LEO CULLEN IS facing a selection call which sees Leinster’s long-term planning clash with their short-term needs.
In a few months Ciarán Frawley will be a Connacht player, while Sam Prendergast’s future remains at Leinster. In a week’s time there’s a Champions Cup final to be won.
Pundits and fans appear to be largely on the same page when it comes to what that call should be, with Frawley looking the clear front-runner to be Leinster’s back-up 10 in Bilbao. It’s remarkable that he finds himself in this situation having had such little time in the saddle.
Should Frawley take the bench spot, with Harry Byrne starting at 10, consider the situation if Byrne was forced off early against Bordeaux.
In that scenario, Frawley would be leading Leinster at 10 in a Champions Cup final having last started a game at out-half for the province in April of last year. By any measure, that doesn’t read as ideal planning in such a pivotal position.
The Leinster 10 story has been one in flux this season, but it’s fair to question if everyone has had a fair crack in the team.
Frawley with Leinster head coach Leo Cullen. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
Of course, sport is unpredictable and best-laid plans often don’t work out. That’s an unavoidable part of the game and the greatest teams and coaches are able to adapt to those changes and work things out as they happen.
Cullen could hardly have envisioned Prendergast’s sharp dip in form, but given how that picture has changed for Leinster, there’s a risk in continuing to decide against handing Frawley an opportunity to start a game at out-half.
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As it stands, Leinster’s first-choice out-half is a 27-year-old they could afford to send out on loan last year, who was last capped for his country in 2024. Byrne has largely been excellent since returning to Leinster but a mixed showing in the semi-final defeat of Toulon wasn’t the confident display Cullen & Co would have liked to see.
The player who started their season as the leading 10 is a 23-year-old who was also Ireland’s first choice out-half just a couple of months ago, but is now struggling for form and has dropped down the queue for both club and country.
The third contender is a 28-year-old who will be leaving at the end of the campaign, despite looking back to his best this season and playing his way back into the Ireland team. This has been achieved without actually starting a single game at out-half for Leinster this season, but looking comfortable wherever he’s deployed.
For comparison, today’s meeting with the Ospreys [KO 5.15pm, TG4/Premier Sports] marks Byrne’s 14th start of the season for Leinster at 10, while Prendergast has started 10. Even Charlie Tector, mostly used at inside centre, had a full 80 minutes at out-half against Edinburgh in January.
Frawley’s final season at Leinster has been another strange one. The Skerries man has been one of the province’s form players, as evidenced in the resurrection of his Test career after a difficult 2024/25.
The Skerries man is having an excellent season. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Yet his role has again been that of versatile backline option. Frawley has played 18 games for Leinster across the URC and Champions Cup, starting 11. Four of those starts have come at inside centre, with seven at full-back. Indeed, Frawley had started four games at 12 before his first start of the season at 15.
During that time he’s covered 10 off the bench but his opportunities have been fleeting. He’s with the replacements again today, where the plan is surely to give him a decent run at out-half as he covers Byrne, who is nailed-on to start against Bordeaux.
Even just in terms of his kicking, Frawley has little recent game memory to lean on should he end up standing over pressure kicks at the San Mamés Stadium. His late conversion against the Lions last Saturday marked his first points from the boot since last May.
Frawley furthered his case to feature against Bordeaux with that impactful showing against the Lions, his move from 15 to 10 in the second half coinciding with Leinster’s best period of the game, during which Frawley showcased his skillset and smart decision-making – his slick hands during the build-up to Rieko Ioane’s late try a highlight.
Enjoy the same impact today, and it’s hard to see him being left out of the 23 for Bilbao.
It would be a tough blow for Prendergast, a gifted young player who may well still have a big future ahead of him at Leinster, but is going through a challenging period. While Prendergast has had some good moments since returning from a difficult Six Nations – impressing in the URC win in Ulster – glaring defensive errors against Toulon and the Lions have kept his defensive work under scrutiny.
Indeed, Cullen stressed the importance of ‘investing’ in Prendergast as recently as last week, but it feels increasingly likely he’ll be sitting in the stands on what could be the day the province finally end years of Champions Cup heartbreak.
Cullen may not have felt the same need to ‘invest’ in a player who’ll soon be leaving, but now needs Frawley ready to deliver if called upon in Bilbao, or indeed, across the URC knock-outs.
Prendergast may still prove to be Leinster’s future, but Frawley is the form man. His final weeks with the province could prove some of the most impactful of his Leinster career.
LEINSTER: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jordan Larmour; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jerry Cahir, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani; Joe McCarthy, Diarmuid Mangan; Jack Conan (capt), Josh van der Flier, James Culhane.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Alex Usanov, Tadhg Furlong, Max Deegan, Caelan Doris, Fintan Gunne, Ciarán Frawley, James Lowe.
OSPREYS: Jack Walsh; Keelan Giles, Evardi Boshoff, Owen Watkin, Iestyn Hopkins; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Garyn Phillips, Efan Daniel, Ben Warren; Rhys Davies, Huw Sutton; James Ratti, Jac Morgan (capt), Ross Moriarty.
Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Cam Jones, Kian Hire, Ben Roberts, Harri Deaves, Kieran Hardy, Phil Cokanasiga, Luke Morgan.
