GUINNESS PRO14 Preview: Leinster v Scarlets

Armed with an already significant lead at the top of their Conference table, Leinster will aim to put further distance between themselves and the chasing Scarlets when the teams meet as GUINNESS PRO14 rugby returns to the RDS.

GUINNESS PRO14: Friday, January 25

LEINSTER (1st, Con B) v SCARLETS (4th, Con B), the RDS, 7.35pm (live eir Sport 1/TG4/Premier Sports 2)

Team News: The Leinster team to play the Scarlets in the GUINNESS PRO14 at the RDS on Friday has been named by head coach Leo Cullen. The province are currently 19 points clear at the top of Conference B.

The Leinster coaches have included seven Academy players in the matchday 23, while a number of senior players are also recalled and 20-year-old Academy second row Jack Dunne is standing by for a potential senior debut.

Rob Kearney is back from a quad injury to take his place as captain at full-back, with the fit-again Barry Daly, who returned against Ulster recently, on the right wing and James Lowe back from suspension on the left.

Academy back Conor O’Brien and Rory O’Loughlin are paired together at centre having also started against Connacht last month, while 20-year-old Meath man Hugh O’Sullivan comes in for his first start at half-back alongside Skerries native Ciaran Frawley.

Jack McGrath was released from Ireland’s Six Nations squad to get some game-time against the Scarlets, so he packs down in the front row along with fellow internationals James Tracy and Michael Bent. Ross Molony and Mick Kearney combine in the engine room, as they did against Ulster last time out in the PRO14.

Max Deegan moves to blindside flanker in a back row completed by Scott Penny, who is part of the Ireland Under-20 squad for their Six Nations campaign, and Caelan Doris. Added to the bench, Dublin University clubman Dunne is in line to become the 1276th Leinster senior player.

Match tickets for the Leinster v Scarlets round 14 tie, priced from 28 euro, are available to buy now from Ticketmaster.ie.

Meanwhile, former Wales Under-20 captain Steff Hughes will lead the Scarlets in Dublin with all bar one of their twelve Wales call-ups for the Six Nations unavailable for the resumption of the PRO14.

The absence of those internationals see Ioan Nicholas come in on the right wing and Kieran Hardy starts at scrum half alongside Dan Jones who finished with an impressive 18 points against Racing 92 in the Champions Cup last weekend.

Jones and Johnny McNicholl, who touched down twice in Paris, are the only backs retained in the starting XV from that game, while lock David Bulbring and back rowers Dan Davis and Josh Macleod continue in a much-changed pack.

Partnering Bulbring in the second row, Jake Ball has been released from Wales camp to get valuable game-time ahead of the Six Nations, and a freshened up front row includes former Springbok prop Werner Kruger at tighthead.

LEINSTER: Rob Kearney (capt); Barry Daly, Rory O’Loughlin, Conor O’Brien, James Lowe; Ciaran Frawley, Hugh O’Sullivan; Jack McGrath, James Tracy, Michael Bent, Ross Molony, Mick Kearney, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Caelan Doris.

Replacements: Bryan Byrne, Ed Byrne, Vakh Abdaladze, Jack Dunne, Oisin Dowling, Jamison Gibson-Park, Noel Reid, Jimmy O’Brien.

SCARLETS: Johnny McNicholl; Ioan Nicholas, Kieron Fonotia, Steff Hughes (capt), Paul Asquith; Dan Jones, Kieran Hardy; Phil Price, Marc Jones, Werner Kruger, Jake Ball, David Bulbring, Tom Price, Dan Davis, Josh Macleod.

Replacements: Dafydd Hughes, Dylan Evans, Simon Gardiner, Josh Helps, Ed Kennedy, Jon Evans, Morgan Williams, Tom Prydie.

Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Vincenzo Schipani (Italy)
Television Match Official: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 1/10; Draw: 33/1; Scarlets to win: 6/1

Pre-Match Quotes: Leo Cullen (Leinster) – “I’ve no restrictions on Rob Kearney or Jack McGrath this week in terms of match minutes. Jack got 45 minutes last week (against Wasps) and coming back from injury, especially for a tight five forward, getting time on the field is important.

“Rob has been unlucky since missing out on a couple of weeks and it is a good chance to showcase his skills with some big games coming up. He has come through training well. Having the experience is huge. Looking through the team, there’s a lot of young guys – back row and half-backs in particular.

