Leinster are heavy favourites to dispatch the Dragons at the RDS, but they will recall that they made hard work of a 31-19 home win over the Welshmen twelve months ago when replacement Darren Hudson bagged the bonus point in injury-time.
GUINNESS PRO12: Sunday, February 15
LEINSTER (5th) v NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS (10th), the RDS, 3pm
Team News: After the Captain’s Run on Friday morning, Leinster head coach Matt O’Connor announced his matchday 23 to take on the Newport Gwent Dragons at the RDS.
With 12 Leinster players on duty with Ireland this week, there are nine changes in total to the team that started the final European Champions Cup pool game against Wasps three weeks ago.
Fergus McFadden, Dave Kearney, Jimmy Gopperth, Michael Bent, Kane Douglas and Dominic Ryan are the six players retained from the side that drew 20-all at the Ricoh Arena.
Richardt Strauss and Tadhg Furlong join Bent in the front row, with Tom Denton partnering Douglas in the second row.
The back row is a mix of youth and experience with blindside flanker Ryan combining with Jack Conan at number 8 and openside Shane Jennings, who will captain the province on the occasion of his 203rd cap.
Luke McGrath starts at scrum half with Gopperth outside him. McFadden, who was voted Leinster’s Player of the Month for January, has recovered from the rib injury sustained in the Ireland Wolfhounds game against England Saxons, taking his place on the right wing.
Darragh Fanning is selected on the left wing and Dave Kearney, who has also recovered from the shoulder injury he picked up early on against Wasps, starts at full-back for the first time this season.
Noel Reid and Ben Te’o are once again selected in the centre having last played together in the 22-13 away win over Cardiff Blues last month. Te’o went off with a rib injury that day, while Reid scored the opening try in the bonus point victory.
On the bench, John Cooney, who has been on loan at Connacht this season, has been recalled as scrum half cover with other options limited by international commitments with the Ireland senior and Under-20 squads.
Cooney has, to date, made 27 appearances for Leinster since his debut in September 2011 against the Ospreys and has played five times for Connacht this season having recovered from a shoulder injury.
Matt O’Connor also confirmed that Maks van Dyk’s short-term loan deal with Leinster has come to an end and he has returned to South Africa in time for the new Super Rugby season there with the Cheetahs.
Just over 15,000 tickets have now been sold for Sunday’s GUINNESS PRO12 encounter with the Dragons, which will not be televised. Supporters can still purchase tickets online here.
Meanwhile, Wales international Hallam Amos has been released from the national camp this week to bolster the Newport Gwent Dragons starting line-up against Leinster.
Amos is one of eight changes, and one positional switch, to the side that beat London Welsh in the LV=Cup last weekend. Newport-born Jason Tovey starts at full-back as Tom Prydie moves to the right wing and Amos joins them in the back-three.
The centre paring has one change to it as Pat Leach retains his place and young gun Jack Dixon steps in beside him. Out-half Dorian Jones get the nod from the coaches and he starts alongside scrum half Jonathan Evans.
Director of rugby Lyn Jones has made one change to the front row as Owen Evans replaces Phil Price from last weekend, and joins fellow prop Brok Harris and hooker Rhys Thomas in the starting trio.
The second row of Andrew Coombs and captain Rynard Landman stays the same after an impressive performance last time out, and flankers James Thomas and Nic Cudd replace the injured Lewis Evans and James Benjamin in the back row.
There are three more alterations on the bench as Matthew Pewtner, Ashley Smith and James Benjamin join Rhys Buckley, Boris Stankovich, Dan Way, Ian Gough and Richie Rees.
LEINSTER: Dave Kearney; Fergus McFadden, Ben Te’o, Noel Reid, Darragh Fanning; Jimmy Gopperth, Luke McGrath; Michael Bent, Richardt Strauss, Tadhg Furlong, Tom Denton, Kane Douglas, Dominic Ryan, Shane Jennings (capt), Jack Conan.
