After a three-week break the Guinness Pro14 is back and with it so are a host of Leinster players as they prepare for battle against Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield on Friday at 19 35.
The big names to be included are Joe Tomane, Luke McGrath and Dan Leavy, who all return from long spells out and are all included in the starting XV.
The game will provide them with a chance to build their fitness and put themselves in contention for a place in the 23 for next week’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Ulster.
In the front-row sees Ed Byrne, Sean Cronin and Michael Bent knuckle-down. Cronin will be hoping to prove between now and the end of the season that he should take a seat on the plane to Japan for this year’s World Cup after being dropped during the Six Nations.
Josh Murphy and Mick Kearney are in the second-row. While captain Rhys Ruddock is at blindside flanker, fit-again Leavy at openside and Max Deegan at No 8 in a formidable looking back-row.
McGrath makes a welcome return at scrum-half and was due to join Ross Byrne, who is at fly-half. He has been a late withdrawal which sees Ciaran Frawley move from 15 to 10. Tomane starts at 12, with Noel Reid standing at outside centre.
The back-three is made up of Barry Daly on the left-wing, Fergus McFadden on the right and Jimmy O’Brien starts at full-back.
With the likes of Bryan Byrne, Jack McGrath, Andrew Porter and Conor O’Brien among the subs Leinster will be hoping to continue their impressive run at the top of Conference B.
Here is your team to represent Leinster tomorrow against @EdinburghRugby at BT Murrayfield in the #GuinnessPRO14 (KO 7.35pm, live on @eirSport). #EDIvLEI pic.twitter.com/AguMEJoRa0
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) March 21, 2024
Speaking ahead of the game Leinster veteran McFadden has talked about how impressed he’s been with the younger players that have come through the ranks this season.
“To be fair to a lot of the young guys that have come in, with the academy system the way it’s set up they seem to be ready made to just play at a high-level, which is great,” he said.
The away side will be wary of an Edinburgh
team that welcomes back the likes of Darcy Graham, Hamish Watson, Ben Toolis
and WP Nel from the Scottish camp and John Barclay who will make his debut for
the side.
Leinster start the game in first place in Conference
B, 22-points above second-place Benetton, and will be looking to continue their
impressive form. However, Edinburgh currently sit in fifth in the conference,
seven points adrift of the play-off spots and will be eager to cut the gap when
the host the reigning champions.
