Opposing records clash at the RDS where Leinster have won their last 16 GUINNESS PRO12 fixtures and come up against a Newport Gwent Dragons team that has lost on their last 16 away trips.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, December 3
LEINSTER (3rd) v NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS (9th), the RDS, 7.35pm (live TG4/S4C)
Team News: Tickets for Leinster v Newport Gwent Dragons are still on sale at leinsterrugby.ie/tickets or from the ticket office located just inside the Anglesea Road gate from 6.05pm.
There is a welcome return from international duty for a number of Leinster players, while it could be a very special day for a few others who are in line to make their debuts off the bench. In total, head coach Leo Cullen has made three changes in the backs with another four in the pack.
Props Peter Dooley and Michael Bent continue at loosehead and tighthead respectively, but recent Ireland debutant James Tracy will start this week having come off the bench last weekend against the Scarlets.
There is a new second row pairing in Ross Molony and Hayden Triggs, while in the back row there is a further change with Rhys Ruddock replacing the injured Dominic Ryan at blindside flanker. Dan Leavy and number 8 Jack Conan complete the starting forwards.
In the backs, Zane Kirchner features at full-back so captain Isa Nacewa reverts to the left wing and Adam Byrne continues on the right having scored a try in each of his last three outings with Leinster. With five tries to his name for the season, the UCD winger is third in the PRO12 try-scoring charts.
It is a St. Michael’s combination again in the centre as Noel Reid and Rory O’Loughlin continue in the number 12 and 13 jerseys respectively, while Luke McGrath and Joey Carbery link up together at half-back, having made their international debuts during the recent autumn schedule.
Two Leinster Academy players, Lansdowne’s Max Deegan (pictured below) and Charlie Rock from Old Belvedere, are in line to make their senior debuts for the province as replacements. In addition, prop Jeremy Loughman is involved in a matchday squad for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Wales international Tyler Morgan has returned to the Newport Gwent Dragons starting line-up for their round 10 duel with Leinster.
After featuring off the bench twice for the Dragons in recent weeks, due to being released from Wales camp early because of a hamstring injury, the youngster is brought into the team by head coach Kingsley Jones, partnering Jack Dixon in the centre with New Zealander Sam Beard out due to a dead leg.
Along with Morgan, there is one other change in the backs from last week’s 27-19 home win over Edinburgh. Adam Warren starts in the back-three; joining fellow winger Pat Howard and full-back Carl Meyer. Angus O’Brien and Tavis Knoyle continue together at half-back.
The front row has two changes made to it as loosehead prop Phil Price is named alongside tighthead Brok Harris, with Elliot Dee getting the nod at hooker. The second row sees the return of Rynard Landman, who sat out last weekend’s match due to his wife giving birth. He links up with Nick Crosswell.
The back row has two enforced changes as openside Nic Cudd and number 8 Harrison Keddie join captain Lewis Evans. Influential Ollie Griffiths and Ed Jackson are both sidelined through injury.
LEINSTER: Zane Kirchner; Adam Byrne, Rory O’Loughlin, Noel Reid, Isa Nacewa (capt); Joey Carbery, Luke McGrath; Peter Dooley, James Tracy, Michael Bent, Ross Molony, Hayden Triggs, Rhys Ruddock, Dan Leavy, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Andrew Porter, Jeremy Loughman, Mike McCarthy, Max Deegan, Charlie Rock, Ross Byrne, Tom Daly.
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: Carl Meyer; Pat Howard, Tyler Morgan, Jack Dixon, Adam Warren; Angus O’Brien, Tavis Knoyle; Phil Price, Elliot Dee, Brok Harris, Nick Crosswell, Rynard Landman, Lewis Evans (capt), Nic Cudd, Harrison Keddie.
Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Thomas Davies, Lloyd Fairbrother, Cory Hill, James Thomas, Sarel Pretorius, Geraint Rhys Jones, Tom Prydie.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini (Italy), Stuart Douglas (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Stefano Penne (Italy)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 1/8; Draw: 25/1; Newport Gwent Dragons to win: 11/2
Pre-Match Quotes: Luke McGrath (Leinster) – “As a collective, it was very disappointing. We spoke about how the Scarlets have been in good form, and the start was so important for us, especially away from home – as it always is.
“Defensively we were very poor last weekend for our standard. It’s just a case of the meetings (today), being harsh on ourselves, and we can only get better from this. But it’s almost all focus now on this week. We can’t dwell on the past too much. It was a poor performance, and we weren’t happy with it. We need to pick up our standards as a collective. Everyone needs to do it individually, but also as a collective.
“I think that obviously a lot of our squad are away on international duty, but that’s just a massive chance for us young guys. We see it as an opportunity, and it was a really good performance over in Zebre, and we let it slip massively (against the Scarlets) from that performance.
“For our levels, it was very, very disappointing, and it’s going to have to be much, much better this week if we want to beat the Dragons. Our defence is going to have to be much better. That’s for a start. We were slipping off one-on-one tackles, even though our system was good, we were just slipping off tackles that you’d make nine times out of 10.
“That was the one real disappointment, but our mindset has to be massive. Over the last couple of years with the Dragons, in 2015 we lost twice to them, and then last year we lost over in Rodney Parade.
“They are a team that seem to beat us the last couple of years, so it’s a massive test. One thing was discipline, just letting them have ‘easy outs’, then too many cards and stuff like that. It’s going to have to be a major focus for us.”
Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons) – “There’s a lot of smiles on faces and the momentum is key, you see that at every level of rugby confidence gives you a head start. Leinster are a massive team with internationals and strength in depth so it will be a really challenging game, but we’ve shown we can win there before and there is no reason why we can’t do it again.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Leinster – Points: Isa Nacewa 56; Tries: Adam Byrne 5; Newport Gwent Dragons – Points: Angus O’Brien 47; Tries: Pat Howard 3
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Leinster – Played 9, Won 7, Lost 2, 32 Points; W 20-8 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 33-25 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 33-20 v Edinburgh (away), W 31-19 v Ospreys (home), W 16-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 25-14 v Munster (home), W 24-13 v Connacht (home), W 33-10 v Zebre (away), L 38-29 v Scarlets (away); Newport Gwent Dragons – Played 9, Won 3, Lost 6, 15 Points; L 29-8 v Ulster (away), W 11-6 v Zebre (home), L 20-16 v Munster (home), L 27-11 v Benetton Treviso (away), L 26-17 v Glasgow Warriors (home), L 31-27 v Scarlets (away), L 35-17 v Ospreys (away), W 21-16 v Connacht (home), W 27-19 v Edinburgh (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, November 1, 2013 – Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Leinster 23, Rodney Parade
Friday, February 14, 2014 – Leinster 31 Newport Gwent Dragons 19, the RDS
Sunday, February 15, 2015 – Leinster 14 Newport Gwent Dragons 16, the RDS
Sunday, April 12, 2015 – Newport Gwent Dragons 25 Leinster 22, Rodney Parade
Saturday, October 3, 2015 – Leinster 37 Newport Gwent Dragons 13, the RDS
Friday, January 29, 2016 – Newport Gwent Dragons 23 Leinster 13, Rodney Parade
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster’s six-match winning run in the GUINNESS PRO12 ended last Friday in Llanelli, although they did come away with their fourth try-scoring bonus point in that sequence
– The Leinstermen have won their last 16 home games in the PRO12 and are unbeaten in 18 matches at home since the Newport Gwent Dragons beat them at the RDS in February 2015
– The Dragons have won their last two PRO12 matches, at home to Connacht and Edinburgh, but have not won three in a row in the Championship since April 2015
– The Dragons have lost their last 16 away games in the Championship, their worst ever losing run
– The Welshmen have lost just one of their last four encounters with Leinster: 37-13 at the RDS in round 3 last season, while the Dragons’ only success on Leinster soil was 16-14 at the RDS in February 2015
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