WELCOMING 17 IRELAND internationals and an All Blacks star back into the mix is a nice thing to be able to do in the week the Champions Cup kicks off.
It brings challenges for Leo Cullen’s Leinster, of course, but they’re well used to reintegrating a big group of players from Ireland camp at this stage.
There’s extra excitement with Jordie Barrett now properly up and running as a Leinster player having trained with his new team-mates on the pitch for the first time yesterday.
He has recovered from the knee injury that meant he missed the last game of New Zealand’s autumn campaign against Italy but it remains unclear whether Leinster will unleash Barrett for his debut away to Bristol on Sunday.
“Well, he’s being monitored with regards to how he’s got to get through the week but he took part in training today,” said Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde yesterday.
“It was a light day today so it’s a case of seeing how he reacts and taking it step by step.”
The 27-year-old has already made an impression and appears to be feeling at home pretty quickly.
“He’s big, he should be playing second row,” said McBryde of 6ft 5ins Barrett, who has played most of his rugby at inside centre and fullback.
“He is more than comfortable with the players. They would have played against him many times. He’s got good connections with fellow Kiwis here, with Brian Colclough the analyst, they both went to the Irish game on the weekend.
“I think he has settled in really well so far.”
With the Ireland contingent back this week, the selection meeting for Bristol was as tough as ever.
Many of them had heavy workloads over the past month. Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris played all 320 minutes for Andy Farrell’s side, while Josh van der Flier also started the four November Tests.
Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Hugo Keenan, and James Lowe were busy too, as youngsters Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy got their first taste of international rugby.
As ever, Leinster have to manage the minutes of Ireland’s big players over the coming weeks. The Six Nations is only two months away so Leinster must pick and choose where they use their top players across the busy festive period.
And with Leinster having enjoyed a good win away to Ulster in the URC last weekend, with several non-current internationals, many others have put their hands up for Champions Cup selection.
Also to be factored in is the six-day turnaround from the Bristol game to the home tie against Clermont at the Aviva Stadium.
“There is a discussion amongst us as coaches,” said McBryde of the selection process, which extends well beyond just the next game. Leinster plan far in advance.
“We may go six [opposition] teams deep, we look at the fixture list.
“You see who needs… the international players coming back, their workload over the previous month has been massive. When you look at each player individually, some of them would have played all the minutes.
“You have to take that into consideration – ‘These are the games coming up, I think he is due a break here and a break there.’
“I think it’s important that the player knows that as well so he can organise his recovery and life around it as well. Getting that balance is important, it is key really.
“We discuss, sitting down, looking at the teams, it could be five or six weeks ahead. You look at the training teams, you look at the teams coming up from the academy, who is going to be doing what as regards the [Ireland] U20s, etc.
“It is a weekly meeting and it needs to be because you can’t allow any player not to be on top of his game. You can’t set them up to fail, you’ve got to give them the backing they deserve.”
So it could be that Leinster don’t bring every single one of their top internationals back against Bristol, possibly holding some back for the Clermont game.
“Exactly, that’s the discussion,” said McBryde.
“The one thing I will say is that it’s a Champions Cup game and that’s a big motivator, a big carrot because of what’s gone on. It’s not just a URC game, not being disrespectful to those fixtures, but it’s Champions Cup and we’re going over to play a team who are flying high in the Premiership, scoring tries for fun.
“As a player you want to be involved in those games, it’s a motivating factor. It’s not a case of going away to play so-and-so, it’s a big opening game of the Champions Cup.”
….injuries at a critical time haven’t helped JOB and that is a serious pity. I’d be resting HK and have JOB @ 15. There is something about that garsún that catches my eye. He is a brilliant reader of the game(a la JGP) and needs game time at the highest level.Id also be resting Robbie for JB.
If all the backs are fit best backline is:
9. JGP
10. Prendergast
11. Lowe
12. Henshaw
13. Ringrose
14. Barrett
15. Keenan
21. McGrath (although he is so average)
22. Frawley
23. Osborne
Mad that JOB and Lamour miss out and Osborne on the bench
@Andrew Slazenger: an absolute waste to play Barrett on the wing, especially since we have JOB, larmour back fit to play. Barret is a better 12 than Robbie, and probably a better fullback than Keenan. Would sooner have Keenan on the wing than JB. Think hes gotta be 12/15 to get the use out of him while we have him
@Andrew Slazenger: barret plays 12 and 15 mostly
@Andrew Slazenger: one thing for certain Barrett will not be playing on the wing. They would not have paid heavily to bring him as a winger. He’ll be playing centre. Henshaw is always injured
@anthony davoren: Agreed he’s best at 12, however Henshaw and GR are seriously good, wouldn’t want to drop either or move GR to the wing; secondly with the new kick chase laws, Barrett’s height and aerial ability is of great value on the wing.
@Conor: Whilst I agree… it is also a waste to play Keenan on the wing. I think Barrett will be playing mostly at 12 and maybe a little bit of rotation of Jordie/ Robbie and Jordie/ Hugo along with one or 2 appearances from the bench over the course of 6 months. Ultimately, whatever way the squad is selected, it makes our bench stronger.
@Paul Ennis: agreed
I would hazard a guess that Porter and JVD won’t be rotated basically because there’s no one near their ability in the wider squad.
@Tom Reilly: that’s an issue.
Doris likely to be rested with Conan at 8.
@Tom Reilly: Conan for Doris is fine and then we’re good enough to beat Bristol with Milne and Penny starting as long as Porter and VDF are on the bench
@Andrew Slazenger: bristol are a better team than you seem to think,cant afford any slip ups
@David Clarke: Bristol are brilliant but Leinster is close to the full Ireland team. Porter, VDF and Doris would essentially be playing 5 intense matches in a row (6 if they play the following CC game too), never good to do that to players
Bristol are top of the league in UK on points with Bath. Playing really well at the moment as well. This is by far a guaranteed win. Leinster could really have done with an easier opponent for their first game.
@Jimmy Bean: Sorry, Leinster have the biggest budget in the world, 16 players in the 23 of a top 3 international side in the world and Jordie Barrett, Slimani and RG Snyman and your saying we should not be beating Bristol comfortably? Leinster have to win 4/4 and get a home route to the final, thats a must everywhere. Having to play a semi final away in France is a completely different story to a home match at the Aviva or Croket. Lets get real here now.
@Eoin H: I don’t think that a home route is necessarily as essential as you think. It has not been of any benefit and maybe even it has held us back a bit.
@Jimmy Bean: maybe JVG wasn’t the problem after all at Munster