Five days after a surprise home defeat to the Dragons, Leinster are back in action at the RDS where they will target a bonus point return against the GUINNESS PRO12’s bottom side Zebre.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, February 20
LEINSTER (5th) v ZEBRE (12th), the RDS, 7.35pm (live TG4/Nuvolari TV)
Team News: After the Captain’s Run on Thursday morning, Leinster head coach Matt O’Connor has announced the team to face Zebre at the RDS in the GUINNESS PRO12.
With Ton Denton, Noel Reid and Richardt Strauss ruled out as they continue through the return-to-play protocols, there are a number of changes in personnel with seven in total – three in the forwards and four in the backs.
Zane Kirchner returns from injury and starts at full-back with Fergus McFadden on the right wing and Luke Fitzgerald starting this weekend on the left wing. Gordon D’Arcy comes in at inside centre with Ben Te’o outside him at 13.
In the half-backs there is a return from a knee injury for Eoin Reddan (pictured below), who has not played since the 20-all draw with Wasps in the European Champions Cup. While beside him, Jimmy Gopperth will win his 50th cap for Leinster. To date, the New Plymouth native has scored 299 points in the blue of Leinster (four tries, 48 conversions, 60 penalties and one drop goal).
In the front row Michael Bent starts once more at loosehead prop with Martin Moore coming in at tighthead and Aaron Dundon filling the hooker berth. In the second row Mike McCarthy and Kane Douglas are the starting pair, while there is no change to the back row from last weekend with Dominic Ryan, captain Shane Jennings and number 8 Jack Conan all starting again.
Cian Healy makes a welcome return to Leinster colours and is in line to make his first appearance off the bench since the PRO12 game against the Scarlets in September.
Meanwhile, Zebre have five permit players from the Eccellenza league in their selected squad, including Treviso-born lock Michele Sutto who will be making his PRO12 debut.
Zebre are able to call on three players who have been named in the Italian squad for their upcoming RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland – Mauro Bergamasco, who will captain the Italian club from openside flanker, number 8 Samuela Vunisa and winger Michele Visentin.
Zebre come to Dublin on the back of a disappointing 54-10 home defeat to high-flying Glasgow. Matteo Pratichetti and Visentin have been brought into the back-line, while Andrea de Marchi and Luciano Leibson start in the front row and Sutto, skipper Bergamasco and Vunisa are the new inclusions in the rejigged second row and back row.
LEINSTER: Zane Kirchner; Fergus McFadden, Ben Te’o, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; Jimmy Gopperth, Eoin Reddan; Michael Bent, Aaron Dundon, Martin Moore, Mike McCarthy, Kane Douglas, Dominic Ryan, Shane Jennings (capt), Jack Conan.
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong, Ben Marshall, Dan Leavy, Isaac Boss, Cathal Marsh, Dave Kearney.
ZEBRE: Hendrik Daniller; Dion Berryman, Mirco Bergamasco, Matteo Pratichetti, Michele Visentin; Luciano Orquera, Brendon Leonard; Andrea de Marchi, Oliviero Fabiani, Luciano Leibson, Valerio Bernabò, Michele Sutto, Jacopo Sarto, Mauro Bergamasco (capt), Samuela Vunisa.
Replacements: Lorenzo Giovanchelli, Laert Naka, Luca Redolfini, Giacomo Bernini, Ruben Riccioli, Alberto Chillon, Edoardo Padovani, David Odiete.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Kieran Barry, Stuart Douglas (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Dermot Moloney (Ireland)
Pre-Match Quotes: Matt O’Connor (Leinster) – “The performance that we put out at the RDS last week was unacceptable. That’s the reality. We’ve got an opportunity with a really short turnaround to fix it.
“The pain and frustration that’s been in the environment off the back of not being good enough hopefully drives us in the right direction on Friday night.
“Zebre are irrelevant to me. They will do what they do and pick who they pick. We need to make sure that regardless of how well they play or who they pick that we bring a performance.
“We need to play as well as we can and get as many points as we can because if we’re talking about finishing in the top two (for a home semi-final), there aren’t many opportunities left.”
Top Scorers – 2014/15 GUINNESS PRO12: Leinster – Points: Ian Madigan 113; Tries: Ian Madigan 4; Zebre – Points: Kelly Haimona 49; Tries: Samuela Vunisa, Giulio Bisegni, Brendon Leonard 2 each
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, December 1, 2012 – Leinster 37 Zebre 7, the RDS
Sunday, April 21, 2013 – Zebre 22 Leinster 41, Stadio Citta del Tricolore
Sunday, February 9, 2014 – Zebre 8 Leinster 31, Stadio XXV Aprile
Friday, March 21, 2014 – Leinster 27 Zebre 0, the RDS
Saturday, October 11, 2014 – Zebre 3 Leinster 20, Stadio XXV Aprile
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster are winless in their last two matches, drawing 20-all with Wasps and tripping up at home to the Newport Gwent Dragons, but have not gone three games without a victory since December 2012
– The Leinstermen have never lost successive matches at the RDS
– Zebre’s only victory in their last nine fixtures in all competitions came at home to Brive in the European
Challenge Cup on January 17
– Zebre’s only two away victories since they were formed in 2012 came at Cardiff Blues in the PRO12 in September 2013 and at Brive in the Challenge Cup in October 2014
– Leinster have won all five previous encounters with Zebre, outscoring the Italians by 20 tries to five, with Zebre gaining no league points and Leinster a maximum on four occasions
This website uses cookies.
Read More