Guinness PRO14 Preview: Ulster v Leinster

Ulster and Leinster have battled hard all year to secure their Guinness PRO14 semi-final places. They wrap up the regular season tonight, with both sides keen to build momentum heading into next week’s play-offs.

GUINNESS PRO14: Saturday, August 29

ULSTER (2nd, Con A) v LEINSTER (1st, Con A), Aviva Stadium, 7.35pm (live eir Sport 1/Premier Sports 1/SuperSport 1/DAZN/www.pro14.tv/deferred TG4)

Team News: Australian international Sam Carter will captain Ulster for the first time, as Dan McFarland’s men tackle unbeaten Leinster to begin the second weekend of the back-to-back interprovincial derbies in Dublin.

With Ulster looking forward to a semi-final trip to Edinburgh in the coming days, Carter is one of eight changes to the team that lost 26-20 to Ulster last Sunday. The 30-year-old Sydney native partners Kieran Treadwell in the second row.

It is all change in the front row as Rob Herring, a late withdrawal last week, returns at hooker, flanked by Eric O’Sullivan and Tom O’Toole. Ballymena man Matthew Rea comes in at blindside flanker, with Jordi Murphy and Marcell Coetzee backing up from the Connacht game.

Following his debut off the bench against the westerners, Ian Madigan makes his first start for Ulster in the number 10 jersey. He combines with former Leinster team-mate John Cooney at half-back.

Returning wingers Matt Faddes and Robert Lyttle join Jacob Stockdale in the back-three, the latter looking to add to his try from the round 14 defeat. James Hume, who has been cleared to play after his concussion last week, and Stuart McCloskey remain in place in midfield.

Meanwhile, Carlow man Ed Byrne will lead out Leinster for the first time in a competitive fixture, captaining the Conference A table-toppers from the front row. Head coach Leo Cullen has made the full 23 changes to his squad from the 27-25 derby win over Munster.

Loosehead Byrne, Sean Cronin, Michael Bent and Devin Toner are all promoted from the bench, with Ross Molony completing the tight five. Max Deegan anchors a back row that contains fellow Academy graduates Josh Murphy and Will Connors.

Rob Kearney wins his 219th provincial cap, slotting in at full-back for his first appearance since mid-February. The back-line is marshalled by Ross Byrne and half-back partner Jamison Gibson-Park, who is representing Leinster for the 90th time.

The wing spots are filled by Hugo Keenan and Cian Kelleher, who scored four tries in his last five games before the Coronavirus outbreak, while noted out-half Ciaran Frawley gets a first chance to impress in the inside centre position, alongside Rory O’Loughlin.

Tom Clarkson, the promising 20-year-old Academy prop, is poised to make his senior debut from the Leinster bench. The Dublin University clubman has impressed at tighthead for the Ireland Under-20s over the past 18 months.

ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale; Matt Faddes, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Robert Lyttle; Ian Madigan, John Cooney; Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Sam Carter (capt), Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Rea, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements: John Andrew, Kyle McCall, Martin Moore, Alan O’Connor, Nick Timoney, David Shanahan, Bill Johnston, Louis Ludik.

LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Hugo Keenan, Rory O’Loughlin, Ciaran Frawley, Cian Kelleher; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ed Byrne (capt), Sean Cronin, Michael Bent, Devin Toner, Ross Molony, Josh Murphy, Will Connors, Max Deegan.

Replacements: James Tracy, Michael Milne, Tom Clarkson, Rhys Ruddock, Scott Penny, Rowan Osborne, Harry Byrne, Jimmy O’Brien.

Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace, Eoghan Cross (both Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Pre-Match Quotes: Dwayne Peel (Ulster) –

It’s a difficult one, there is no doubt Leinster are and outstanding team and they are having a great season so far, but what we have spoken about this week is preparing ourselves and using this time to prepare on what is to come for us, we have the semi-final next week.

“This week is all about preparation for ourselves, obviously Leinster will bring their own challenge in their own way, but we’ll focus on ourselves this week and make sure we give the best account of ourselves.

“The big thing for us is to try and get that cohesion and that is what we will be striving for this weekend. After any defeat there is excitement to get back out there and put things right.

