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Seven changes for Leinster, including a recall for Johnny Sexton
Leinster have made seven changes to their Champions Cup starting XV following last weekend’s URC win over Munster, including the recall of Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton to start at No10 away to Connacht at the Sportsground. The game in Galway will the 36-year-old veteran’s first outing for his province since January 22 at Bath and his first match since leading Ireland to their Triple Crown success on March 19 versus Scotland.
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Sexton is chosen ahead of Ross Byrne in the Leinster team but he curiously won’t start alongside his Ireland half-back partner Jamison Gibson-Park. The Kiwi scrum-half began last week’s league game at Munster as the Leinster No9 but he now drops to the bench as Luke McGrath has been selected in a backline that is otherwise unchanged.
It’s in the pack where the other five Leinster changes are, Leo Cullen opting to go with an entirely different tight-five against Connacht than the front and second rows that started at Thomond Park. Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong take over from Ed Byrne, James Tracy and Michael Ala’alatoa in the front row while Ross Molony and Josh Murphy start at lock in place of Devin Toner and Jack Dunne.
There are fears that the two-legged all-Irish round of 16 encounter could be a one-sided affair as Leinster hammered Connacht in Galway just a fortnight ago in the URC, but the legendary Brian O’Driscoll isn’t so sure. He told RugbyPass: “That’s the only fixture that you might have any nervousness around. I fancy Connacht to deliver a better performance than they did a couple of weeks ago.
“Over two legs, the scoreline might be a bit bigger than you would hope for but I can’t see that in any of the other fixtures. Stade-Racing maybe, but Stade at home are difficult to beat and then all the others, they will all be relatively close games over two legs so that is what makes it very exciting.”
CONNACHT: 15. Tiernan O’Halloran; 14. John Porch, 13. Tom Farrell, 12. Bundee Aki, 11. Mack Hansen; 10. Jack Carty (capt), 9. Kieran Marmion; 1. Matthew Burke, 2. David Heffernan, 3. Finlay Bealham, 4. Gavin Thornbury, 5. Leva Fifita, 6. Cian Prendergast, 7. Conor Oliver, 8. Jarrad Butler. Reps: 16. Dylan Tierney Martin, 17. Tietie Tuimauga, 18. Jack Aungier, 19. Oisin Dowling, 20. Abraham Papali’i, 21. Caolin Blade, 22. Conor Fitzgerald, 23. Sam Arnold.
LEINSTER: 15. Hugo Keenan, 14. Jimmy O’Brien, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. James Lowe; 10. Johnny Sexton (capt), 9. Luke McGrath; 1. Cian Healy, 2. Dan Sheehan, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Ross Molony, 5. Josh Murphy, 6. Caelan Doris, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Jack Conan. Reps: 16. James Tracy, 17. Ed Byrne, 18. Michael Ala’alatoa, 19. Devin Toner 20. Max Deegan, 21. Jamison Gibson-Park, 22. Ross Byrne, 23. Ciaran Frawley.
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Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
57 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept 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.
57 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.
7 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
57 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 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
57 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.
57 Go to comments