Jonathan Sexton says Leinster ‘will have to turn it around pretty quickly’ as they look for a much improved performance against Benetton Treviso and a result which will give them a home semi-final.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, May 7
LEINSTER (3rd) v BENETTON TREVISO (11th), the RDS, 3pm
Team News: Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made four changes to the team for Saturday’s GUINNESS PRO12 round 22 encounter with Benetton Treviso at the RDS.
With no live TV coverage, there are tickets still on sale for the last game of the regular PRO12 season through www.leinsterrugby.ie or from the ticket office located just inside the Anglesea Gate from 1.30pm.
Students can also avail of €;10 tickets to the game by registering their details at www.leinsterrugbystudentpass.com and a match day option to purchase tickets will be sent direct to their phone.
It is the same back-three that started last weekend against Ulster with Rob Kearney at full-back, captain Isa Nacewa on the right wing and Dave Kearney, who won his 100th provincial cap in Belfast, on the left.
Garry Ringrose, who was nominated for an IRUPA Young Player of the Year award earlier this week, starts in the centre for his 20th appearance of the season beside Ben Te’o. Eoin Reddan comes in at half-back to partner Jonathan Sexton.
In the front row there is one change with Mike Ross coming in for Tadhg Furlong, with both Jack McGrath and Richardt Strauss retained. Behind them, Devin Toner is joined by Clontarf man Mick Kearney in the second row.
Rhys Ruddock makes his 18th start of the campaign for Leinster at blindside flanker. The 25-year-old has finished all but three of the games that he has started this season.
Jordi Murphy comes into the back row at openside in place of the injured Josh van der Flier, while vice-captain Jamie Heaslip continues from the base of the scrum.
Meanwhile, Tommaso Iannone, Luke McLean and Marcos Fuser come into the Benetton Treviso side for their round 22 date with Leinster in Dublin.
Buoyed by last week’s dramatic late win at home to Connacht, Marius Goosen has made three changes in personnel with Iannone and McLean taking over from Luca Morisi – one of their try scorers against the westerners – and Sam Christie at outside centre and out-half respectively.
Fuser will partner Filo Paulo in the second row with the rest of the pack unchanged, including the front row of Matteo Zanusso, Ornel Gega and Simone Ferrari that impressed in the scrum exchanges with Pat Lam’s men.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Isa Nacewa (capt), Garry Ringrose, Ben Te’o, Dave Kearney; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Jack McGrath, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Mick Kearney, Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Peter Dooley, Tadhg Furlong, Ross Molony, Dominic Ryan, Luke McGrath, Cathal Marsh, Noel Reid.
BENETTON TREVISO: Jayden Hayward; Ludovico Nitoglia, Tommaso Iannone, Alberto Sgarbi, Angelo Esposito; Luke McLean, Edoardo Gori; Matteo Zanusso, Ornel Gega, Simone Ferrari, Marco Fuser, Filo Paulo, Francesco Minto, Alessandro Zanni (capt), Braam Steyn.
Replacements: Luca Bigi, Matteo Muccignat, Salesi Manu, Marco Lazzaroni, Andrea de Marchi, Alberto Lucchese, James Ambrosini, Enrico Bacchin.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Joy Neville (both Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 1/80; Draw: 100/1; Benetton Treviso to win: 25/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Jack McGrath (Leinster) – “It’s (anger) probably bubbling under from today onwards and then you start honing it on Thursday and Friday and into the game on Saturday because you can’t be using all your anger up early in the week.
“You could look at it that we just weren’t good enough on the day (against Ulster). We are getting back to where we are but it’s a bit of a slip-up for us, and especially at this stage of the season.
“All credit to Ulster, they put us under pressure and made it uncomfortable for us, and it was between them playing well and us doing ourselves no favours that got them the result. We’ve had a forwards review. What more can you say? It’s massively disappointing, especially at this stage of the season.
“But you kinda have to park it, no matter how annoyed you are and work to the weekend. It’s a pretty important game coming up so we’re looking to get a performance. Connacht had been going pretty well over the last while and for Treviso to do that to them in the scrums has to ring alarm bells for us.
“We were pretty happy with our own scrum last Saturday but as we know Italians pride themselves in the scrum so it’s somewhere we’ll have to be really screwed on because that’s where a real strength of theirs lies.”
Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Leinster – Points: Isa Nacewa 78; Tries: Isa Nacewa 7; Benetton Treviso – Points: Jayden Hayward 151; Tries: Jayden Hayward, Robert Barbieri 4 each
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, February 16, 2013 – Leinster 40 Benetton Treviso 5, the RDS
Sunday, November 24, 2013 – Benetton Treviso 20 Leinster 21, Stadio di Monigo
Friday, April 18, 2014 – Leinster 62 Benetton Treviso 7, the RDS
Sunday, November 23, 2014 – Benetton Treviso 24 Leinster 24, Stadio di Monigo
Friday, May 8, 2015 – Leinster 10 Benetton Treviso 0, the RDS
Sunday, November 1, 2015 – Benetton Treviso 3 Leinster 27, Stadio di Monigo
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster require a maximum point win to guarantee a home spot in the play-offs, less if Connacht do not beat Glasgow Warriors
– Leinster’s last six matches have all been won by the home side on the day, while they are the only side with a perfect played ten, won ten record at home this season
– Benetton Treviso climbed above Zebre in the table for the first time this season after their last-minute victory over Connacht in round 21, but with just one point separating the two teams, Treviso will be looking for the results from Parma in the race for the Italian Champions Cup qualification spot
– Treviso’s only previous triumph over Leinster came in their very first meeting in the PRO12 at Stadio di Monigo in September 2010
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