Leinster v Ospreys Aviva Stadium, Dublin Saturday 16 May, 5.15pm
LEINSTER’S TASK IS clear today. A win against the Ospreys will see them claim second place in the URC table, earning them guaranteed home advantage for their quarter-final and possible semi-final.
A draw with a try-scoring bonus point would also do it, but this is all about finishing the regular season strongly and giving themselves more momentum for The Big One next weekend in Bilbao.
When Leo Cullen’s men made a poor start to the season, they left themselves with plenty of ground to make up in the URC, but they can complete the recovery in Dublin today.
Seven days out from the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux, head coach Cullen has veered away from the strategy of previous seasons, when the vast majority of frontliners were kept out of the firing line the weekend before.
16 or 17 players in this Leinster matchday 23 will have high hopes of being involved in Bilbao. There will be nervy moments for Leinster fans when the likes of Jamison Gibson-Park and Joe McCarthy go into contact, but the change in approach makes sense.
Cullen and Jacques Nienaber want their frontliners fully firing ahead of the Champions Cup finale, so they give the likes of Harry Byrne, Tommy O’Brien, and Jack Conan a chance to sharpen their skillsets against the Ospreys.
Leinster might be judged harshly in hindsight if an important player gets injured, but there is a risk in wrapping players in cotton wool too. Everyone wants to feel fully battle-hardened when the biggest games roll around.
Harry Byrne returns at out-half for Leinster. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
Bordeaux have gone with a very similar approach for their important Top 14 clash at home against Perpignan today, starting key men such as Matthieu Jalibert, Damian Penaud, Cameron Woki, and Adam Coleman, with the likes of Maxime Lucu, Louis Bielle-Biarrery, and Yoram Moefana on their bench.
To be fair, Leinster and Bordeaux will hope that their battles aren’t of the 80-minute variety and that they can share the workload across their 23s without expending maximum energy.
The way to do that is with lethal starts to the game and killing off any ambition the Ospreys and Perpignan might bring. The Welsh side are not in the URC play-off running, while USAP are heading for a relegation play-off.
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Leinster are fighting for second spot in the URC, whereas a shock loss would leave them vulnerable to finishing fourth, so they’ll hope to get the job done professionally before full focus turns to Bordeaux.
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 (captain), 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 (captain), Ross Moriarty.
Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Cam Jones, Kian Hire, Ben Roberts, Harri Deaves, Kieran Hardy, Phil Cokanasiga, Luke Morgan
Referee: Ru Campbell [SRU].
__________
Munster v Lions Thomond Park, Limerick Saturday 16 May, 7.45pm
Craig Casey's Munster must bounce back from a loss to Connacht. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Clayton McMillan’s men bid to secure their place in the quarter-finals in a challenging-looking game in Limerick.
After Ulster’s loss to table-topping Glasgow last night, Munster’s destiny is in their own hands, albeit the Lions will have plenty of say in the very last game of the URC regular season this evening.
Even a single losing bonus point would be enough to move Munster above eighth-placed Ulster and into the play-offs, on account of Munster having won more games over the course of the season.
Yet that would leave Munster vulnerable to missing out on Champions Cup qualification for next season if Ulster win the Challenge Cup next weekend.
Eighth place would also ensure a tough quarter-final away to Glasgow, so victory is obviously what Munster are after. The Bulls’ game at home against Benetton at 3pm Irish time is likely to change the picture above Munster in the table, most likely leaving the South Africans fourth, but that’s not a concern for McMillan’s men.
A bonus-point win here could lift Munster as high as fifth, but the Lions have their own ambitions. Currently seventh and guaranteed a quarter-final, Ivan van Rooyen’s side have a clear intent to improve their final ranking.
Munster are missing key men, with captain Tadhg Beirne, lock Jean Kleyn, centre Tom Farrell, and wing Calvin Nash having been joined on the sidelines by second row Edwin Edogbo this week. The mini injury crisis is badly timed, with some of their seasons over, whatever happens this evening.
There has been a big boost with Jack Crowley set to return at out-half after a leg injury kept him out of last weekend’s disappointing loss to Connacht. Diarmuid Barron is also included on the bench after his red card in Galway was rescinded.
Jack Crowley is set to make his return from injury. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
McMillan has made a couple of selection calls with Brian Gleeson starting at number eight ahead of Gavin Coombes, while Seán O’Brien comes in on the left wing.
Whatever about the personnel, Munster simply need to be better than they have been in recent months. Being at home in Thomond Park, where the soon-to-retire Niall Scannell and John Ryan could be playing for the last time, has to drag them up a few notches.
The Lions have earned respect with their improvement in recent seasons. They’re outstanding at altitude in Johannesburg but they made life difficult for Leinster in Dublin last weekend until the reigning champions pulled clear late on.
Van Rooyen’s men are lethal in transition, they bring punch in contact, and have matured over the course of this campaign. As the South Africans fight for their play-off position, this is going to take something strong from Munster.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Andrew Smith, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (captain); Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Michael Ala’alatoa; Tom Ahern, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Evan O’Connell, Gavin Coombes, Ben O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, Alex Kendellen.
LIONS: Quan Horn; Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Angelo Davids; Chris Smith, Morne van den Berg; SJ Kotze, PJ Botha, Sebastian Lombard; Reinhard Nothnagel, Darrien Landsberg, Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, Francke Horn (captain).
