Ciaran Frawley starts at 10 as Leinster name mini-Bomb Squad bench

Leinster have selected Ciaran Frawley at fly-half and loaded their bench with senior internationals for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship Round 15 meeting with Ulster at the Aviva Stadium.

Head coach Leo Cullen hands Frawley the No. 10. Luke McGrath captains the side from scrum-half for the Irish provincial derby.

Robbie Henshaw, fresh from earning his 100th cap last weekend, partners Garry Ringrose in midfield. Tommy O’Brien and Jimmy O’Brien occupy the wing berths with Jamie Osborne at full-back.

There’s no place in the 23 for All Black star Jordie Barrett, who presumably gets a weekend off after his star turn in the thrashing of Glasgow Warriors a week ago in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Up front, loosehead Jack Boyle, academy hooker Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson form a youthful front row.

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Leinster

41 - 17

Full-time

Ulster

All Stats and Data

Joe McCarthy pairs with impressive academy lock Diarmuid Mangan in the second row. A new-look back row features Alex Soroka, Scott Penny and James Culhane.

Leinster’s replacements will provide a mini-Bombsquad boost off the pine, albeit on a 5-3 split. Ireland front-row trio Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong are joined by Springbok lock RG Snyman and back-rower Max Deegan to give Cullen considerable depth to call upon for the final quarter.

Academy scrum-half Fintan Gunne, fly-half Sam Prendergast and centre Liam Turner complete the match-day 23.

Italy’s Gianluca Gnecchi is on whistle duty.

Leinster team v Ulster
15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Jimmy O’Brien; 10 Ciaran Frawley, 9 Luke McGrath (captain); 1 Jack Boyle, 2 Gus McCarthy, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 Diarmuid Mangan, 6 Alex Soroka, 7 Scott Penny, 8 James Culhane

Replacements: 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Max Deegan, 21 Fintan Gunne, 22 Sam Prendergast, 23 Liam Turner