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Leinster re-call 5 Lions and set up debut for Ireland Sevens star
By Ian Cameron
After a sluggish start to the season, Leinster have called for the cavalry. Head coach Leo Cullen has drafted no less than five British & Irish Lions for Saturday’s URC clash with the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the Aviva Stadium.
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He’s also named an Ireland Sevens star on the bench for the Irish province’s first home game of the regular season. The URC champs are still chasing a first win of the season after losing their first two away games against the Stormers and the Bulls.
Josh van der Flier skippers the side for the first time. The Lions’ back-row is one of eight changes as Leo Cullen brings back a stack of front-liners after the trip to South Africa.
Fellow Lions Tadhg Furlong, Rónan Kelleher, James Lowe and Jamie Osborne also return for their first run-outs of the season.
Van der Flier starts alongside Alex Soroka and Max Deegan in the back row, behind the unchanged second-row pairing of Brian Deeny and Ryan Baird.
Furlong and Kelleher come into the front row with rookie Paddy McCarthy at loosehead.
A far less well-known quantity is Joshua Kenny. The twenty-two-year-old is set for his provincial debut when he is almost certainly called from the bench. The Greystones RFC product came through Presentation College Bray before joining Terenure College RFC in the Energia AIL.
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The highly rated SVNS flyer has been training with the senior squad since pre-season and was part of the group that toured South Africa.
Fellow former Sevens star Jimmy O’Brien moves to the wing, while Lowe starts on the left wing.
Lions tourist Osborne slots in at fullback for his first start of the season.
Robbie Henshaw shifts to 13 outside Ciarán Frawley at 12, with Fintan Gunne and Harry Byrne starting together at half-back. There’s, however, no spot in the 23 for Sam Prendergast after a mixed tour of South Africa.
Tighthead Thomas Clarkson’s inclusion among the replacements brings the Lions count in the matchday squad to six.
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Luke McGrath, Hugh Cooney and debutant Kenny round out the bench.
Leinster:15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Jimmy O’Brien, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Ciarán Frawley, 11 James Lowe, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Fintan Gunne; 1 Paddy McCarthy, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Brian Deeny, 5 Ryan Baird, 6 Alex Soroka, 7 Josh van der Flier (c), 8 Max Deegan.
Replacements:16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Jack Boyle, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Diarmuid Mangan, 20 James Culhane, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Hugh Cooney, 23 Joshua Kenny.
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