Connacht v Leinster

The Leinster team to face Connacht in Saturday evening's RaboDirect PRO12 clash in the Sportsground (KO: 7.15pm) has been named...
Coach Matt O'Connor has made ten changes in total from the team that took to the field last weekend in the RDS with only two backs and three forwards retained from the 15 that accounted for Ulster.

With Zane Kirchner moving to the right wing from full back, Dave Kearney moves to the bench with brother Rob taking the number 15 jersey from the South African.

Luke Fitzgerald, who is due to win his 120th cap on Saturday, continues his fine run of form on the left wing.

With 402 Leinster caps between them, back in to the centre come the experienced duo of Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll. Eoin Reddan starts at scrumhalf against his former club, with Ian Madigan beside him at outhalf.

The pack also sees a number of fresh faces from last weekend plus a positional switch in the back row. Man of the Match from the Ulster game, Jordi Murphy is selected at flanker, with captain Jamie Heaslip returning at 8. Rhys Ruddock is once again selected at 6.

Former Connacht hooker Sean Cronin, who spent three years at the Sportsground before joining Leinster, is also selected to start against his former club. Joining him in the front row will be Martin Moore and Jack McGrath, who earned his 50th cap off the bench against Ulster.

Finally in the second row Devin Toner and Tom Denton start in place of Leo Cullen and Mike McCarthy. McCarthy is however named amongst the replacements.

LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Zane Kirchner
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Jack McGrath
2: Sean Cronin
3: Martin Moore
4: Devin Toner
5: Tom Denton
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Jordi Murphy
8: Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS:
16: Aaron Dundon
17: Jack O'Connell
18: Mike Ross
19: Mike McCarthy
20: Dominic Ryan
21: Isaac Boss
22: Jimmy Gopperth
23: Dave Kearney

REFEREE: George Clancy (IRFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Leo Colgan, Ollie Hodges (both IRFU) CITING COMMISSIONER: Denis Templeton (IRFU) TMO: Jude Quinn (IRFU)

Connacht Head Coach Pat Lam has handed 21-year-old outhalf Jack Carty his first start for tomorrow night’s derby clash with PRO12 champions Leinster.

Carty is one of three changes in an all-Irish qualified backline with an average age of 22 years old. The Athlone-native, who is in his third year of the Connacht Academy, has captained the Connacht Eagles in the British & Irish Cup this season and has featured from the bench in PRO12 games against Benetton Treviso and Munster. Carty’s first of three senior caps came against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun in September 2012.

Tomorrow night sees 21-year-old scrum half and this season’s top try scorer Kieran Marmion play his 44th consecutive game since his debut in 2012.

Darragh Leader has also been brought up from the Academy and starts at fullback tomorrow night in place of the injured Gavin Duffy. The 20-year-old Galway-man has played in three games this season, starting two on the wing at home against Glasgow Warriors and Scarlets.

The forward pack remains unchanged from last week with local flanker Andrew Browne earning his 100th cap for the province. John Muldoon is once again named at Openside while Jake Heenan remains on the injured list. Craig Clarke will captain the side.

There are two changes to the replacements bench with veteran second row Michael Swift returning from injury. Dublin-born Scrum half Paul O’Donohoe is in line to earn his 50th Connacht cap should he be called upon against his former club.

Speaking about the team selection and the upcoming game, Head Coach Pat Lam said:

“With our second and third choice outhalf out injured, we have decided to bring in young Jack Carty to start. Jack has been involved with us in training all year and has had some good performances with the Eagles. It is a great boost to his development as a young Irish qualified 10 to play against such quality opposition and I know he is very much looking forward to the test.

“Young Darragh (Leader) will start at fullback, a position in which he has proven himself with the Ireland U20s in the Rugby World Championship last summer.

“We have an extremely young back line going up against the best team in Europe and the league champions. But we have a belief in our young squad and if every player does their job and commits to the game plan we’ve put in place, then we have every chance of getting the desired result.”

Connacht lineup v Leinster

15.          Darragh Leader
14.          Fionn Carr
13.          Robbie Henshaw
12.          Eoin Griffin
11.          Matt Healy
10.          Jack Carty
9.            Kieran Marmion

1.            Brett Wilkinson
2.            Jason Harris-Wright
3.            Nathan White
4.            Mick Kearney
5.            Craig Clarke (captain)
6.            Andrew Browne
7.            John Muldoon
8.            Eoin McKeon



Replacements:

16. Dave Heffernan
17 Denis Buckley
18 Rodney Ah You
19 Michael Swift
20 George Naoupu
21 Paul O'Donohoe
22 Dan Parks
23 Tiernan O'Halloran

Wow that must be one of the strongest leinster teams to face connacht in quite some time.

Heard great things about Carty for Connacht. It would be great if Connacht could unearth someone to compete with parks. Ronaldson hasn't been that impressive whenever I've seen him.

Looking forward to this game

With those two lineups this should be a full blooded affair. None of this 'saving your first XV for the HCup'. Connacht always up the performance against the boys in blue. Should be a cracker.

