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Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Leinster team v Scarlets as Leo Cullen makes six changes for URC quarter-final
Leinster have made six changes for their URC quarter-final against Scarlets at the Aviva on Saturday afternoon. James Lowe returns to the left-wing berth, Jamison Gibson-Park to scrum-half while the centre features Jamie Osborne at second-centre outside Jordie Barrett. The expected return of Tadhg Furlong hasn't materialised which means Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Joe McCarthy comprise the changes in the pack. Jimmy O'Brien will make his 100th appearance, Jack Conan captains the team once more from Ryan is partnered in the second-row by Joe McCarthy with Andrew Porter and Thomas Clarkson scrumming down either side of Rónan Kelleher at Sheehan, Jack Boyle and Rabah Slimani offer the front row cover from the bench, with RG Snyman, Max Deegan and Scott Penny all named among the replacements. Luke McGrath and Ciarán Frawley complete the matchday 23. Both Garry Ringrose (calf) and Tommy O'Brien (foot) and Tadhg Furlong (calf) were ruled out by injury, Robbie Henshaw (knee) is not expected to return before season-end, Leinster defeated Glasgow last time out a fortnight back and it was a slightly scrappy affair, a George Horne try getting the Scots back to within five points between the 56th and 78th minutes before a Ciaran Frawley penalty put the matter beyond contention.'It's got to be something of a reset because the last game against Glasgow, the stakes are a little bit higher and if we're good enough to win this week we'll get an opportunity to play next week," said Leinster Forwards Coach Robin McBryde."But it's important to remember it's one game at a time, this Scarlets side are cohesive be a tough nut and we're going to have to earn the right to be involved in the competition next week. "It will be tough and if we want to go any further than we have been in the last four years then we need to win on Saturday in order to give us an opportunity but we need to get it right on Saturday Scarlet, wily scrum-half Garth Davies, 34 years-of-age and who has been at the club since 2007 misses out with injury, with Archie Hughes being asked to fill in.'But I think Archie has proven his worth over the last two games for us," Peel of the 22 year-old former Wales U20 international who comes in for only his second start of the season. "That's exciting for me. Archie coming on against the Lions, we were in a tough spot when he came on and it was a big, big, big game for him. Against the Sharks as well, he showed he's got the quality. It bodes well for the future.'We've spoken a lot about Archie in the last two years and he's taken his time this season; we are seeing some steady growth in his game and in the last couple of games he has been excellent for us.'The task for the Welsh club is to piggy-back on the April 26, 35-22, win at Parc y Peel: 'There is no doubt it is a big task, as I said, one of the biggest in club rugby to go to Dublin. "We won't shy away from it, understanding the challenge is a big thing and knowing we have to be at our very, very best to push them and that is what we need to aim for. "We are confident in our own ability, all we can do is look at ourselves and give our best account. "It is going to be a great occasion, it is not about chasing four or five points, it is knockout rugby and it is all on the day."There is also an imbalance in the number of frontline internationals available to the two clubs but Peel is for backing a young side and players such as Blair Murray, Ellis Mee and Josh Macleod who is in his second year as skipper.'As much as Leinster have some star, world-class names in their group, we have some pretty good players in ours, the strength of the group is big for us and we are going to have to give it the best we can. "A few weeks ago we spoke about Blair as a potential Lions bolter, for him to come in and do the work he has done, he is young, full of energy and his season speaks for itself. 'Ellis and Macs are two young men who have come in, Macs a local boy, Ellis from Nottingham, and both have been outstanding. "Ellis has probably gone under the radar recently with Blair getting the headlines, but the work he has done has been outstanding and there is a lot more to come from him. "Macs has got that X factor, I am delighted he has his first tour with Wales, he deserves it and is one for the future. All three are nowhere near where they are going to end up."It is no surprise Scarlets are the least fancied of the four away quarter-finalists to cause an upset - a massive 20/1 to win the tie."We are going to have to be brave and we are going to have to be accurate. A slip in concentration and they can hurt you. That is the respect everyone has for Leinster.'You can't sit on your heels against Leinster, they are too good a team, we are not going there to soak up pressure and see what happens. "We have to play the Scarlets way and put our stamp on the game. That is the reality of it.' Leinster v Scarlets, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, 3pm, Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU, 22nd league game) Live on: RTÉ, BBC Wales, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe, Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (CAPT)Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Ciarán FrawleyScarlets: Blair Murray, Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Ellis Mee, Sam Costelow, Arhie Hughes, Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Josh Macleod (CAPT), Taine PlumtreeReplacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Page
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Leinster hit by injuries as Henshaw out for season and Furlong to miss Scarlets clash