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Frawley's limited time at 10 a strange story in Leinster's season
LEO CULLEN IS facing a selection call which sees Leinster’s long-term planning clash with their short-term needs.
In a few months Ciarán Frawley will be a Connacht player, while Sam Prendergast’s future remains at Leinster. In a week’s time there’s a Champions Cup final to be won.
Pundits and fans appear to be largely on the same page when it comes to what that call should be, with Frawley looking the clear front-runner to be Leinster’s back-up 10 in Bilbao. It’s remarkable that he finds himself in this situation having had such little time in the saddle.
Should Frawley take the bench spot, with Harry Byrne starting at 10, consider the situation if Byrne was forced off early against Bordeaux.
In that scenario, Frawley would be leading Leinster at 10 in a Champions Cup final having last started a game at out-half for the province in April of last year. By any measure, that doesn’t read as ideal planning in such a pivotal position.
The Leinster 10 story has been one in flux this season, but it’s fair to question if everyone has had a fair crack in the team.
Of course, sport is unpredictable and best-laid plans often don’t work out. That’s an unavoidable part of the game and the greatest teams and coaches are able to adapt to those changes and work things out as they happen.
Cullen could hardly have envisioned Prendergast’s sharp dip in form, but given how that picture has changed for Leinster, there’s a risk in continuing to decide against handing Frawley an opportunity to start a game at out-half.
As it stands, Leinster’s first-choice out-half is a 27-year-old they could afford to send out on loan last year, who was last capped for his country in 2024. Byrne has largely been excellent since returning to Leinster but a mixed showing in the semi-final defeat of Toulon wasn’t the confident display Cullen & Co would have liked to see.
The player who started their season as the leading 10 is a 23-year-old who was also Ireland’s first choice out-half just a couple of months ago, but is now struggling for form and has dropped down the queue for both club and country.
The third contender is a 28-year-old who will be leaving at the end of the campaign, despite looking back to his best this season and playing his way back into the Ireland team. This has been achieved without actually starting a single game at out-half for Leinster this season, but looking comfortable wherever he’s deployed.
For comparison, today’s meeting with the Ospreys [KO 5.15pm, TG4/Premier Sports] marks Byrne’s 14th start of the season for Leinster at 10, while Prendergast has started 10. Even Charlie Tector, mostly used at inside centre, had a full 80 minutes at out-half against Edinburgh in January.
Frawley’s final season at Leinster has been another strange one. The Skerries man has been one of the province’s form players, as evidenced in the resurrection of his Test career after a difficult 2024/25.
Yet his role has again been that of versatile backline option. Frawley has played 18 games for Leinster across the URC and Champions Cup, starting 11. Four of those starts have come at inside centre, with seven at full-back. Indeed, Frawley had started four games at 12 before his first start of the season at 15.
During that time he’s covered 10 off the bench but his opportunities have been fleeting. He’s with the replacements again today, where the plan is surely to give him a decent run at out-half as he covers Byrne, who is nailed-on to start against Bordeaux.
Even just in terms of his kicking, Frawley has little recent game memory to lean on should he end up standing over pressure kicks at the San Mamés Stadium. His late conversion against the Lions last Saturday marked his first points from the boot since last May.
Frawley furthered his case to feature against Bordeaux with that impactful showing against the Lions, his move from 15 to 10 in the second half coinciding with Leinster’s best period of the game, during which Frawley showcased his skillset and smart decision-making – his slick hands during the build-up to Rieko Ioane’s late try a highlight.
Enjoy the same impact today, and it’s hard to see him being left out of the 23 for Bilbao.
It would be a tough blow for Prendergast, a gifted young player who may well still have a big future ahead of him at Leinster, but is going through a challenging period. While Prendergast has had some good moments since returning from a difficult Six Nations – impressing in the URC win in Ulster – glaring defensive errors against Toulon and the Lions have kept his defensive work under scrutiny.
Indeed, Cullen stressed the importance of ‘investing’ in Prendergast as recently as last week, but it feels increasingly likely he’ll be sitting in the stands on what could be the day the province finally end years of Champions Cup heartbreak.
Cullen may not have felt the same need to ‘invest’ in a player who’ll soon be leaving, but now needs Frawley ready to deliver if called upon in Bilbao, or indeed, across the URC knock-outs.
Prendergast may still prove to be Leinster’s future, but Frawley is the form man. His final weeks with the province could prove some of the most impactful of his Leinster career.
LEINSTER: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jordan Larmour; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jerry Cahir, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani; Joe McCarthy, Diarmuid Mangan; Jack Conan (capt), Josh van der Flier, James Culhane.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Alex Usanov, Tadhg Furlong, Max Deegan, Caelan Doris, Fintan Gunne, Ciarán Frawley, James Lowe.
OSPREYS: Jack Walsh; Keelan Giles, Evardi Boshoff, Owen Watkin, Iestyn Hopkins; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Garyn Phillips, Efan Daniel, Ben Warren; Rhys Davies, Huw Sutton; James Ratti, Jac Morgan (capt), Ross Moriarty.
Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Cam Jones, Kian Hire, Ben Roberts, Harri Deaves, Kieran Hardy, Phil Cokanasiga, Luke Morgan.
Referee: Ru Campbell [SRU].
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ciaran frawley Leinster Selection