Garry Ringrose, who makes his Leinster debut on the right wing, and fellow youngster Ross Molony, who is set for his first start in the second row, have been given a chance to shine as Leo Cullen’s charges entertain Cardiff Blues in the GUINNESS PRO12.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, September 12
LEINSTER (10th) v CARDIFF BLUES (2nd), the RDS, 5.15pm (live Sky Sports 4 HD)
Team News: Leinster’s stand-in captain Kevin McLaughlin has failed to come through the return-to-play protocols in time for this game and as a result, Isa Nacewa will captain the side from full-back on his first appearance back at the RDS since his return from a coaching position with the Auckland Blues.
Nacewa also stands to cross the 400-point mark for Leinster on Saturday evening should he successfully convert any opportunities that come his way from the tee or from play. The Auckland native is currently on 399 points for the province. He is in fifth position on the all-time Leinster points scorers list.
Elsewhere, there is only one change to the back-line that featured in the opening defeat to Edinburgh. UCD clubman Garry Ringrose will make his debut for Leinster having been an unused replacement in last week’s game at Meggetland. The 20-year-old Academy player was a mainstay in Nigel Carolan’s Ireland Under-20 team that competed in last season’s Six Nations and World Rugby U-20 Championship.
Noel Reid and Ben Te’o get another chance to impress in the centre, while St. Michael’s school-mates Luke McGrath and Cathal Marsh are again selected as the starting half-backs.
Up front, the aforementioned McLaughlin is ruled out through injury as is Tom Denton who similarly failed to recover in time having gone through the return-to-play protocols.
Michael Bent, hooker Aaron Dundon and Jamie Hagan will form an experienced front row with Ross Molony coming in for Denton in the second row. It will be Molony’s first start for Leinster having played twice last season and having impressed off the bench last Friday. The 6ft 5in lock will have plenty of experience beside him as Mike McCarthy closes in on 300 professional club appearances.
The back row consists of Dominic Ryan at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier, who comes in for his first appearance of the season at openside, and Ireland international Jack Conan at number 8.
On the replacements bench, Lansdowne clubman Tadhg Beirne is in line to make his debut off the bench in his first year out of the Leinster Academy. Tickets for the round 2 game against Cardiff Blues are still on sale and can be purchased here.
Meanwhile, hooker Kristian Dacey returns to the starting line-up for Cardiff Blues as they travel to Dublin to face Leinster in the second round of the PRO12.
Dacey has been away with the Wales set-up throughout pre-season, but now returns to the team as head coach Danny Wilson makes a total of three charges to the side that hammered Zebre 61-13.
With Taufa’ao Filise ruled out, Craig Mitchell comes in at tighthead prop o pack down alongside Dacey and Sam Hobbs on the loosehead side.
The other change comes in the back-line where winger Owen Jenkins takes over from Tom James, who misses the trip to Ireland as he recovers from a foot injury.
LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa (capt); Garry Ringrose, Ben Te’o, Noel Reid, Fergus McFadden; Cathal Marsh, Luke McGrath; Michael Bent, Aaron Dundon, Jamie Hagan, Ross Molony, Mike McCarthy, Dominic Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Bryan Byrne, Peter Dooley, Royce Burke-Flynn, Tadhg Beirne, Daniel Leavy, Isaac Boss, Ross Byrne, Cian Kelleher.
CARDIFF BLUES: Dan Fish; Aled Summerhill, Tom Isaacs, Gavin Evans, Owen Jenkins; Rhys Patchell, Tavis Knoyle; Sam Hobbs, Kristian Dacey, Craig Mitchell, Jarrad Hoeata, James Down, Josh Turnbull, Josh Navidi (capt), Manoa Vosawai.
Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Thomas Davies, Scott Andrews, Lou Reed, Ellis Jenkins, Lewis Jones, Gareth Davies, Garyn Smith.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Eddie Hogan O’Connell, Jonathan Peak (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Seamus Flannery (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 3/10; Draw: 16/1; Cardiff Blues to win: 11/4
Pre-Match Quotes: Jamie Hagan (Leinster) – “Last weekend wasn’t the best of starts against Edinburgh but I think we are in a really good place to put right some of those issues on Saturday in the RDS. We coughed up seven turnovers. You just can’t do that at this level.
“We had a very honest review session early in the week and we addressed where we let ourselves down in Meggetland. But we also acknowledged what went well and what could be built against Cardiff. But we all had an opportunity to perform and did we grasp it? No. I don’t think we did. So there is a huge determination to put that right on Saturday.
“The Cardiff back row, in particular, were on fire against Zebre. Josh Navidi – how he isn’t in the Welsh squad is beyond me – has taken last year’s form and carried it with him into this. Josh Turnbull the same. So they will present us with a whole heap of new challenges to what we faced last weekend but sure that’s why you play the game. To test yourself week in, week out. It’s going to be good.”
Danny Wilson (Cardiff Blues) – “Leinster get a fantastic home crowd, they are well supported and they get momentum from the backing they enjoy so it should be a great atmosphere. Whichever way you look at it we go there as underdogs, even though we come off from a good win and they come off from a loss. But what a great place it would be to go and get a win.
“There are not too many changes to the side this weekend, for obvious reasons, because we had a good performance at home and set some records.
“We are missing a few players with bumps and knocks, but we are fairly settled and we go into the game with a little bit of momentum from the win and confidence.”
Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Leinster – Points: Isa Nacewa 9; Tries: -; Cardiff Blues – Points: Rhys Patchell 17; Tries: Rhys Patchell, Josh Turnbull 3 each
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, October 27, 2012 – Leinster 59 Cardiff Blues 22, the RDS
Friday, February 8, 2013 – Cardiff Blues 11 Leinster 26, Cardiff Arms Park
Friday, September 27, 2013 – Leinster 34 Cardiff Blues 20, the RDS
Thursday, February 20, 2014 – Cardiff Blues 22 Leinster 34, Cardiff Arms Park
Friday, September 26, 2014 – Leinster 37 Cardiff Blues 23, the RDS
Saturday, January 10, 2015 – Cardiff Blues 13 Leinster 22, BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park
MATCH FACTS:
– Leinster suffered a 16-9 reversal in Edinburgh last Friday but have not begun a GUINNESS PRO12 campaign with successive defeats since the 2003/04 season
– The Leinstermen’s only loss at the RDS in any competition since March 2013 was 16-14 to the Newport Gwent Dragons in the PRO12 last February
– Cardiff Blues achieved their second biggest victory in PRO12 history last Sunday in defeating Zebre 61-13, their 11 tries in the match equalling the PRO12 all-time record set by the Ospreys
against Treviso in 2014
– The Blues’ only victory in their last 17 encounters with Leinster in all competitions was 11-3 at Cardiff City Stadium in the PRO12 in February 2011, while their only triumph in Dublin against Leinster came in March 2004 at Donnybrook
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