“We can’t be too disappointed over one performance because it is an exciting time coming up for us, we have reviewed it and we have to put it right. The boys have trained well and hard, and are in good shape physically.

“This week it is about putting that on the pitch in preparation for a big game against Leinster and what is to come in the next couple of weeks as well. I think a lot of it is quick fixes, we have planned ahead and worked on a number of areas of our game, there are just a few areas of our game we need to tidy up but no major concerns.”

Robin McBryde (Leinster) –

Because of the nature of the result (against Munster), obviously we won so there was nothing to get too down about but it was a little bit mixed, to be honest with you. We weren’t happy with the way that we finished off the game.

“We put ourselves under a little bit of pressure where we could have given ourselves a little bit more breathing space, especially that five-metre scrum on Munster’s line.

“From a set-piece point of view, scrum was a positive, the lineout not as much so, didn’t exactly hit the ground running as far as that was concerned but nothing we can’t put right really.

“It’s been made clear to all the players really because there are no other games currently taking place, the one place that they have to make an impression is in training. That’s increased the intensity during our sessions, the competitive nature of rugby players getting back to the swing of things.

“We know how big this next period is coming up and it’s going to take a squad effort to get us through it. As you can imagine, there are a lot of things to weigh up. There’s one train of thought to make some changes and keep them fresh, there’s another train of thought with regard to give them another run, who is going to benefit from playing again

“We’ve got to also bear in mind what mindset Ulster are going to be in as well. They’ll be a bit disappointed with the result against Connacht so they’ll want to gain some momentum. We’ve got to be mindful of that as well, that we’ve got to build on this momentum and take it into the semi-finals.”

Top Scorers – 2019/20 Guinness PRO14: Ulster – Points: John Cooney 100; Tries: Matt Faddes 6; Leinster – Points: Ross Byrne 72; Tries: Dave Kearney 9

2019/20 TEAM FORM: Ulster – Played 14, Won 8, Drawn 1, Lost 5; W 38-14 v Ospreys (home), L 63-26 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 42-17 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), W 23-14 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 22-7 v Zebre (home), L 22-16 v Munster (away), W 29-5 v Scarlets (home), L 54-42 v Leinster (away), W 35-3 v Connacht (home), W 38-17 v Munster (home), L 26-24 v Ospreys (away), W 20-10 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), D 0-0 v Benetton Rugby (away), L 26-20 v Connacht (away)

Leinster – Played 14, Won 14; W 32-27 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 53-5 v Ospreys (home), W 40-14 v Edinburgh (home), W 3-0 v Zebre (away), W 50-15 v Dragons (home), W 42-11 v Connacht (away), W 23-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 54-42 v Ulster (home), W 13-6 v Munster (away), W 54-7 v Connacht (home), W 36-12 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), W 21-13 v Ospreys (away), W 55-19 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 27-25 v Munster (home)

RECENT CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS:

Saturday, May 6, 2017 – Ulster 17 Leinster 13, Kingspan Stadium
Saturday, October 28, 2017 – Ulster 10 Leinster 25, Kingspan Stadium
Saturday, January 6, 2018 – Leinster 38 Ulster 7, the RDS
Saturday, January 5, 2019 – Leinster 40 Ulster 7, the RDS
Saturday, April 27, 2019 – Ulster 14 Leinster 13, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, December 20, 2019 – Leinster 54 Ulster 42, the RDS

MATCH FACTS:

– Ulster’s only win in the last four rounds of the Guinness PRO14 was 20-10 against the Toyota Cheetahs in Belfast on February 22

– Ulster’s only victory on their last five visits to the Aviva Stadium was 22-19 against Edinburgh in the semi-final of the European Cup in April 2012

– Leinster are in the midst of the best ever winning run in Guinness PRO14 history, a mark which now stands at 16 victories in a row since Ulster beat them at Kingspan Stadium in April 2019

– The Leinstermen’s record at the Aviva Stadium/Lansdowne Road in the Championship is an incredible won nineteen and lost one, with the solitary defeat being to Munster in October 2014

– Ulster have won just one of their last six fixtures against Leinster in all competitions, and that by a single point in Belfast last April

– Ulster have not beaten Leinster at IRFU HQ since October 1989, although the two sides have only met there twice subsequently