LEINSTER HEAD COACH Leo Cullen has named his side for the Champions Cup quarter-final against Saracens in the Aviva Stadium on Sunday [KO 3.30pm, BT Sport].
Former Australian international Scott Fardy, who signed as a second row and has played there all season, starts at blindside flanker, with Sean O’Brien, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan all unavailable through injury.
Fardy switches to blindside while Dan Leavy and Jordi Murphy make up the Leinster back row.
As expected, a number of Ireland players return to the fold. Rob Kearney comes in at full-back while Devin Toner and James Ryan are the second row combination.
Isa Nacewa returns to the XV to captain the eastern province, while Cian Healy, Seán Cronin and Johnny Sexton all start.
O’Brien misses out after failing a late fitness test, while fit-again Rhys Ruddock features on the bench, returning for his first game since December.
Max Deegan is also among the replacements, and in line to make his Champions Cup debut.
Leinster:
15. Rob Kearney
14. Fergus McFadden
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Isa Nacewa
11. James Lowe
10. Johnny Sexton
9. Luke McGrath
1. Cian Healy
2. Seán Cronin
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Devin Toner
5. James Ryan
6. Scott Fardy
7. Dan Leavy
8. Jordi Murphy
16. James Tracy
17. Jack McGrath
18. Andrew Porter
19. Rhys Ruddock
20. Max Deegan
21. Nick McCarthy
22. Joey Carbery
23. Rory O’Loughlin
WATCH: Isa Nacewa to captain #LeinsterRugby against @Saracens in the #ChampionsCup Quarter-Final at @AVIVAStadium.
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) March 30, 2018
See the full 23 to represent Leinster on Sunday ⬇️#JoinTheRoar: https://t.co/Hf72HJGfUN pic.twitter.com/43JQGXq9u1
Scott Fardy has played alot of international matches for Australia at 6. Shouldn’t faze him at all. Good to have Ruddock back! good impact off the bench and can shuffle the pack up if required!
@Charlie: I have no doubts about Fardy in the backrow. He played the vast majority of his Super Rugby there for the Brumbies. He actually played comparatively little in the second row before coming to Leinster. A man for all seasons…
@Charlie: Fardy is a superb 6 , he was a vital member of a legendary Australia back row of himself at 6 partnered with Hooper and Pocock that helped carry the Wallabies pack to a World Cup final. Fardy is an excellent workhorse that compliments poachers like Leavy or Pocock
Savage team .
A very strong line up all things considered. Between the starting forwards and the bench options, looks like they’ll be targeting the Saracens’ lineout?
I think, however, the time has come where we need to start having a serious conversation about Sean O’Brien. Supposedly only a stinger to the shoulder yet he misses out entirely? This is beginning to sound a lot like Ferris/Fitzgerald/Heaslip, unfortunately…
@Del McG: he’s playing for the A team.
@Sam McDonald: no he’s not. The other SOB is on the bench for the A team.
@Del McG: except Headlip didn’t come back at all. Sean O Brian did and was playing really well even if it was only for about 20 mins until he picked up the new injury. He’s been unfortunate but he’ll be back.
I wonder if Heaslip’s retirement made this possible. The stipulation from Nucifora et all that this couldn’t happen were very clear at the start of the season. But woth Ryan very much kicking on and a few back row injuries, this definitively makes sense. Looking forward yo seeing how Fardy plays off the flank, could be phenomenal.
@Conor Paddington: what couldn’t happen?
@Oran Burns: The rule is that overseas players are only allowed to play in the position that they are registered in. The IRFU have said that there can only be one overseas player per position allowed in the three provinces (Connacht excluded), so if a player like Fardy is registered as a second row, that’s where he plays. It is, however, absolute cobblers and utterly unenforceable. Look at Isa Nacewa: has played fullback, wing, centre and outhalf this season (with occasional appearances in the back row for scrums when players have been carded)
@Del McG: Isa doesn’t count as foreign. But I do agree with your point
@Del McG: As Mr Nucifora has said repeatedly, rules are rules, laughable.
@Bob Cummings: Nucifora still not deserving of any credit…?
@Conor Paddington: all his 34 caps for Oz were at 6 afaik.
@Michael Kiernan: more on the bench than starting at 6, but he did start there a few times. The point is it was a very clear stipulation of his signing that he’d only play at lock. Circumstances have changed though.
@Conor Paddington: For some he only deserves blame for the stuff that goes wrong and no praise for the stuff that goes right. Ulster fans in particular seem to have a very low opinion of him for some reason
@Conor Paddington: all you can ask for is consistency, he doesn’t have it.
@Bob Cummings: Where’s the lack of consistency?
@Eddie Hekenui: I think you know why.
@Bob Cummings: I don’t
@Eddie Hekenui: totally agree, I’ve made the point before. He’s like the EU for commenters on the journal. Entirely to blame, never thanked. It’s bizarre. I think he’s great.
@Eddie Hekenui: ah well.
@Bob Cummings: the onus is on you to explain that one. You can’t just abstractly accuse somebody of being inconsistent without saying in reference to what… I meam, are you an existentialist and making an aloof point that humans by their very nature are inconsistent? Because then I suppose you have a point, bit it’s not specifically interesting in this context. WHAT A PASS FOR THAT TRY. Great play from Scarlets.
@Bob Cummings: Any chance you could point out where he’s shown a lack of consistancy?