I hear the wind will ease tomorrow in Galway so that should mean only kicking into gusts of 90kmph I presume.

thanks for the team news jen.,good to meet you in northampton although i was a bit surprised you were not wearing a mini skirt!

Looking forward to this! When home over the christmas I managed to go to the Munster/Connacht match which was a mixed bag. As long as Marmion starts, we always have a chance so would love us to go full tilt at Leinster. Also, Henshaw is a Fullback, not a 13. At Fullback he is the form 15 in Ireland in my opinion.

dubh_linn wrote:thanks for the team news jen.,good to meet you in northampton although i was a bit surprised you were not wearing a mini skirt!

You too man. I do look very good in a mini skirt. My legs are my best feature......

I'm off over to the game tomorrow if there are any other brave souls going across.

no doubt you would look good...wish i could go to the game...but stuck here in stormy wet london...does anybody know a feed for this game as i dont get tg4 here?

dubh_linn wrote:no doubt you would look good...wish i could go to the game...but stuck here in stormy wet london...does anybody know a feed for this game as i dont get tg4 here?

A vpn program such as hide my ass and you could watch it on the tg4 player.

thanks jen

check PM dubh_linn

good solid scrum battle so far

I cant watch the game unfortunately but does anyone have a better live scoring link to that of the BBC? Much appreciated if you do, if not some updates here would be brilliant.

Just turned it on. Did fitz pull out?

YES!

Maybe try the rabo website nacho? Not sure if its much better though.

Carr just over 5-0 after 21 minutes. Conversion tot come

Great Henshaw break and pass for Carr to score in the corner. Conversion missed 5-0 Connacht

Lovely stuff from the Connacht backline

Golden wrote:Maybe try the rabo website nacho? Not sure if its much better though.

Carr just over 5-0 after 21 minutes. Conversion tot come

Will try Golden, cheers.

Henshaw is very impressive. Looks to be playing with a lot more confidence now.

Connacht front row ball in hand making dozens of stupid mistakes

Penalty for lost footing???

You don't often see a kick at goal hit the crossbar and bounce back into play

Leinster have done nothing in this match so far

penalty comverted by connacht, 8-5, 1 min left second half

Could not find a live scoring and the BBC still says 0-0

So Connacht are leading?

wolfball wrote:penalty comverted by connacht, 8-5, 1 min left second half

8-3 mate, Connacht 5 points ahead.

http://www.flashscores.co.uk/rugby-union/

Kingshu wrote:http://www.flashscores.co.uk/rugby-union/

Thanking you kindly sir.

Espnscrum is pretty good or go to Leinster's Twitter feed.

Not a great game so far.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

wolfball wrote:penalty comverted by connacht, 8-5, 1 min left second half

8-3 mate, Connacht 5 points ahead.

My bad!

Heaslip should be seeing yellow for this.

Lucky boy.

he'd be off if he was Fijian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq1fdqFCI-E

What happened?

Have to say he was lucky.

Connacht's young lads seem to have done well. Haven't seen it all though

He shoulder charged parks after the kick

Thanks Brendan, was it that bad?

Not sure about that. Looked a touch forward to me

He catches the ball level with the connacht guy a meter ahead of the thrower.

If the other way no try and connacht's number 8 in the bin.

Nachos Jones wrote:Thanks Brendan, was it that bad?

Kick was gone so he goes to pull out but then goes straight through parks making no attempt to use his hands other then to push him over after the hit.

It was clearly forward. TMO got in wrong...

Brendan wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:Thanks Brendan, was it that bad?

Kick was gone so he goes to pull out but then goes straight through parks making no attempt to use his hands other then to push him over after the hit.

Ok, not so serious then.

Thats two massive calls the TMO has made a bollox of. Connacht fans must be raging.

Nachos Jones wrote:

Brendan wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:Thanks Brendan, was it that bad?

Kick was gone so he goes to pull out but then goes straight through parks making no attempt to use his hands other then to push him over after the hit.

Ok, not so serious then.

Well he does lift his shoulder into parks face

my stream crashed, i missed the leinster try... still raging though

Brendan wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

Brendan wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:Thanks Brendan, was it that bad?

Kick was gone so he goes to pull out but then goes straight through parks making no attempt to use his hands other then to push him over after the hit.

Ok, not so serious then.

Well he does lift his shoulder into parks face

Oh, that's different, reason for a citing?

sickened

heaslip challenge here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCNtq7gU0rs

Notch wrote:Thats two massive calls the TMO has made a bollox of. Connacht fans must be raging.

Esp as Zebre won and they get no LBP

You can see the players that did well for connacht at underage are carrying on. Their backline at the start had an average age of 22.

Brendan wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

Brendan wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:Thanks Brendan, was it that bad?

Kick was gone so he goes to pull out but then goes straight through parks making no attempt to use his hands other then to push him over after the hit.

Ok, not so serious then.

Well he does lift his shoulder into parks face

He crashed into him with the shoulder. No attempt at wrapping around. Yellow card, methinks.