URC: Kelleher captains Leinster, Kok faces old friends, Connacht ring the changes

Irish Examiner

25-04-2025

Leinster boss Leo Cullen has named his side to take on Scarlets in Round 16 of the United Rugby Championship on Saturday at Parc y Scarlets (kick-off, 5.15pm)
Rónan Kelleher will captain Leinster for the first time while Academy back Ruben Moloney is in line to make his senior debut off the bench.
Kelleher is joined in the front row by Cian Healy and Thomas Clarkson, with Ryan Baird and Brian Deeny behind them in the engine room.
Alex Soroka and James Culhane continue in the back-row, with Will Connors named at openside flanker after returning from injury.
Scrum-half Fintan Gunne makes his second start of the season, with Ross Byrne his half-back partner for the trip to Wales.
Jamie Osborne moves to inside centre, with Liam Turner on his outside. Jimmy O'Brien and Andrew Osborne have been named on the wings, while Ciarán Frawley shifts to full-back.
Moloney could earn his first Leinster cap if he is introduced to the action from the bench, with Cormac Foley and Charlie Tector also named among the replacements.
Academy duo Gus McCarthy and Diarmuid Mangan will offer their services from the bench alongside Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani and Scott Penny.
Meanwhile, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has named his team to take on the Hollywoodbets Sharks at Kingspan Stadium.
Former Sharks winger, Werner Kok, returns to the starting line-up for the first time since January, while Ireland international, Stuart McCloskey, also starts after injury prevented him from facing Leinster last weekend.
For Connacht, there are six changes from the side that lost out to the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend for their clash with the Emirates Lions.
Shayne Bolton has recovered from injury to start on the right wing in his native country, while hooker Dave Heffernan, locks Josh Murphy and Joe Joyce, number 8 Sean Jansen and scrum-half Matthew Devine also come into the side.
Leinster (v Scarlets): C Frawley; A Osborne, L Turner, J Osborne, J O'Brien; R Byrne, F Gunne; C Healy, R Kelleher, T Clarkson; R Baird, B Deeny; A Soroka, W Connors, J Culhane.
Replacements: G McCarthy, J Boyle, R Slimani, D Mangan, S Penny, C Foley, C Tector, R Moloney.
Ulster (v Sharks): J Stockdale; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak; A Warwick, R Herring, T O'Toole; A O'Connor, C Izuchukwu; M Rea, N Timoney, J McNabney.
Replacements: T Stewart, C Reid, S Wilson, M Dalton, K Treadwell, D Shanahan, A Morgan, D McCann.
Connacht (v Lions): P O'Conor; S Bolton, D Hawkshaw, C Forde, S Jennings; J Carty, M Devine; P Dooley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Murphy, J Joyce; C Prendergast, C Oliver, S Jansen.
Replacements: E de Buitléar, J Duggan, S Illo, O Dowling, P Boyle, C Reilly, H Gavin, S Cordero.