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Kelleher returns for Leinster as Glasgow welcome back 9 Scotland campers
Injury-plagued British & Irish Lions tourist Ronan Kelleher play his first game for Leinster in two months as the Irish province welcome Glasgow to the RDS.
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Ireland prospect Harry Byrne – brother of Ross Byrne who starts at flyhalf – is also in line to make his first appearance of the season as the men in blue host Franco Smith Glasgow’s in the URC.
Academy products Rob Russell and Liam Turner return to the side after impressing against Chile, while All Blacks Charlie Ngatai will make his seventh appearance for Leinster in the centres.
In addition, a number of Ireland players that featured against Australia are also available for the Round 8 fixture against the Warriors. Joe McCarthy is named on the bench, as is Springboks second row Jason Jenkins who featured for SA ‘A’ recently.
McCarthy and Ross Moloney are the second row combination, with Rhys Ruddock skippering the side at six, with Scott Penny at openside and Max Deegan at No. 8.
They face a stern Test in a Glasgow Warriors side that features nine players who were involved in the Scotland camp for the recent Autumn Nations Series, including recent international debutants Murphy Walker and Jack Dempsey.
Jamie Bhatti and Ross Thompson return to the fold after being involved with Gregor Townsend’s outfit during the Autumn. They are named on the bench.
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“Tomorrow is an opportunity to measure ourselves against a strong Leinster side,” said Glasgow Warriorss head coach Franco Smith. “We were pleased with how we ended our last block of games with our win over Benetton and we plan to carry that momentum into this important block.
“Tomorrow is the start of the next part of our journey as we continue to build our squad and our performances.”
LEINSTER TEAM:
15. Jamie Osborne
14. Rob Russell
13. Liam Turner
12. Charlie Ngatai
11. Dave Kearney
10. Ross Byrne
9. Luke McGrath
1. Ed Byrne
2. Rónan Kelleher
3. Thomas Clarkson
4. Ross Molony
5. Joe McCarthy
6. Rhys Ruddock CAPTAIN
7. Scott Penny
8. Max Deegan
REPLACEMENTS:
16. John McKee
17. Michael Milne
18. Vakh Abdaladze
19. Jason Jenkins
20. Ryan Baird
21. Cormac Foley
22. Harry Byrne
23. Chris Cosgrave
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GLASGOW WARRIORS TEAM:
1. Oli Kebble
2. Fraser Brown
3. Murphy Walker
4. Sintu Manjezi
5. Alex Samuel
6. Gregor Brown
7. Sione Vailanu
8. Jack Dempsey
9. George Horne
10. Tom Jordan
11. Rufus McLean
12. Stafford McDowall
13. Kyle Steyn (C)
14. Sebastian Cancelliere
15. Josh McKay
REPLACEMENTS:
16. Johnny Matthews
17. Jamie Bhatti
18. Simon Berghan
19. JP du Preez
20. Lewis Bean
21. Euan Ferrie
22. Jamie Dobie
23. Ross Thompson
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments