Healy To Equal Leinster Caps Record As Gibson-Park Returns From Injury
Cian Healy is a double centurion with Leinster, and ended last season by winning his 130th and 131st caps for Ireland during their summer tour to South Africa ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Cian Healy is poised to equal Devin Toner’s record of 280 Leinster appearances, with the veteran Ireland prop on the bench for the province’s BKT United Rugby Championship opener against Edinburgh on Friday (kick-off 7.35pm).
The Hive Stadium encounter will also see Jamison Gibson-Park return from the hamstring injury which ruled him out of Ireland’s drawn summer series with South Africa. He joins Sam Prendergast at half-back.
Jack Conan will captain Leo Cullen’s men from number 8, and Max Deegan and Scott Penny complete an unchanged back row from the 54-26 pre-season win over Northampton Saints two weeks ago.
Conor O’Tighearnaigh, who started against both Bordeaux-Bègles and Northampton in pre-season, partners James Ryan in the second row as one of three Academy players to earn a starting berth.
Former Ireland Under-20 captain Gus McCarthy makes his first senior start for Leinster and is joined in the front row by Michael Milne and Thomas Clarkson.
Charlie Tector, the third year Academy player, has been given the nod at centre alongside Garry Ringrose, who is one of three starters included from Ireland’s thrilling 25-24 second Test victory over South Africa.
Jamie Osborne, who took his opportunity to impress at full-back against the Springboks, will don the number 15 jersey for the province, with Tommy O’Brien and Jordan Larmour completing the back-three.
Along with the milestone achievement of Healy, who made his Leinster debut as a 19-year-old against the Border Reivers in May 2007, 57-times capped France international Rabah Slimani is in line to win his first cap for the province, as a replacement prop.
John McKee, Brian Deeny, and James Culhane provide the rest of the forward cover, and Rob Russell, one of six members of the Emerging Ireland squad on duty, joins experienced half-backs, Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne, to complete the matchday 23.
Ahead of the trip to the Scottish capital, Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde said: “It’s going to be a tough ask for us. Edinburgh had a great win against Gloucester last weekend.
“You look at the experience and the amount of internationals playing in their ranks, they’re obviously going to try get an advantage over us from that side of things. It’s going to be a big challenge.
“It’s away from home, their first home game in the league, so they’re going to be looking to start well and get the ball rolling. It’s never an easy place to go. It was tough for us there two years ago.
“They’ve got some quality players and we’re going to have to be at our best. We’ll pay them the amount of respect that they’re due because it’s going to be tough for us. But we’ll roll our sleeves up and we’ll get on with it.”
LEINSTER (v Edinburgh): Jamie Osborne; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Charlie Tector, Jordan Larmour; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Michael Milne, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, James Ryan, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (capt).
Replacements: John McKee, Cian Healy, Rabah Slimani, Brian Deeny, James Culhane, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Rob Russell.