URC 2026/2027 squads rated: Leinster

Leinster head into 2026/27 in a slightly unusual position. For all the familiar talk of depth, production lines and international quality, this is a squad that feels a little less bombproof than in recent years. There is still exceptional strength in key areas, particularly at hooker, lock and back row, where Leo Cullen can call upon a wealth of proven Test talent.

But there are also genuine questions to answer across the front row, in midfield and out wide.
The departures of James Lowe, Rieko Ioane, Ciarán Frawley and Luke McGrath have stripped away experience and versatility, while Rabah Slimani’s exit leaves renewed scrutiny on a tighthead position that has been a long-running concern.

Even so, Leinster’s response has been characteristically measured rather than dramatic. The returns of Joey Carbery and Peter Dooley add depth where it is needed, while another wave of academy talent [think Caspar Gabriel, Josh Ericson et al.] waits for opportunities.

As ever, the challenge for Leinster is not accumulating talent but converting it into silverware. And, for all that, the squad remains one of the strongest in Europe on paper as they prepare to run out at a revamped RDS.

We’ve taken the liberty of including a number of capped academy players in the following list.

Hooker: Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Gus McCarthy, Stephen Smyth

It’s a well-stocked larder at No.2. While Sheehan didn’t quite hit the heights of previous seasons at club level, Leinster have the luxury of being able to roll out Ireland’s No.2 hooker in Kelleher. The hard-carrying Gus McCarthy has also shown that he is more than capable when given a sniff, while Smyth was limited to just 65 minutes of first-team action last season.

8.5/10

Loose-head: Andrew Porter, Jack Boyle, Paddy McCarthy, Peter Dooley, Alex Usanov

Leinster’s loosehead division was absolute carnage in 2026. A spate of injuries in the position left Leinster scratching heads and turning flower pots over in search of props. Yet for all that, maybe the biggest headline of the season gone was the emergence of Paddy McCarthy. The exit of Jerry Cahir to Connacht after a remarkable rise from salesman to hole-plugging professional rugby athlete, alongside short-term returnee from Cardiff and now retired Ed Byrne, is mitigated by another rebound in the shape of Connacht’s Peter Dooley. Ireland international Boyle needs to re-state a claim after injury saw his stock drop, while rookie Usanov will certainly benefit from the baptism of fire he endured in 2025/26.

8/10

Tight-head: Tadhg Furlong, Tom Clarkson, Andrew Sparrow, Niall Smyth

Maybe one of Leinster’s biggest position concerns over the last few seasons has been tighthead. Rabah Slimani’s exit after an Indian summer in Dublin over two seasons has put a bigger emphasis on a department that has reliably creaked and groaned when tested against the best. The question is whether Clarkson can step out from under the shadow of an ageing Furlong.

7/10

Lock: James Ryan, Joe McCarthy, RG Snyman, Ryan Baird, Brian Deeny, Diurmuid Mangan, Conor O’Tighearnaigh

Arguably the strongest second-row stable in all of club rugby. Leinster are able to deploy four international-class locks, injuries notwithstanding. The trio of Deeny, Mangan and the hulking O’Tighearnaigh have also proved to be more than capable of mixing it at the highest level.

9.5/10

Back-row: Caelan Doris, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Alex Soroka, James Culhane, Josh Ericson

Again, a department that is borderline an embarrassment of riches for Leinster. When you count in that they can reliably shift nominal lock Ryan Baird across to six, it means Leinster effectively have two international-class back-rows to pick from.

8.5/10

Scrum-half: Jamison Gibson-Park, Cormac Foley, Fintan Gunne, Oliver Coffey

JGP is one of the best halfbacks in the world, but there’s daylight between himself and his understudies. The promising Gunne, who Cullen has so far appeared reluctant to trust when the chips are down, needs more game time and he will get it with the exit of Luke McGrath to Perpignan.

8/10

Fly-half: Sam Prendergast, Joey Carbery, Harry Byrne, Caspar Gabriel

The loss of Ciaran Frawley to Connacht dents Leinster’s 10 stocks, even if he started a handful of games in the position last season. The re-signing of veteran Carbery from Bordeaux is, however, a very welcome boost. While it would be hard to argue any of the province’s three standoffs are truly world-class, it speaks to the depth in the position that you could easily see any of the trio starting in Europe this season. It will be a fascinating battle. It is also telling that the highly rated Caspar Gabriel – who has just one senior cap to date – was pursued by Munster for a short-term deal following Jack Crowley’s injury, before being told no by Leinster.

7.5/10

Centre: Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, Charlie Tector, Hugh Cooney

A midfield on the verge of transition – arguably stuck between two battle-hardened but ageing stars and up-and-coming talent who still have a little left to prove. Osborne is the heir apparent, although he has become something of a jack-of-all-trades, covering nearly every position in the backline under Leo Cullen. Tector had an excellent season which was limited by injury, while Cooney has also shone, albeit in admittedly brief cameos.

7/10

Wing: Tommy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour, Joshua Kenny, Andrew Osborne, Hugo McLaughlin

The huge – and unforecasted – loss of James Lowe made the headlines at the tail end of last season and it’s left Leinster’s wing stocks looking a tad light. They will be leaning heavily on the academy this season, and no doubt utility back Jimmy O’Brien will be requisitioned for wing duty a lot in 2026/27.

7/10

Full-back: Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O’Brien

Keenan refound his form in 2025/26, while the aforementioned O’Brien has repeatedly shown he can be deployed at full-back, wing or centre and deliver. The loss of Frawley to Connacht also means that Jamie Osborne will likely also get a lot of game time at 15 once again.

8/10

Overall rating: 79/100

TRANSFERS:
Ins: Peter Dooley, Joey Carbery
Outs: Rabah Slimani, Ed Byrne, Jerry Cahir, John McKee, Will Connors, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Rieko Ioane, James Lowe, Mahon Ronan