol Bears, pairing up with Fintan Gunne at half-back.
Listed as a replacement, Henshaw will also make his return from the knee injury which ended his 2024/25 campaign prematurely. He missed the BKT United Rugby Championship play-offs, and ultimately Leinster’s successful title run-in.
Head coach Leo Cullen has handed starts to Academy players Hugo McLaughlin and Andrew Sparrow, who are named at full-back and tighthead prop respectively, and there is more Academy talent on a youthful extended bench.
In addition, the replacement options notably include Leinster ‘A’ prop Jerry Cahir, Lansdowne’s Player of the Year last season, the newly-married Rabah Slimani, Ireland Sevens international Joshua Kenny, and Ciarán Mangan, younger brother of starting lock Diarmuid.
Cullen’s men will take on Cardiff before departing to South Africa for a couple of mouth-watering opening URC fixtures against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town on Friday, September 26, and the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, October 4.
Leinster’s first home outings of the URC season will be against the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, October 11, and old rivals Munster at Croke Park the following Saturday. Click here for ticket information.
LEINSTER (v Cardiff): Hugo McLaughlin; Jordan Larmour, Hugh Cooney, Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne; Harry Byrne, Fintan Gunne; Paddy McCarthy, John McKee (capt), Andrew Sparrow, Brian Deeny, Diarmuid Mangan, Alex Soroka, Will Connors, James Culhane.
Replacements (from): Alex Usanov, Jerry Cahir, Stephen Smyth, Niall Smyth, Rabah Slimani, Billy Corrigan, Mahon Ronan, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Liam Molony, Scott Penny, Cormac Foley, Caspar Gabriel, Ciarán Mangan, Ciarán Frawley, Robbie Henshaw, Joshua Kenny, Ruben Moloney, Henry McErlean.