Replacements: Aaron Dundon, Peter Dooley, Jamie Hagan, Mike McCarthy, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Cathal Marsh, Luke Fitzgerald.
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: Jason Tovey; Tom Prydie, Pat Leach, Jack Dixon, Hallam Amos; Dorian Jones, Jonathan Evans; Owen Evans, Rhys Thomas, Brok Harris, Andrew Coombs, Rynard Landman (capt), James Thomas, Nic Cudd, Nick Crosswell.
Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Boris Stankovich, Dan Way, Ian Gough, James Benjamin, Richie Rees, Ashley Smith, Matthew Pewtner.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Stuart Gaffikin, Oisin Quinn (both Ireland)
Pre-Match Quotes: Matt O’Connor (Leinster) – “It’s a little bit difficult (with the internationals away with Ireland) but then again it’s an opportunity for the other guys in the group to get some competitive rugby, which is really positive.
“Those guys have been working very, very hard and doing a great job to get through to the semi-final of the British & Irish Cup. They’re very excited to get an opportunity to play with the senior team in the PRO12.
“The tough part is when you’ve got that next tier of guys who are injured which we had in November, that was a challenge. It’s not a new dynamic and it doesn’t take away the frustration, it’s something that you get accustomed to.
“The Dragons are pretty stable. They’ll lose (Toby) Faletau but the rest of their group is pretty consistent. They haven’t had fantastic results in the league so far, but they’ve had the opportunity to play over the last couple of weeks in the LV= Cup to develop some combinations.
“They’ve got blokes back from injury who haven’t featured too much for them so far this year. They’ll have plenty of continuity but again, at home in RDS, the guys are very excited about putting a performance on Sunday.”
Shaun Connor (Newport Gwent Dragons) – “We will give them the respect they deserve but we are going there with a bit of confidence and hopefully we can come back with the result.
“We can use our record as a positive and every professional sportsman should be up for a challenge, if not then they are in the wrong game. Leinster replace their internationals with internationals but we will give it a good crack and are up for the fight.”
Top Scorers – 2014/15 GUINNESS PRO12: Leinster – Points: Ian Madigan 113; Tries: Ian Madigan 4; Newport Gwent Dragons – Points: Tom Prydie 38; Tries: Richie Rees, Hallam Amos 3 each
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, September 9, 2011 – Leinster 31 Newport Gwent Dragons 10, the RDS
Saturday, May 5, 2012 – Newport Gwent Dragons 18 Leinster 22, Rodney Parade
Saturday, September 8, 2012 – Leinster 45 Newport Gwent Dragons 25, the RDS
Friday, March 1, 2013 – Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Leinster 26, Rodney Parade
Friday, November 1, 2013 – Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Leinster 23, Rodney Parade
Friday, February 14, 2014 – Leinster 31 Newport Gwent Dragons 19, the RDS
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster are unbeaten in 2015 so far, having gained three wins and a draw in all competitions since the turn of the year
– The Leinstermen’s lone defeat in the last eight rounds of PRO12 play came when they visited Munster on St. Stephen’s Day
– Leinster have won their last 21 home games played at the RDS since drawing there 29-all with the Ospreys in the PRO12 in September 2013, while their most recent reversal at the venue came at the hands of Ulster, again in the PRO12, the previous March
– Leinster have suffered only one defeat in their last 19 fixtures with Welsh regions: 25-19 to the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in April 2014
– Newport Gwent Dragons have lost their last two PRO12 encounters, against Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys, but on the road have won three of their last four away games in all competitions
– The Dragons have not got the better of an Irish province since Ulster visited Rodney Parade in the opening round of the 2013/14 season, while the Welshmen have won only once against Irish opposition on their own ground since 2004: 16-14 over Ulster in Belfast in September 2008
– Leinster have won their last eight encounters with the Dragons since the men of Gwent were victorious 30-14 in Newport in December 2009. The Dragons have never won in 11 previous PRO12 visits to Leinster
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