After back-to-back trips to Scotland, Leinster return to the RDS tonight for a mouth-watering clash with the in-form Ospreys, whom they edged out by three points in last season’s corresponding fixture.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, September 23
LEINSTER (5th) v OSPREYS (1st), the RDS, 7.35pm (live TG4/BBC 2 Wales)
Team News: Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made six personnel changes to the side that accounted for Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield last Friday, with two in the backs and a further four changes in the pack.
Zane Kirchner continues in the number 15 jersey with Isa Nacewa captaining the province once again from the right wing. Dave Kearney is selected on the left.
In the centre Noel Reid and Garry Ringrose are selected to start together for the fourth game in a row, however there are two changes at half-back. Luke McGrath gets the nod at scrum half and Jonathan Sexton makes his first appearance of the campaign at number 10 having recovered from shoulder surgery.
In the pack, there are two changes in the front row with Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong coming in, whileSean Cronin continues at hooker.
Mick Kearney comes into the second row having lined out for Clontarf in the Ulster Bank League last weekend. He will partner Devin Toner.
There is one final change to the forwards as Josh van der Flier starts at openside flanker with Jordi Murphy and number 8 Jamie Heaslip completing the line-up.
There is also a welcome return from injury for Rhys Ruddock who is involved in a matchday squad for the first time this season from the bench.
Over 12,000 tickets have been sold for Leinster v Ospreys so far but due to the Dublin Bus strike, supporters are reminded to plan their journeys accordingly and to expect more traffic than normal.
The DART and the LUAS are still in operation, as are Bus Éireann services, and if you are driving to the game the Simmonscourt car park is the best option.
Tickets will be available for sale from the Ticketmaster office open from 6.05pm inside the Anglesea Road gate and they are also available from leinsterrugby.ie/tickets.
Meanwhile, Wales internationals Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb are reunited at half-back and talismanic lock Alun Wyn Jones returns to captain the Ospreys on the occasion of his 200th appearance for the region.
There are five personnel changes and two positional switches to the Ospreys side that hammered Benetton Treviso 64-10 at home last week. Dan Evans makes way as Sam Davies reverts to full-back to accommodate the reintroduction of Biggar at out-half.
Ashley Beck’s inclusion at outside centre sees Ben John move to the left wing, with straight swoops at scrum half and hooker where Webb and Scott Baldwin take over from Tom Habberfield and Sam Parry. Canadian international Jeff Hassler is set for his 50th Ospreys cap on the right wing.
Former Wales and Lions captain Jones – one of only two changes up front – is the third Ospreys player to reach 200 caps for the Ospreys after Duncan Jones (223) and Andrew Bishop (209).
LEINSTER: Zane Kirchner; Isa Nacewa (capt), Garry Ringrose, Noel Reid, Dave Kearney; Jonathan Sexton, Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Mick Kearney, Jordi Murphy, Josh van der Flier, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: James Tracy, Jack McGrath, Mike Ross, Ross Molony, Rhys Ruddock, Dan Leavy, Jamison Gibson Park, Joey Carbery.
OSPREYS: Sam Davies; Jeff Hassler, Ashley Beck, Josh Matavesi, Ben John; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Paul James, Scott Baldwin, Dmitri Arhip, Lloyd Ashley, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), James King, Justin Tipuric, Tyler Ardron.
Replacements: Sam Parry, Nicky Smith, Ma’afu Fia, Bradley Davies, Dan Baker, Tom Habberfield, Dafydd Howells, Dan Evans.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini (Italy), Stuart Gaffikin (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 2/5; Draw: 20/1; Ospreys to win: 2/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Leo Cullen (Leinster) – “Johnny has trained well over the last number of weeks. He’s been fully involved in training. Some injured players come back and they’re back on the field and they’re almost straight into it, whereas he’s managed himself – non-contact for a number of weeks. He’s in a good place, training well. I’m looking forward to seeing him in action.
“We just wanted to freshen Mike (McCarthy) up a little bit and we want to get Mick Kearney up to speed. It can be difficult for forwards to try and get games up and running. Mick’s missed a bit. He’s played for Clontarf, he played 40 minutes against UCD at the weekend.
“Mike is just about freshening him up. He’d come back in after a long absence and played a number of games. We’re just trying to keep some of the older guys a little bit fresher, take care of them.
“The Ospreys are a team that we have a lot of respect for because we’ve had some really good tussles with them over the years. They’ve got a lot of international experience coming in. They’ve come out of the traps very quickly this year, they’ve got maximum points.
“We know over the years the threats that they pose: some smart footballers, really good half-backs with international experience. They’re very strong in the contact areas. It’s important that we are smart in the way we play because they’re a team that will put you under a lot of pressure.”
Steve Tandy (Ospreys) – “There’s no bigger challenge in the PRO12 than going to the RDS to face a fully loaded Leinster team so we know we’re in for a tough evening. We’ve made a positive start to the season but we know it doesn’t count for anything at this point.
“We have to go up a few levels now with Ulster away and then the Blues at the Liberty coming up after this weekend. We’ll definitely have a better grasp of where we are at in a few weeks’ time.
“What’s been particularly pleasing over the last few weeks has been how the players have transferred what they’ve been working on during the week into the 80 minutes on matchday. They know what is required of them, what they are expected to do, and they’ve been relentless in each of the three games so far.
“Friday is going to be our toughest test yet, against a side that we’ve enjoyed some memorable battles with, and we are really looking forward to it. Our focus will be on our performance, the areas that we can control. If we do what we have to do, performance follows.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Leinster – Points: Joey Carbery 20; Tries: Joey Carbery, Dan Leavy 2 each; Ospreys – Points: Sam Davies 42; Tries: Sam Parry 4
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Leinster – Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, 9 Points; W 20-8 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 33-25 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 33-20 v Edinburgh (away); Ospreys – Played 3, Won 3, 15 Points; W 59-5 v Zebre (home), W 32-11 v Connacht (away), W 64-10 v Benetton Treviso (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, September 14, 2013 – Leinster 29 Ospreys 29, the RDS
Friday, April 11, 2014 – Ospreys 29 Leinster 19, Liberty Stadium
Saturday, November 29, 2014 – Leinster 18 Ospreys 12, the RDS
Friday, February 27, 2015 – Ospreys 9 Leinster 9, Liberty Stadium
Friday, January 8, 2016 – Ospreys 9 Leinster 22, Liberty Stadium
Saturday, March 5, 2016 – Leinster 19 Ospreys 16, the RDS
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster are unbeaten in their last 16 GUINNESS PRO12 home games since the Newport Gwent Dragons’ 16-14 victory at the RDS in February 2015
– The Ospreys became the first side to record maximum league points after three rounds of the PRO12 with their 64-10 demolition of Benetton Treviso last Saturday
– The Welshmen have now recorded a try-scoring bonus point in each of their last seven matches in the league, including their defeat at home to Ulster in round 22 last season
– Leinster’s only defeat to the Ospreys in their last nine clashes in all competitions was 25-19 at Liberty Stadium in the PRO12 in April 2014
– The Ospreys’ most recent victory at the RDS came in the 2012 PRO12 final
This website uses cookies.
Read More