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Leinster target second before Munster fight for a URC quarter-final
Leinster v Ospreys
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Saturday 16 May, 5.15pm
LEINSTER’S TASK IS clear today. A win against the Ospreys will see them claim second place in the URC table, earning them guaranteed home advantage for their quarter-final and possible semi-final.
A draw with a try-scoring bonus point would also do it, but this is all about finishing the regular season strongly and giving themselves more momentum for The Big One next weekend in Bilbao.
When Leo Cullen’s men made a poor start to the season, they left themselves with plenty of ground to make up in the URC, but they can complete the recovery in Dublin today.
Seven days out from the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux, head coach Cullen has veered away from the strategy of previous seasons, when the vast majority of frontliners were kept out of the firing line the weekend before.
16 or 17 players in this Leinster matchday 23 will have high hopes of being involved in Bilbao. There will be nervy moments for Leinster fans when the likes of Jamison Gibson-Park and Joe McCarthy go into contact, but the change in approach makes sense.
Cullen and Jacques Nienaber want their frontliners fully firing ahead of the Champions Cup finale, so they give the likes of Harry Byrne, Tommy O’Brien, and Jack Conan a chance to sharpen their skillsets against the Ospreys.
Leinster might be judged harshly in hindsight if an important player gets injured, but there is a risk in wrapping players in cotton wool too. Everyone wants to feel fully battle-hardened when the biggest games roll around.
Bordeaux have gone with a very similar approach for their important Top 14 clash at home against Perpignan today, starting key men such as Matthieu Jalibert, Damian Penaud, Cameron Woki, and Adam Coleman, with the likes of Maxime Lucu, Louis Bielle-Biarrery, and Yoram Moefana on their bench.
To be fair, Leinster and Bordeaux will hope that their battles aren’t of the 80-minute variety and that they can share the workload across their 23s without expending maximum energy.
The way to do that is with lethal starts to the game and killing off any ambition the Ospreys and Perpignan might bring. The Welsh side are not in the URC play-off running, while USAP are heading for a relegation play-off.
Leinster are fighting for second spot in the URC, whereas a shock loss would leave them vulnerable to finishing fourth, so they’ll hope to get the job done professionally before full focus turns to Bordeaux.
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 (captain), 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 (captain), Ross Moriarty.
Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Cam Jones, Kian Hire, Ben Roberts, Harri Deaves, Kieran Hardy, Phil Cokanasiga, Luke Morgan
Referee: Ru Campbell [SRU].
__________
Munster v Lions
Thomond Park, Limerick
Saturday 16 May, 7.45pm
Clayton McMillan’s men bid to secure their place in the quarter-finals in a challenging-looking game in Limerick.
After Ulster’s loss to table-topping Glasgow last night, Munster’s destiny is in their own hands, albeit the Lions will have plenty of say in the very last game of the URC regular season this evening.
Even a single losing bonus point would be enough to move Munster above eighth-placed Ulster and into the play-offs, on account of Munster having won more games over the course of the season.
Yet that would leave Munster vulnerable to missing out on Champions Cup qualification for next season if Ulster win the Challenge Cup next weekend.
Eighth place would also ensure a tough quarter-final away to Glasgow, so victory is obviously what Munster are after. The Bulls’ game at home against Benetton at 3pm Irish time is likely to change the picture above Munster in the table, most likely leaving the South Africans fourth, but that’s not a concern for McMillan’s men.
A bonus-point win here could lift Munster as high as fifth, but the Lions have their own ambitions. Currently seventh and guaranteed a quarter-final, Ivan van Rooyen’s side have a clear intent to improve their final ranking.
Munster are missing key men, with captain Tadhg Beirne, lock Jean Kleyn, centre Tom Farrell, and wing Calvin Nash having been joined on the sidelines by second row Edwin Edogbo this week. The mini injury crisis is badly timed, with some of their seasons over, whatever happens this evening.
There has been a big boost with Jack Crowley set to return at out-half after a leg injury kept him out of last weekend’s disappointing loss to Connacht. Diarmuid Barron is also included on the bench after his red card in Galway was rescinded.
McMillan has made a couple of selection calls with Brian Gleeson starting at number eight ahead of Gavin Coombes, while Seán O’Brien comes in on the left wing.
Whatever about the personnel, Munster simply need to be better than they have been in recent months. Being at home in Thomond Park, where the soon-to-retire Niall Scannell and John Ryan could be playing for the last time, has to drag them up a few notches.
The Lions have earned respect with their improvement in recent seasons. They’re outstanding at altitude in Johannesburg but they made life difficult for Leinster in Dublin last weekend until the reigning champions pulled clear late on.
Van Rooyen’s men are lethal in transition, they bring punch in contact, and have matured over the course of this campaign. As the South Africans fight for their play-off position, this is going to take something strong from Munster.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Andrew Smith, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (captain); Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Michael Ala’alatoa; Tom Ahern, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Evan O’Connell, Gavin Coombes, Ben O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, Alex Kendellen.
LIONS: Quan Horn; Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Angelo Davids; Chris Smith, Morne van den Berg; SJ Kotze, PJ Botha, Sebastian Lombard; Reinhard Nothnagel, Darrien Landsberg, Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, Francke Horn (captain).
Replacements: Morne Brandon, Eddie Davids, RF Schoeman, Ruan Delport, Siba Qoma, JC Pretorius, Haashim Pead, Rhynhardt Jonker
Referee: Andrea Piardi [FIR].
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Last Chance Leinster Munster Play-offs Quarter finals URC