Leinster is set to include numerous Ireland international players in their Friday night URC showdown with the Bulls at the RDS, slated for a 7.35pm kick-off on TG4 and Premier Sports. Eleven players from the Six Nations defence team will be on the field at the game’s start, and a formidable substitutes bench that features Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Caelan Doris and Jamison Gibson-Park, boasts five more.
Luke McGrath, the scrumhalf, will lead a team that has collectively made more than 1,500 appearances for Leinster. Jordan Larmour has been named the starting fullback; on the wings, Rob Russell and James Lowe will be on duty. The centre will see Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Osborne partnering, with the halfbacks being completed by Harry Byrne and McGrath.
The pack will have Cian Healy poised to notch his 275th Leinster cap, just a handful shy of Devin Toner’s record of 280. Joining him in the front-row are Rónan Kelleher and Michael Ala’alatoa. Joe McCarthy and Ross Molony slide into the second-row positions, with Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan filling up the rest of the slots.
In contrast, the Bulls have reshuffled their line-up after their 31-10 victory over the Dragons, with six changes including the return of openside flanker Elrigh Louw who had been out due to a shoulder injury.
Jake White, head coach of the Bulls, views this match as an excellent platform to gauge his team’s development. He expressed boosted confidence in his team after a week of good training and almost no injury hassles. However, Sebastien de Klerk will not be available due to a head injury sustained last week.
White relishes the prospect of a sold-out crowd, seeing it as the validation of their effort and the appeal of their playing style that continues to draw spectators. He conveys his excitement for the imminent big game and his optimism about their opposition saying, “It is a one playing two and I am positively confident that all their big guns will be out as well.”
The Leinster squad against the Bulls comprises of Jordan Larmour, Rob Russell, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe, Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath serving as captain, Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher, and Michael Ala’alatoa. The team also includes Ross Molony, Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, and Jack Conan. Reserves for Leinster include Dan Sheehan, Michael Milne, Tadhg Furlong, Jason Jenkins, Caelan Doris, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ross Byrne, and Liam Turner.
On the other side, the Bulls will field Willie Le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Devon Williams, Johan Goosen, and Embrose Papier. The team is also constituted of Gerhard Steenekamp, Akker van der Merwe, Wilco Louw, Ruan Vermaak, and Ruan Nortje, who is the captain. The Bulls also have Marco van Staden, Elrigh Louw, and Marcell Coetzee, who is the Co-captain. The substitutes’ bench for the Bulls will feature Johan Grobbelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Mpilo Gumede, Zak Burger, Chris Smith, and Harold Vorster. The match officiating will be under the charge of referee Craig Evans from the Welsh Rugby Union.