Leinster will have to be to on their toes for the visit of Cardiff Blues to the RDS tonight. Last season’s corresponding fixture went right down to the wire with Leo Cullen’s side managing to claim a 22-21 victory in a six-try thriller.
GUINNESS PRO14: Friday, September 8
LEINSTER (3rd, Con B) v CARDIFF BLUES (6th, Con A), the RDS, 7.35pm (live TG4/BBC 2 Wales)
Team News: Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has announced his first home team of the GUINNESS PRO14 season, and with it, welcomes back a number of players for their first involvement of the new campaign.
But the night and the occasion belongs to Meath man Devin Toner who will lead the team out on the occasion of his 200th cap for Leinster. In doing so, he becomes only the sixth Leinster player to have achieved that milestone with Jamie Heaslip the only other double centurion in the province’s current squad.
Toner has scored three tries in his 199 caps to date, with the last one coming in September 2012 against the Scarlets. The towering 6ft 10in lock made his debut in January 2006 in a home win against Border Reivers and will be hoping for a similar result on Friday, a full 12 seasons on.
Elsewhere, Cullen has picked the same back-line – bar one change – that accounted for the Dragons last Saturday at Rodney Parade. Ireland scrum half Luke McGrath returns at half-back where he starts beside Ross Byrne.
Otherwise it is as you were with Rob Kearney at full back, Adam Byrne on the right wing and St. Mary’s starlet Jordan Larmour, who enjoyed a try-scoring debut against the Dragons, on the left for his first senior game at the RDS. Isa Nacewa captains the side from inside centre with Rory O’Loughlin on his shoulder.
Cian Healy and Michael Bent are selected again as the starting props but the Ireland-capped James Tracy comes in at hooker for his first start of the new season. The second row pairing of Scott Fardy and Toner is unchanged, as the 39-times capped Australian international makes his RDS debut.
There are two changes to the back row with only openside flanker Josh van der Flier retained. Rhys Ruddock is involved for the first time this season, fresh from captaining Ireland during their unbeaten summer tour of the USA and Japan. Jack Conan is the final name in Cullen’s starting XV having impressed off the bench against Dragons, while the replacements this week include Mick Kearney who is poised for his seasonal debut.
Tickets for Leinster’s first home game of the GUINNESS PRO14 season against Cardiff Blues are on sale online now. Tickets are available from €;20.
Meanwhile, Cardiff Blues boss Danny Wilson has made six changes to their starting line-up following last week’s 20-10 opening round defeat at the hands of Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh.
Four of the changes come in the back-line with full-back Rhun Williams making a welcome return to fitness to start ahead of Matthew Morgan. Garyn Smith comes in at outside centre, Tom James, who made his 150th appearance last week, starts on the left wing and Steve Shingler has been given the nod at out-half.
There are two more changes up front – both injured-enforced – with Keiron Assiratti replacing Taufa’ao Filise in the front row and Macauley Cook starting on the blindside with Josh Turnbull switching to the number 8 position.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Adam Byrne, Rory O’Loughlin, Isa Nacewa (capt), Jordan Larmour; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, James Tracy, Michael Bent, Devin Toner, Scott Fardy, Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Ed Byrne, Andrew Porter, Mick Kearney, Dan Leavy, Nick McCarthy, Cathal Marsh, Barry Daly.
CARDIFF BLUES: Rhun Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Garyn Smith, Rey Lee-Lo, Tom James; Steve Shingler, Lloyd Williams; Rhys Gill, Matthew Rees (capt), Keiron Assiratti, Seb Davies, Damian Welch, Macauley Cook, Josh Navidi, Josh Turnbull.
Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Corey Domachowski, Dillon Lewis, James Down, Sion Bennett, Tomos Williams, Jarrod Evans, Matthew Morgan.
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Eddie Hogan O’Connell (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 1/16; Draw: 40/1; Cardiff Blues to win: 8/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Devin Toner (Leinster) – “It’s been a long road, I suppose. It doesn’t feel that long. It feels as if it has flown by but looking back at the caps I was getting each season it was two, then three, then four and five and then 17, 18 and up to 30, so it gradually got there.
