Broughton Makes Six Changes To Leinster ‘A’ Team

Leinster ‘A’ have only two players without senior experience in a strong team to face Connacht Eagles in the IRFU Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship at Dexcom Stadium on Friday (kick-off 2pm). Entry into the match is free.

As in the previous rounds, when reigning champions Leinster ‘A’ drew twice with Munster ‘A’, head coach Simon Broughton has selected a matchday squad made up of a mix of senior, Academy, and pre-Academy players.

Last time out before Christmas, Broughton’s side came from 19 points down to earn a share of the spoils with their Munster counterparts on Rockwell College’s 4G pitch. There are six changes to the team that started that day.

Fresh from being in camp with the Ireland XV squad last week, Academy hooker Stephen Smyth will captain the Leinster ‘A’ selection. Either side of him in the front row will be Alex Usanov and Niall Smyth, who returns to Galway where he recently made his senior debut for the province.

Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Alex Soroka, and James Culhane complete the changes to the pack, with Soroka and Culhane the most-capped members of the team with 46 senior appearances between them to date.

Academy pair Billy Corrigan and Josh Ericson will also start up front, the latter switching from blindside to openside flanker. The visitors’ back-line will be directed by Caspar Gabriel and Oliver Coffey for the third time in this season’s competition.

Hugo McLaughlin will form a new-look centre partnership with Ciarán Mangan, while Páidí Farrell, another of the Academy contingent, comes in on the right wing, making up a pacy back-three with Ruben Moloney and Andrew Osborne, who bagged a brace of tries in the last match against Munster ‘A’.

Hooker John McKee is the only replacement to have been capped at senior level. Broughton’s bench options include Academy duo Alex Mullan and Tadhg Brophy, who played against each other in Blackrock College’s win over Naas last Saturday.

There are five Energia All-Ireland League players standing by for some game-time in the blue jersey. They are Old Wesley’s Jamie Clark and Charlie Hempenstall, Dublin University lock Artur Smykovskiy, Blackrock’s Inigo Cruise O’Brien, and Old Belvedere vice-captain Jayden Beckett.

Smykovskiy made his Leinster ‘A’ debut as a replacement against Munster ‘A’ in October, and was also involved in the Leinster Academy squad’s recent game against the Toulouse Espoirs, as was Old Wesley prop Clark.

LEINSTER ‘A’ (v Connacht Eagles): Ruben Moloney; Páidí Farrell, Hugo McLaughlin, Ciarán Mangan, Andrew Osborne; Caspar Gabriel, Oliver Coffey; Alex Usanov, Stephen Smyth (capt), Niall Smyth, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Billy Corrigan, Alex Soroka, Josh Ericson, James Culhane.

Replacements: John McKee, Jamie Clark, Alex Mullan, Artur Smykovskiy, Inigo Cruise O’Brien, Tadhg Brophy, Jayden Beckett, Charlie Hempenstall.