Leinster have clarified that the calf injury sustained by Tadhg Furlong was 'the other one' and not the calf/hamstring issue that sidelined him for a protracted period this season and saw him also miss four of Ireland's matches in the Six Nations Championship. There was a further addendum that the 32-year-old tighthead prop's place on the Lions tour to Australia was not under threat. Furlong, who was an unused replacement in Leinster's win over the Glasgow Warriors in their final URC regular-season game , isn't available for Saturday's URC last-eight clash with the Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (3pm). He will be joined on the sidelines by Robbie Henshaw , who sustained a knee injury that will rule him out of the remainder of Leinster's season but wouldn't compromise his standby status were he to be called up to the Lions. The silver lining in the medical bulletin was that Jordan Larmour is on the threshold of a return to competitive action, having last played against Munster, a five-minute cameo on December 27th. There is no further update on Will Connors, Brian Deeny, James Culhane and Caelan Doris. READ MORE Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde provided a little background information. 'Yeah, he's [Furlong] okay. It just tightened up during the Glasgow game. He was on the bench, as a replacement. Thomas Clarkson, I thought he played exceptionally well in that game, so there was no need to risk Tadhg by sending him on. He's at a stage where we are just monitoring him to see how that develops.' On the Henshaw issue, McBryde said: 'You want to be able to pick from as many fit players as you can towards this end of the season. Everyone is picking up knocks, so the more people you can choose from, the better. 'Someone like Robbie is a quality player, high calibre, a big-game player, so [it] is not ideal. But it gives someone else an opportunity to step up. It is not just the playing but the training against quality opposition as well.' That'd just leave the 68-times capped All Black and perennial match of the match award winner, Jordie Barrett, to team with Garry Ringrose in the centre. Scarlets' Gareth Davies celebrates a try with team-mates against Leinster last month. Photograph: Andrew Dowling/Inpho The Scarlets handed Leinster only their second defeat (35-22) of the URC campaign in the last week in April, one that is still vivid in the memory for the players and coaching staff of the Irish province. McBryde wore the Scarlets' jersey with great pride for more than 10 years as a player, so knows all about the club's rugby ethos, and played alongside their coach, the former Lions and Wales scrumhalf Dwayne Peel. 'He hasn't had an easy job at the Scarlets. In fairness to Dwayne, he was great as a player, very experienced as well now as a coach. [ First Rugby World Club Cup to be held in 2028 Opens in new window ] 'You can see it in the way that they (the Scarlets) go about playing. It is great from a Welsh perspective to see a Welsh team making it through to the quarter final. It's been a tough season for everybody in Wales. From their perspective, it's great.' On Leinster's defeat in Parc y Scarlets, McBryde offered no excuses. 'There was a lot in that game, but I am not going to take it away from the Scarlets. They had a good game plan and stuck to it. They proved good value for it [the win]. They are currently four out of five [wins in matches] off the back of a successful South African trip. 'Their consistency in selection, they hardly make any changes if any at all to the starting 15, the starting pack in particular; they're cohesive, a tough nut to crack, they're comfortable with their game, the way they go about things. They are well coached, good players, a tough nut.' [ Gordon D'Arcy: Ditching Sevens is sad but sensible if it means IRFU will fix the system Opens in new window ] What does he ascribe to their recent upturn in performance levels? 'Sometimes things just go your way. That analogy with the stonecutter, it is not the 100th blow [that breaks the stone], it is the 99 that have gone previously. It is all the hard work that you put into a season. Sometimes things just happen off the back of hard work. 'In fairness to them, they're a cohesive bunch, they're obviously tight as a unit, tight as a team. It's a test that we failed a couple of weeks ago, first against the Scarlets and against Northampton. I think it's got to be something of a reset. This is knockout rugby; the stakes are a little bit higher. 'If we're good enough to win this week, we'll get an opportunity to play next week and if we're good enough the following week, we'll get to play again, but it's one game at a time and for all those reasons I said earlier about the Scarlets being cohesive etc, they'll be a tough nut and we're going to have to earn the right to be involved in the competition next week. It will be tough.'
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Leinster's Tadhg Furlong ruled out of Scarlets game but expected to be fit for Lions tour
He will be marked absent for Leinster's United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash against Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday (kick-off 3pm), but Tadhg Furlong is not expected to be a doubt for this summer's British & Irish Lions squad.
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tadhg Furlong ruled out for Leinster's URC quarter-final but should make Lions tour
Tadhg Furlong will miss Leinster's URC quarter-final with Scarlets in Dublin this weekend, but is not a doubt for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. The Ireland tighthead has had to sit out a large chunk of this season with a calf problem, but it is the 'other' calf proving to be what the province has termed a 'minor' problem right now. Less positive is the missive on Robbie Henshaw who has been ruled out for the remainder of the club season with a knee injury, even if Leinster make it as far as the URC final. However, the midfielder is expected to be back running inside a month and is therefore still a standby option for Andy Farrell's Lions. Henshaw did not make the 38-man squad that was named by Farrell in London earlier this month when Furlong was one of 12 Leinster players chosen for the tournament Down Under. Jordan Larmour is due to step up the final stages of his rehabilitation this week and a final decision will be made on his availability later in the week.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Leinster's Furlong and Henshaw to miss quarter-final
Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw have been ruled out of Leinster's United Rugby Championship quarter-final against Scarlets at Aviva Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST). Leinster said prop Furlong is unavailable after picking up a "minor calf injury" while centre Henshaw has sustained a knee problem which could keep him out for four weeks. In more positive news, Jordan Larmour is in contention to feature after being sidelined for five months with a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old wing, who has 32 Ireland caps, has been restricted to just five appearances this season, the last of which came against Munster on 27 has also endured an injury-plagued campaign. The 32-year-old has only managed eight appearances for Leinster while calf and hamstring issues restricted him to just one substitute appearance in Ireland's Six Nations campaign. Despite his lack of game time, he was named in Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad last started all three Tests in the 2017 and 2021 Lions series in New Zealand and South Africa. Leinster are top seeds in the URC play-offs after finishing the regular season top of the standings, but fell to a shock 35-22 loss to Scarlets in Llanelli last month.
