THE END OF a big block of games is in sight for Leinster, but before they face into a three-week gap between Pro14 games there is yet another chance to showcase their wealth of talent.
Young and old.
Leo Cullen’s starting line-up is book-ended by the experienced heads who Joe Schmidt is keen to welcome back into Ireland camp next week before going full steam ahead into the opener against England.
But alongside Rob Kearney and Jack McGrath’s enormous experience (204 and 139 caps respectively), Leinster will take on Scarlets tonight [KO 7.35pm, eir Sport/TG4] at the RDS with a starting XV containing four players whose cap number in single figures.
And there are four more on the bench, including the formidable figure of Jack Dunne.
Should the lock be used as a replacement and win his debut, he will be the latest product out of the brilliant St Michael’s hothouse. They have become the leading supplier of talent in the province lately, but they are by no means the only source.
“I think it’s a little bit different,” said James Lowe when asked how the system and its products match up to what he has experienced back home.
“Teenagers in New Zealand, you get a lot of them that are my size (six foot two, 105kg). You see some incredibly athletic freaks who come out of school thinking, ‘surely he is not 18, 19 years old.’ But through genetics, they have quickly developed physically but haven’t got the rest of it sorted.
“The thing that I find here — with all the systems and the way things are done — you learn the structures and systems first and then, I guess, naturally progress at different stages physically.
“It’s almost like the opposite way.”
“There are kids in New Zealand (developing) late, don’t get me wrong, but that’s the big difference — Hughie (O’Sullivan) isn’t a physically huge ridiculous athlete but, crikey, he works so hard. He has learned the hard way.
“A lot of Kiwi kids, because of their parents, have been given all the gifts to succeed.”
The parents of Leinster’s brightest prospects then, have provided the gift of private schooling and the elite coaches that are available through those channels, bringing Ireland and New Zealand to meet at the top of rugby pyramid via very different pathways.
“It is just different cultures. Over here, especially in south Dublin, everyone’s gone to a pretty nice school and has all the systems to succeed down the line. I guess they learn hard work, that’s also part of it.”
There are exceptions to the private school route, of course, the 10-12 axis of Ciaran Frawley and Conor O’Brien have 20 caps between them and have risen to the pro ranks from foundations laid in Skerries and Mullingar RFC respectively.
“The three inter-pros were important for (Frawley) because he got a lot of game-time,” says Cullen.
“He started against Ulster, came off the bench in Thomond, that 20 minutes, how you manage that scenario when we’re down to 14 men… I hope he’s going to be a better player as a result of that experience and how he slotted in against Connacht.
“He’s someone we’ve tried to invest a lot of time in and Hughie is similar — Hughie is working so hard behind the scenes and we’re trying to prepare him as best as we can.
“You’ve got to be patient with these guys as well when they come into the team. It means a lot to them to represent the team and I hope they go well.”
All the elements add to fertile ground for producing talent in the eastern province: excellent facilities in schools, serious talent identification work through the clubs and then an elite development structure once a player comes in under the Leinster umbrella.
Direction and patience from the coaching staff helps too. As does a little outside influence such as the unique character of Lowe, who was more than happy to alert the assembled media that he’s negotiating a new contract when the prospect of his international future was brought up.
Lowe never fails to put a smile on the face, and as he returns after two games suspended and one match omitted, he will surely do just that for the fans in the RDS this evening.
Leinster:
15. Rob Kearney (captain)
14. Barry Daly
13. Rory O’Loughlin
12. Conor O’Brien
11. James Lowe
10. Ciarán Frawley
9. Hugh O’Sullivan
1. Jack McGrath
2. James Tracy
3. Michael Bent
4. Ross Molony
5. Mick Kearney
6. Max Deegan
7. Scott Penny
8. Caelan Doris.
Replacements:
16. Bryan Byrne
17. Ed Byrne
18. Vakh Abdaladze
19. Jack Dunne
20. Oisín Dowling
21. Jamison Gibson-Park
22. Noel Reid
23. Jimmy O’Brien.
Scarlets:
15. Johnny McNicholl
14. Ioan Nicholas
13. Kieron Fonotia
12. Steff Hughes (captain)
11. Paul Asquith
10. Dan Jones
9. Kieran Hardy
1. Phil Price
2. Marc Jones
3. Werner Kruger
4. Jake Ball
5. David Bulbring
6. Tom Price
7. Dan Davis
8. Josh Macleod.
Replacements:
16. Dafydd Hughes
17. Dylan Evans
18. Simon Gardiner
19. Josh Helps
20. Ed Kennedy
21. Jon Evans
22. Morgan Williams
23. Tom Prydie
Referee: M Mitrea (FIR).
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