James Ryan and Joey Carbery on Leinster bench as Bath bring Faletau for last warm-up before new season

Sean Cronin also returns to a lengthy Leinster matchday squad while Freddie Burns will play his first match for Bath.

LEINSTER HAVE NAMED a matchday squad of 31 for their final pre-season fixture against Bath in Donnybrook tomorrow evening (kick-off 19.30).

Jordan Larmour will start from fullback against Todd Blackadder’s Premiership side, with Fergus McFadden lining out on the wing while head coach Leo Cullen tests a new centre partnership in Jimmy and Conor O’Brien.

Both O’Brien boys were part of the international U20 crop last year and Jimmy starts at outside centre having been a late withdrawal ahead of last week’s warm-up against Gloucester.

That fixture has presented Cullen with a new raft of injury concerns. Josh Murphy (fractured jaw) is set to miss four weeks while Peter Dooley (bicep tendon) and Bryan Byrne (twisted knee) have been ruled out for ‘a few weeks’ each. Oisin Dowling is undergoing return to play protocols following a suspected concussion.

Isa Nacewa suffered a shoulder injury in the same fixture, but yesterday shrugged it off as ‘a stinger’ and he looks set to be fit for the opening Pro14 clash against the Dragons next weekend.

Seán Cronin James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

The bench offers plenty of reason for excitement despite the new knocks. Sean Cronin, who missed Leinster’s Pro12 loss to Scarlets and Ireland’s summer tour with a neck injury, will wear a number two jersey in the extensive 16-man bench. And he will be joined by freshly-capped Ireland internationals James Ryan and Andrew Porter.

Joey Carbery, who was injured in a disappointing display during Ireland’s win over the US Eagles in New Jersey, is also back in blue as the third out-half in the squad behind starter Ross Byrne and Cathal Marsh.

British and Irish Lions Taulupe Faletau Faletau started all three Tests for the Lions against the All Blacks and is back to start a new season just seven weeks later. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

Bath, who start their Premiership campaign away to Leicester next week, already have Lions star Taulupe Faletau back in harness with out-half Freddie Burns making his first senior appearance in a Bath jersey, 10 years after leaving his hometown to join Gloucester’s academy.

Leinster

15. Jordan Larmour
14. Fergus McFadden
13. Jimmy O’Brien
12. Conor O’Brien
11. Barry Daly
10. Ross Byrne
9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Ed Byrne
2. Rónan Kelleher
3. Michael Bent
4. Ross Molony Capt
5. Mick Kearney
6. Caelan Doris
7. Will Connors
8. Max Deegan

16. Sean McNulty
17. Vakh Abdaladze
18. Oisín Heffernan
19. Ian Nagle
20. Peadar Timmins
21. Nick McCarthy
22. Cathal Marsh
23. Adam Byrne
2. Seán Cronin
3. Andrew Porter
5. James Ryan
7. Jordi Murphy
10. Joey Carbery
11. Dave Kearney
24. Ian Fitzpatrick
25. Hugo Keenan

Bath

15. Darren Atkins
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Max Clark
12. Ben Tapuai
11. Harry Davies
10. Freddie Burns
9. Chris Cook

1. Nick Auterac
2. Jack Walker
3. Kane Palma-Newport
4. James Phillips
5. Elliott Stooke
6. Matt Garvey Capt
7. Guy Mercer
8. Taulupe Faletau

16. Tom Dunn
17. Beno Obano
18. Sam Nixon
19. Luke Charteris
20. Paul Grant
21. Kahn Fotuali’i
22. Rhys Priestland
23. Matt Banahan
24. Levi Douglas
25. Zach Mercer
26. Josh Lewis

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