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Jordie Barrett set for Leinster debut as superstars return

ordie Barrett during a Leinster rugby squad training sesssion at UCD in Dublin. (Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett is set to make his much-anticipated Leinster debut on Sunday against Bristol Bears in the Investec Champions Cup.

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The 27-year-old’s sabbatical in Ireland was announced in April, but Leinster fans have had to wait until his duties with the All Blacks ended for the year before he could don the blue jersey.

The Kiwi will start on a bench that is not lacking in world-class talent with South Africa lock RG Snyman and Ireland captain Caelan Doris named among the substitutes by Leo Cullen.

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    The four-time European champions have welcomed back an array of Ireland internationals into their starting XV for the trip to Ashton Gate following their victory over Australia last weekend.

    After taking hold of the Ireland No 10 jersey for the match against the Wallabies, Sam Prendergast will start at fly-half for Leinster, with Ciaran Frawley starting at full-back. The 21-year-old Prendergast will continue his 9-10 partnership with Jamison Gibson-Park.

    Fixture
    Investec Champions Cup
    Bristol
    12 - 35
    Full-time
    Leinster
    All Stats and Data

    Leinster have not been able to welcome back all their full complement of Ireland internationals from the autumn, however, with Hugo Keenan and James Lowe injured. Fortunately for Cullen, the 68-cap All Black Barrett will be able to provide cover in the back three.

    Bristol themselves have recalled a couple of internationals, with England prop Ellis Genge and scrum-half Harry Randall returning after being rested in their Gallagher Premiership victory over Harlequins last Friday.

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    Leinster XV (caps in brackets)
    15. Ciarán Frawley (92)
    14. Jordan Larmour (111)
    13. Garry Ringrose (128)
    12. Robbie Henshaw (93)
    11. Jimmy O’Brien (85)
    10. Sam Prendergast (20)
    9. Jamison Gibson-Park (146)
    1. Jack Boyle (13)
    2. Rónan Kelleher (66)
    3. Rabah Slimani (5)
    4. Joe McCarthy (37)
    5. James Ryan (87)
    6. Max Deegan (119)
    7. Josh van der Flier (147)
    8. Jack Conan CAPTAIN (153)

    Replacements
    16. Gus McCarthy (6)
    17. Andrew Porter (126)
    18. Thomas Clarkson (47)
    19. RG Snyman (5)
    20. Caelan Doris (86)
    21. Luke McGrath (217)
    22. Ross Byrne (169)
    23. Jordie Barrett (0)

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    Comments

    2 Comments
    I
    Icefarrow 117 days ago

    Going off this list, he's most likely to play Centre then? Possibly Fullback? Not all that familiar with the backup positions of Leinster players.

    E
    Ernie 117 days ago

    I read elsewhere that Tadhg Furlong met him at the airport, which JB described as a 'royal welcome'. What a nice gesture Tadhg.!

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    J
    JW 59 minutes ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    It is now 22 years since Michael Lewis published his groundbreaking treatise on winning against the odds

    I’ve never bothered looking at it, though I have seen a move with Clint as a scout/producer. I’ve always just figured it was basic stuff for the age of statistics, is that right?

    Following the Moneyball credo, the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available

    This is actually a great example of what I’m thinking of. This concept has abosolutely nothing to do with Moneyball, it is simple being able to realise how skillsets tie together and which ones are really revelant.


    It sounds to me now like “moneyball” was just a necessity, it was like scienctest needing to come up with some random experiment to make all the other world scholars believe that Earth was round. The American sporting scene is very unique, I can totally imagine one of it’s problems is rich old owners not wanting to move with the times and understand how the game has changed. Some sort of mesiah was needed to convert the faithful.


    While I’m at this point in the article I have to say, now the NRL is a sport were one would stand up and pay attention to the moneyball phenom. Like baseball, it’s a sport of hundreds of identical repetitions, and very easy to data point out.

    the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available and look to get ahead of an unfair game in the areas it has always been strong: predictive intelligence and rugby ‘smarts’

    Actually while I’m still here, Opta Expected Points analysis is the one new tool I have found interesting in the age of data. Seen how the random plays out as either likely, or unlikely, in the data’s (and algorithms) has actually married very closely to how I saw a lot of contests pan out.


    Engaging return article Nick. I wonder, how much of money ball is about strategy as apposed to picks, those young fella’s got ahead originally because they were picking players that played their way right? Often all you here about is in regards to players, quick phase ruck ball, one out or straight up, would be were I’d imagine the best gains are going to be for a data driven leap using an AI model of how to structure your phases. Then moving to tactically for each opposition.

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