The GUINNESS PRO14’s two most recent champions, Leinster and the Scarlets, cross paths just a few months on from May’s final, as Leo Cullen’s men target the province’s first win at Parc y Scarlets since September 2013.
GUINNESS PRO14: Saturday, September 8
SCARLETS (5th, Con B) v LEINSTER (2nd, Con B), Parc y Scarlets, 7.35pm (live Premier Sports/eir Sport 1/TG4)
Team News: A number of Ireland’s summer tourists come back into the Leinster team, adding to the momentum provided by last Friday’s dramatic comeback win at Cardiff Blues. Jordan Larmour, the recently-announced PRO14 Young Player of the Year, will make his seasonal debut at full-back with Fergus McFadden and James Lowe completing the back-three.
The centre pairing will see Robbie Henshaw and Rory O’Loughlin in the number 12 and 13 jerseys respectively, with the Athlone man making his 25th appearance for Leinster. Ross Byrne, last week’s man-of-the-match, will have Jamison Gibson-Park, an influential second half replacement in Cardiff, alongside him at half-back.
Leinster will field an all-Ireland international front row as Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Tadhg Furlong get set for their first run-outs of the new season, with the returning Devin Toner and Ian Nagle starting behind them in the second row.
Josh Murphy and captain Rhys Ruddock are joined by Jack Conan in the loose forwards, the Wicklow man coming in at number 8 for what will be his 75th Leinster cap. In all, Leo Cullen had made 11 changes to the side that edged out Cardiff 27-26.
Speaking ahead of the trip to Llanelli, winger McFadden said: “There’s a big rivalry between Leinster and Scarlets, regardless of us beating them in the final last year. They knocked us out in the (PRO14) semi the year before and for large parts of last season, they were playing the best rugby in the competition. They’re going to be looking for blood.”
Meanwhile, despite injury fears earlier this week, Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac has named a strong side to take on the reigning champions. There are seven personnel changes to the starting XV from the late 15-13 defeat to Ulster in Belfast.
Five of the Welsh region’s international contingent, Leigh Halfpenny, Johnny McNicholl, Hadleigh Parkes, Samson Lee and Jake Ball, have been cleared fit for a return to action and will start the eagerly-awaited heavyweight clash.
Rhys Patchell, who scored the Llanelli outfit’s lone try in Belfast, and Jonathan Davies, who was a late withdrawal before that game, are notable absentees, with the Scarlets’ injury list also currently including Aaron Shingler, Wyn Jones, Uzair Cassiem, Dylan Evans, Jonathan Evans, Will Boyde and Angus O’Brien.
SCARLETS: Leigh Halfpenny; Johnny McNicholl, Kieron Fonotia, Hadleigh Parkes, Tom Prydie; Dan Jones, Gareth Davies; Rob Evans, Ken Owens (capt), Samson Lee, Jake Ball, Steve Cummins, Blade Thomson, James Davies, Josh Macleod.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Phil Price, Werner Kruger, Lewis Rawlins, Ed Kennedy, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Paul Asquith, Ioan Nicholas.
LEINSTER: Jordan Larmour; Fergus McFadden, Rory O’Loughlin, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Ian Nagle, Josh Murphy, Rhys Ruddock (capt), Jack Conan.
Replacements: James Tracy, Peter Dooley, Andrew Porter, Mick Kearney, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Noel Reid, Joe Tomane.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Dave Sutherland (Scotland), Wayne Davies (Wales)
Television Match Official: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Scarlets to win: Evens; Draw: 14/1; Leinster to win: 5/6
Pre-Match Quotes: Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) – “As most know by now in Leinster we actually split the pre-season into a number of blocks and at different stages the emphasis shifts. We were exposed to rugby simulation quiet early, which for a player is enjoyable. Yes, we worked hard and we were blowing but to have a ball and to be applying yourself under physical and mental fatigue to match situations beats mindless running all day long.
“To their credit the S&C lads have been great and it allows you to build up that buffer, work on your niggles from last year, build strength and fitness while also hopefully building up robustness for the year that lies ahead.
“That year starts for me at Parc y Scarlets. They’re a team we know very well having played them on four occasions last season. We haven’t won there since 2013 either so it’s a task that we are all too well aware of.
“The lads last year came within a last-minute penalty kick of a great win in Llanelli during the Six Nations and instead they had to settle for a draw, but we are all fully aware of the challenge that lies ahead of us on Saturday and over the course of the season.”
Wayne Pivac (Scarlets) – “Against Leinster physicality is required across the board. We saw that from last season, there was a gap between ourselves and Leinster in terms of the physical stakes. The boys understand that and we’ve been working hard on that.
“It’s a game we’ve looked forward to, because they are the benchmark, both in this competition and in Europe. They wiped us off the park in Dublin the first time, we played better the second time but they were still deserved winners.
“It will be a good yardstick for us. We’ve got disruption within the squad, that’s well documented in terms of injures, but they will have disruptions too. It’s going to be an interesting encounter and a tough game, no matter what team they bring!”
Top Scorers – 2018/19 GUINNESS PRO14: Scarlets – Points: Rhys Patchell 7; Tries: Rhys Patchell 1; Leinster – Points: Bryan Byrne 10; Tries: Bryan Byrne 2
2018/19 TEAM FORM: Scarlets – Played 1, Lost 1, 1 Point; L 15-13 v Ulster (away); Leinster – Played 1, Won 1, 5 Points; W 33-32 v Cardiff Blues (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, November 25, 2016 – Scarlets 38 Leinster 29, Parc y Scarlets
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
MATCH FACTS:
– The Scarlets have now lost their last two GUINNESS PRO14 matchess, last season’s final against Leinster and on the trip to Ulster in round 1 last weekend
– The Welshmen are unbeaten at Parc y Scarlets in the PRO14 in their last 21 fixtures since Munster beat them there in September 2016
– The Scarlets have lost their last four clashes with Irish provinces in all tournaments
– Leinster have now won their last three PRO14 fixtures, while their single-point victory at Cardiff Blues last weekend ended a run of four winless games on the road in the Championship
– The Leinstermen lost only once to Welsh opponents last season: 32-18 to the Ospreys in round 18
– The Scarlets’ most recent victory over Leinster came at the RDS in the PRO14 semi-final of 2016/17
– Leinster have not been victorious at Parc y Scarlets since the opening round of the 2013/14 season. The two sides drew 10-all at the venue last season
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