Leinster player ratings vs Connacht | 2025/26 URC

Leinster player ratings: A spiky interprovincial at the Dexcom that ebbed and flowed, threatened to boil over more than once and was ultimately decided by Leinster’s ability to finish cleanly when momentum swung their way.

The scrum wobbled, discipline flickered and accuracy came and went, but when the game opened up in the second half Leinster had the composure to strike and pull clear for a 23-34 win.

Here’s how the Leinster players rated:

15. Ciaran Frawley – 7.5
A pretty tidy night at the back. Generally added value when on the ball and kept things moving without fuss. His finish on 69 minutes was simplicity itself, the end product of a flowing backs move, but credit for being in the right place and executing. Set to head west next season, but signed off here with a professional display.

14. Joshua Kenny – 6
A relatively quiet outing after a meteoric rise through the Leinster ranks this season. Struggled to get into what became a scrappy contest and saw little ball as a result. Nothing glaringly wrong, just peripheral.

13. Garry Ringrose – 5.5
Another mixed bag. Got away with an awkward off-the-ball collision and there were some uncharacteristic errors, one of which cost Leinster a valuable attacking position just outside the Connacht 22 around the 50-minute mark. Not disastrous, but below his usual high bar.

12. Charlie Tector – 8.5
Adds a handy second kicking option at 12 and had a solid outing here. Threatened the line at times, relieved pressure at others, and then went into beast mode just before the hour to punch through the Connacht defence and sprint over. A big moment in the game and taken superbly.

11. James Lowe – 5
Showed glimpses of his power in contact but it was wiped out by too many errors. Fumbled a potentially try-scoring opportunity and was penalised for a tackle off the ball that handed Connacht three points. A frustrating night.

10. Harry Byrne – 7
A solid first half, kept the scoreboard ticking and managed the game well enough amid the chaos. His beautifully delayed pass put Frawley in for the late walkover and he was heavily involved in Tector’s solo effort too. Not spectacular, but effective and crucially, his goal-kicking was spot on.

9. Fintan Gunne – 8
Took his try well, spotting a gap on the Connacht line from the base of a ruck early on. Later produced a brilliant dummy that led to an electric break upfield. A ‘gun’, to excuse the pun, and lively throughout before making way.

8. Caelan Doris – 6
Some of his livery off the top of the lineout was poor and he lost an early ball in contact. That said, he carried a lot and deserves credit for that graft. Not his cleanest night, but still influential in patches.

7. Will Connors – 6
In a proper ding-dong battle with the highly rated Sean Jansen. Got through plenty of work and competed hard before being replaced. Solid without standing out.

6. Alex Soroka – 5
A fairly anonymous shift before being replaced. It’s a shame he couldn’t put in a bigger statement given the Ireland back-row traffic jam around him, with the likes of Jansen and Cian Prendergast on the other side.

5. James Ryan – 7
Got stuck in when tempers boiled over early and was solid enough thereafter. Nothing flashy, but did his job and added some bite when needed.

4. RG Snyman – 8
Another passable first half, getting into it with a few Connacht players, but again followed the pattern of being a little subdued as a starter. Much better after the break, with some excellent support play, and capped it with a textbook ‘RG’ effort, barrelling over two defenders close in.

3. Niall Smyth – 5.5
A baptism of fire. Really struggled at scrum time, although he did have a great intervention on 46 minutes to stop a Connacht score when all looked lost. Useful in the loose, but Leinster needed a scrummager.

2. Gus McCarthy – 7
Industrious and busy. Made the initial break that led to Gunne’s try and was involved around the park. Replaced just before the hour after a solid shift.

1. Jack Boyle – 5
A distant second best to Sam Illo and then Jack Aungier at scrumtime. Gave away a soft penalty after getting greedy at a defensive ruck in Leinster’s 22. More worryingly, went off with what looked like a serious injury after a collapsed scrum. A concerning sight.

Replacements:

16. Ronan Kelleher – 7
Brought a calm head into a heated contest. Lucky to escape with only a penalty for a late seatbelt tackle, but otherwise added control and experience.

17. Jerry Cahir – 6
Missed tackle hurt Leinster in the lead-up to Connacht’s try early in the second half, but the fragile scrum did marginally improve after his introduction. Marginally.

18. Andrew Sparrow – 5
Mullered at the scrum by Denis Buckley, who once again underlined his quality. A tough night.

19. Brian Deeny – NA
Late cameo with little time to make an impact.

20. Diarmuid Mangan – 6.5
On and off in a stop-start spell, with limited influence.

21. Scott Penny – 6
Busy without being decisive after coming on.

22. Luke McGrath – 7.5
Brought experience, urgency and some super slick box-kicking off the bench. Played a key role in Snyman’s try and helped Leinster wrestle back control.

23. Ruben Moloney – NA
Not on long enough to warrant a rating.