“Leinster put a lot of faith in me when I was coming out of the Academy. I did a lot of work myself but back then, ten years ago and compared to now, the young lads coming out of the Academy are far more advanced than I was.
“They seem to be ready a lot younger now, so I would be the first to say that Leinster put a lot of faith in me, a lot of work, and I am really grateful for it.
“Scott (Fardy) is really good. He was saying it’s taken him a while to get used to coming out of a scrum every time and get out in the back-line, so I think he needs to get a few more games under the belt to get used to that.
“Obviously he’s got a huge amount of experience, it is brilliant to have him there and he brings a lot of energy to the team. It’s great to see (the things he does) like what he is like at the breakdown and where he runs in attack. There is obviously a lot of pressure for all the other second rows as well for their places. There is a huge amount of competition this year.
“He needs to get used to scrummaging and using all his weight there and then getting out quickly and getting into the play. He’s signed here because of what a good player he is. He’ll thrive. I don’t think he needs to change that much.”
Danny Wilson (Cardiff Blues) – “The Edinburgh performance didn’t look any better on Monday but hopefully it is a quick fix. We have done some pretty physical contact work this week to put it right because it’s not like us.
“A week before we were extremely physical against a big Exeter side but we didn’t see that same edge and presence against Edinburgh (losing 20-10). That’s the disappointing thing, especially when it’s your first home game in the league.
“We have dealt with it, we have moved on and I know with this group we can bounce back and there is no better challenge than away to Leinster. Their defence was extremely aggressive against the Dragons and they have increased their line-speed.
Leinster were heavily competing at the breakdowns, especially in the wide channels and they obviously play a very attractive brand of rugby while also being able to overpower teams with a big pack of forwards. Leinster in Leinster is always a huge challenge whichever team you play but it’s one we will be motivated for.
“Last year we took them to the wire in a game which was won by one point and was arguably a game we could have nicked. It’s a strong test but we will draw on the confidence from the way we performed there last season and can hopefully produce something similar.”
Top Scorers – 2017/18 GUINNESS PRO14: Leinster – Points: Ross Byrne 10; Tries: Jamison Gibson-Park, Jordan Larmour, Dan Leavy, Cathal Marsh 1 each; Cardiff Blues – Points: Jarrod Evans, Josh Navidi 5 each; Tries: Josh Navidi 1
2017/18 TEAM FORM: Leinster – Played 1, Won 1, 5 Points; W 39-16 v Dragons (away); Cardiff Blues – Played 1, Lost 1, 0 Points; L 20-10 v Edinburgh (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, September 26, 2014 – Leinster 37 Cardiff Blues 23, the RDS
Saturday, January 10, 2015 – Cardiff Blues 13 Leinster 22, BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park
Saturday, September 12, 2015 – Leinster 23 Cardiff Blues 15, the RDS
Saturday, February 20, 2016 – Cardiff Blues 13 Leinster 14, BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park
Saturday, October 1, 2016 – Cardiff Blues 13 Leinster 16, BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park
Saturday, March 25, 2017 – Leinster 22 Cardiff Blues 21, the RDS
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster’s only defeat in their last twelve regular season GUINNESS PRO14 matches was 17-13 at Ulster in round 22 last season
– The Leinstermen were defeated 27-15 by the Scarlets in the 2016/17 semi-final in their most recent game at the RDS, ending a run of 20 successive victories at the venue in all tournaments
– Cardiff Blues’ 20-10 reversal at home to Edinburgh in round 1 ended their four-match unbeaten run in the GUINNESS PRO14
– The Blues have not been victorious outside of Wales since an 18-17 win in Edinburgh in February
– Cardiff have not begun a PRO14 campaign with a pair of defeats since season 2009/10
– The Welsh side’s only success against an Irish province last season was 24-23 at Munster in round 2
– Leinster have won their last twelve matches against the Blues in the PRO14, although in each of the last three the Welshmen have gained a losing bonus point, and in two games were defeated by a single point
– Cardiff’s only previous triumph on Leinster soil since the region were formed in 2003 was 22-18 at Donnybrook in March 2004
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