@Conor Paddington: I agree. For me he’s doing a fantastic job. The national team is flying, game is spreading well across the country, Exiles programme bearing fruit at underage level and provinces competing at a high level. I realise though that since I’m not a fan of any one province and focus on the Irish team their may be issues provincial fans have that I’m not seeing. Hopefully Bob will point them out.
I don’t see this pack taking a backwards step against saracens. Hopefully our backs are back up to speed and we see some slick moves
Wouldn’t Leinster be stronger with Fardy in the second row and Ruddock starting in the back row? If Ruddock is fit enough for the bench then he must be fit enough to start.
@Jim Demps: Having Toner, Ryan and Fardy will put their lineout under pressure whilst Ruddock will provide real impact off the bench. Toner is a very important player in the Leinster set up.
@Jim Demps: if he’s fit enough for the bench he must be fit enough to start? Interesting logic
@Jim Demps: No, the form players are starting.
@Gustave H: you don’t agree? He’s either match fit or he’s not. It’s riskier carrying an injured player on the bench than starting him.
@Jim Demps: there’s a difference being fit and match fit. He hasnt played since the Exeter game away. Do you know what the accepted meaning of match fit is?
This is very worrying in relation to SOB. He was hoping to be back in February and is still injured in April. I feel he’s consistently rushed through recovery (whether that’s self-imposed or IRFU I’m not sure) a decision has to be made on whether should he take a sabbatical for a year. A player of the tour Lions tour aside his performances have blown very hot and cold in the last year. He had a horrific 6N in 2017 and was very quiet against SA. Another point is Ireland have finally found a successor at 7 in Leavy who’s delivered in the green jersey and was the best forward in the entire six Nations at 23 nearly a decade younger the SOB. If selection was fair I can’t see SOB taking the green jersey from Leavy and a central contract of €550,000 per annum something has to change at this stage
@John Carey: Joe Schmidt is as ruthless a coach as there is in world rugby. SOB will have to play like the world class player he was to get Leavy’s jersey back and even then Leavy may have risen the bar to an even higher level.
@Tom Reilly: My biggest fear is that Seanie won’t be able to get back to his world class form at all or at least in a consistent and consecutive manner . What we forget is that the SOB who terrorized the Maori All Blacks and the All Blacks in June 2017 hadn’t played a game of rugby since March of 2017 ! He seems to be fading away and isn’t getting the minutes required and I can expect a premature retirement like Fitzgerald or Heaslip but fortunately in both cases a younger better more physical player stepped up in both cases for Ireland in Stockdale & Stander. I have a feeling it’ll be the same with Leavy
@John Carey: SOB was magnificent against England in the last 6 nations
A fantastic team overall , Leinster have serious strength in depth .The best team on paper for all the 8 quarter finalists and are missing proven internationals in O’Brien , Larmour , Henshaw and Van Der Flier through injury and able to leave Gibson – Parkes , Ross Byrne & Barry Daly who’ve been great over the season out altogether is crazy. The bench is flooded with talents like Deegan , McGrath and Carberry who’d start in most other clubs.
@John Carey: Ross Byrne has seriously slipped the last few weeks which is why he was probably left out. Also now that Kearney is no longer injured Joey will step in as Sextons replacement like they said would have happened all along had Kearney not been injured.
@John Carey: Disagree with Deegan and McCarthy. They’re a significant downgrade in the calibre of player they’d be replacing.With Murphy going north, Heaslip retiring and O’Brien unable to stay injury free, the 8 position is an area where Leinster lack quality in depth.
@John Carey: jaysus lads we are talking about one of Ireland’s best players of all time. He has never been horrendous in his life. He has been injured. Can’t be playing world class rugby when you are injured, form or ability have nothing to do with it. He will get as much time as his contract allows to recover which is fair enough surely.
Great team, we’ll boss Sarries up front. Then let Ringrose and his footwork rip open their back line
Fardy and Leavy are out and out poachers, with Murphy not too shabby at stealing ball either, i would say we are going to try slow down Sarries ball all day. Our back row should clearly dominate theirs, not saying they will, im saying they should. Saracens’ replacements are just not on the level ours are, also with Kruis, Farrell and Barrit not 100 % and the fatigue of Vunipola and Itoje I would say Leinster are going to break away after 60 mins.
Joey Carbery should change province.
@Locojoe: Yawn.
Disappointing to see Leinster turn away from the youth injection that has helped turn them around these last two seasons.
Think back to the quarter final last year – they had carberry at full back and Byrne on the wing. Wasps couldn’t cope with Leinster’s attack and carberry was man of the match.
Ferg and Kearney are a step in the wrong direction.
@sup: if you Lowe and Byrne on each wing. We would be in trouble defensively. Both are inept in that department. Need Fergus there on one wing at least
No JGP!
@Oran Burns: A necessary sacrificed to allow both Lowe and Fardy play. Luke McGrath should expect an awful lot of gametime on Sunday
@Oran Burns: No, we have McCarthy who should be better at keeping up a quick ball game. I think Carbery would be better with McGrath or McCarthy (than JGP), if he is needed.
@Alan Mulcahy:
Shawn Cronin to dummy half after 55-60 minutes to shift things up!
Personally I’d play Ruddock at 6 and drop toner. Not sure of having both Kearney and McFadden in the back 3 at the same time. A lack of pace and try scoring ability in 2 players in out back 3. I would go either or with Daly or Carbury starting.
@Chris Mc: Ruddock has no form and is probably not match fit. The only person I might question in the back 3 is Lowe (defensively).
Whats the story re Larmour?
@Donnacadh Hurley: out for another 2 weeks with an injured ankle