Champions Cup semi-finalists Leinster face one of the toughest challenges of their GUINNESS PRO12 campaign when they visit top-four rivals the Ospreys, with Leo Cullen’s men determined to stay top of the table.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, April 8
OSPREYS (3rd) v LEINSTER (1st), Liberty Stadium, 3pm (live Sky Sports 1 HD)
Team News: Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has announced his team to take on the Ospreys in today’s GUINNESS PRO12 match at the Liberty Stadium.
There are eight personnel changes to the side that accounted for Wasps in last week’s Champions Cup quarter-final but only one – Adam Byrne – is injury enforced.
There are also a number of positional changes in the back-line with captain Isa Nacewa moving to full-back from the left wing, with Fergus McFadden starting for only the fifth time this season on the left and Rory O’Loughlin coming in on the right.
Robbie Henshaw starts again at number 12 with Springbok Zane Kirchner outside him. There is a new half-back combination with Jamison Gibson Park and Joey Carbery teaming up together. Having started at full-back for the last four matches, it is Carbery’s first start at out-half since February’s home game against Edinburgh.
Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong continue at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively and having made a successful comeback for Leinster ‘A’ last weekend against Ulster ‘A’, Sean Cronin comes in for his first senior start since injuring his hamstring against Zebre in January.
Devin Toner is partnered in the second row this week by Clontarf’s Mick Kearney, while the fit-again Rhys Ruddock is back at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier returns at openside and Jack Conan, one of the province’s try scorers against Wasps, is retained at number 8.
On the bench, prop Mike Ross is in line to make his 150th senior appearance for Leinster having made his debut also in Wales against the Scarlets in September 2009.
Meanwhile, Wales stand-off Dan Biggar will play his 200th game for the Ospreys this afternoon, becoming the youngest player to achieve the landmark for the Welsh region – at 27 years of age.
There are two personnel changes to the Ospreys side that bowed out of the European Challenge Cup last weekend, losing out 25-21 to Stade Francais at the Principality Stadium. Kieron Fonotia and Olly Cracknell will start at outside centre and blindside flanker respectively, taking over from Ashley Beck and the benched Sam Underhill.
Scrum half Rhys Webb captains the regional outfit on the occasion of his 100th PRO12 appearance, while Alun Wyn Jones (shoulder), Dmitri Arhip (shoulder), Hanno Dirksen (knee), Ben John (HIA), Eli Walker (back) and Dan Lydiate (knee) are among the Ospreys’ walking wounded.
OSPREYS: Sam Davies; Keelan Giles, Kieron Fonotia, Josh Matavesi, Dan Evans; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb (capt); Nicky Smith, Scott Baldwin, Brian Mujati, Lloyd Ashley, Rory Thornton, Olly Cracknell, Justin Tipuric, Dan Baker.
Replacements: Scott Otten, Paul James, Ma’afu Fia, Bradley Davies, Tyler Ardron, Sam Underhill, Tom Habberfield, Jonathan Spratt.
LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa (capt); Rory O’Loughlin, Zane Kirchner, Robbie Henshaw, Fergus McFadden; Joey Carbery, Jamison Gibson Park; Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Mick Kearney, Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: James Tracy, Peter Dooley, Mike Ross, Ian Nagle, Dan Leavy, Nick McCarthy, Ross Byrne, Dave Kearney.
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: David Wilkinson (Ireland), Rob Price (Wales)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ospreys to win: 5/6; Draw: 16/1; Leinster to win: 11/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Josh van der Flier (Leinster) – “It was an incredible experience being involved in the Champions Cup quarter-final. The whole week was that bit more tense and the trainings that bit more intense also. But the good thing about it was that everyone treated it the same as any other game.
“The game itself was intense but no different to other big games I had been lucky to be a part of. I came on after 20 minutes as a blood sub. The game was a fast one to get into, but before I could settle in I was back off for Dan Leavy, who was getting stitched up.
“The crowd of just over 50,000 was something I won’t forget in a hurry – so loud, and the adrenaline rush that kind of noise gives you on the field is incredible. It’s just a pity the way the draw works out that it couldn’t be a home semi-final, but no doubt the sea of blue will be over to Lyon in full force.
“The nature of professional sport meant that come Monday morning everything from the weekend was almost forgotten about and the focus was on a huge game against the third-placed Ospreys.
“There are a lot of tough games but this is definitely one of the toughest in the calendar. We’ll have to be at our best and with Justin Tipuric likely to be in their back row, the breakdown will be a real test.”
Steve Tandy (Ospreys) – “The last two weeks have been incredibly disappointing and frustrating but we’ve got to show that we have what it takes to bounce back from those setbacks (against Benetton Treviso and Stade Francais).
“I don’t think there’s a bigger challenge in European rugby this season than Leinster, but this group has to step up and show what they’re about. It’s as much a test of character as it is of ability, but we know that this is a proud group capable of performing to a much higher standard than they achieved in the last two games.
“Just as we weren’t the best team in the world when the PRO12 broke for a few weeks at the start of March off the back of a decent run of results, losing the last two games doesn’t makes us the worst in the world.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Ospreys – Points: Sam Davies 92; Tries: Keelan Giles 6; Leinster – Points: Isa Nacewa 78; Tries: Joey Carbery 8
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Ospreys – Played 18, Won 13, Lost 5, 64 Points; W 59-5 v Zebre (home), W 32-11 v Connacht (away), W 64-10 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 31-19 v Leinster (away), L 9-7 v Ulster (away), W 46-24 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 35-17 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), L 33-0 v Munster (away), W 22-5 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 31-22 v Edinburgh (home), W 19-9 v Scarlets (home), W 10-0 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 29-7 v Connacht (home), W 40-10 v Zebre (away), L 25-23 v Munster (home), W 26-15 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 13-9 v Edinburgh (away), L 13-5 v Benetton Treviso (away); Leinster – Played 18, Won 15, Lost 3, 70 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), W 28-15 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), L 29-17 v Munster (away), W 22-7 v Ulster (home), W 70-6 v Zebre (home), W 40-14 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 39-10 v Edinburgh (home), W 54-22 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 45-9 v Scarlets (home), W 22-21 v Cardiff Blues (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
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
Friday, September 23, 2016 – Leinster 31 Ospreys 19, the RDS
MATCH FACTS:
– The Ospreys have lost two of their last four matches in the GUINNESS PRO12, at home to Munster in round 15 and away at Benetton Treviso in round 18
– The Ospreys have lost only one of their last twelve matches in all competitions at the Liberty Stadium: 25-23 to Munster on February 18
– Leinster are unbeaten in all nine first team games they have played in 2017, their most recent reversal being on a visit to Munster in the PRO12 on December 26
– The Leinstermen have been defeated just once in their last nine fixtures against Welsh regions – away to the Scarlets in round 9
– Leinster’s only defeat to the Ospreys since November 2012 was 25-19 at the Liberty Stadium in the PRO12 in April 2014
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