“So, to have that experience scattered around the rest of the team was important for us. It’s a great chance for them in front of a big crowd. (This particular team) have worked hard in the short time that we have had, beginning with training on Monday.

“We started the week as early as we possibly could to get into it and be aware of the substantial threats Scarlets pose. They have a few players away on international duty but they have a settled core who are very dangerous. We need to make sure we’ve done everything this week, with the time that we’ve had, to give ourselves the best chance.”

Wayne Pivac (Scarlets) – “Leinster are a very good side, very complete side, they’re strong across the board and not only with their top side. When they have a lot of players away the quality of the squad is very, very strong which we saw in the Celtic Cup earlier in the season.

“We also know this from past experience when the internationals are away. We have played them in this window last season out there and I think we picked up a losing bonus point with the last play of the game. We know they’re a quality side and nothing has changed this season.

“It’s evident they don’t lose many games even though we have beaten them (23-21 at home) this year. I think it was a pretty good effort on our part, in particular that evening. We had to play well physically and match them physically which I think we did on that evening. We took our opportunities and were lucky enough to come out with a win.

“It wasn’t an easy game obviously, it was a very tight game and two points separated us in the end. That prize was a big positive for us after they put some separation on us last year by knocking us out of both competitions. It was a bit of a marker for us to see how much work we had done in the off season and how we had advanced.

“I think it spoke volumes at the time but obviously we’ve had a few injuries since then and a few ups and downs. I think our recent form is improving and we’re heading in the right direction. We’re really looking forward to Friday night, it’s a big game for both sides.”

Top Scorers – 2018/19 GUINNESS PRO14: Leinster – Points: Ross Byrne 53; Tries: Bryan Byrne, Sean Cronin, Jamison Gibson-Park 5 each; Scarlets – Points: Dan Jones 47; Tries: Johnny McNicholl 5

2018/19 TEAM FORM: Leinster – Played 13, Won 11, Lost 2, 54 Points; W 33-32 v Cardiff Blues (away), L 23-21 v Scarlets (away), W 52-10 v Dragons (home), W 31-7 v Edinburgh (home), W 20-3 v Connacht (away), W 30-22 v Munster (home), W 31-3 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 38-31 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), W 52-7 v Ospreys (home), W 59-10 v Dragons (away), W 33-29 v Connacht (home), L 26-17 v Munster (away), W 40-7 v Ulster (home); Scarlets – Played 13, Won 7, Lost 6, 34 Points; L 15-13 v Ulster (away), W 23-21 v Leinster (home), W 38-29 v Benetton Rugby (home), L 33-20 v Connacht (away), W 54-14 v Isuzu Southern Kings (home), W 20-17 v Ospreys (home), W 41-34 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), L 31-21 v Edinburgh (away), W 29-12 v Ulster (home), L 29-20 v Glasgow Warriors (away), L 19-12 v Ospreys (away), L 34-5 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 22-13 v Dragons (home)

RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:

Saturday, March 4, 2017 – Leinster 45 Scarlets 9, the RDS
Friday, May 19, 2017 – Semi-Final – Leinster 15 Scarlets 27, the RDS
Saturday, February 17, 2018 – Leinster 20 Scarlets 13, the RDS
Friday, March 9, 2018 – Scarlets 10 Leinster 10, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, May 26, 2018 – Final – Leinster 40 Scarlets 32, Aviva Stadium
Saturday, September 8, 2018 – Scarlets 23 Leinster 21, Parc y Scarlets

MATCH FACTS:

– Leinster have lost just once since October in any tournament: 26-17 to Munster at Thomond Park in round 12 of the GUINNESS PRO14

– Leinster’s only defeat at the RDS since the 2017 PRO14 semi-final against the Scarlets was to Benetton Rugby last April

– The Scarlets beat the Dragons 22-13 in round 13 to end a three-match losing run in the Championship

– The Scarlets have won just once away from home in any tournament this season: 41-34 at Southern Kings at the end of October

– The Scarlets beat Leinster 23-21 in round 2 but have never achieved a season’s double over Leinster in the PRO14

– The Scarlets have won on two occasions at the RDS, 52-23 in October 2007 and 27-15 in the 2017 semi-final