LAST UPDATE | 7 Sep 2023
CIARÁN FRAWLEY STARTS at out-half for Leinster in tomorrow evening’s friendly with Munster at Musgrave Park (KO: 6pm).
The 25-year-old last started as 10 for Leinster against Benetton last September.
Scott Penny captains the team, that includes four senior internationals in the starting lineup, along with four members of the province’s academy.
Jordan Larmour starts at full-back, with Tommy O’Brien and Rob Russell on the wings. Liam Turner and Ben Brownlee form the centre partnership, with Frawley and Cormac Foley completing the backline.
Academy props Jack Boyle and Rory McGuire pack down either side of Lee Barron. Brian Deeny and Jason Jenkins are in the heart of the pack, with Max Deegan, Penny and James Culhane in the back row.
The bench includes nine Academy players, along with experience from the likes of Leinster centurions Ross Molony and Luke McGrath.
Munster welcome back both Andrew Conway and Jack Daly after the pair missed last season due to injury.
Jack O’Donoghue captains a Munster squad which includes seven Academy players, with Kieran Ryan, Evan O’Connell and Shay McCarthy all set to make their first senior appearances off the bench. Ireland U19 international Stephen Kiely is also in line to debut.
Simon Zebo starts at full-back for the first time since returning to the province in 2021 with Conway and Calvin Nash on either wing.
There is a new-look centre partnership of Rory Scannell and Shane Daly, with Daly starting in midfield for the first time since 2018.
Neil Cronin and Tony Butler start in the half-backs. Academy out-half Butler, who made his competitive debut against Wasps in December 2021, makes his first senior start in the 10 jersey.
Josh Wycherley, Scott Buckley and Stephen Archer pack down in the front row with Gavin Coombes in the second row alongside Fineen Wycherley.
O’Donoghue, John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen start in the back row.
Munster:
- 15. Simon Zebo
- 14. Andrew Conway
- 13. Shane Daly
- 12. Rory Scannell
- 11. Calvin Nash
- 10. Tony Butler
- 9. Neil Cronin
- 1. Josh Wycherley
- 2. Scott Buckley
- 3. Stephen Archer
- 4. Gavin Coombes
- 5. Fineen Wycherley
- 6. Jack O’Donoghue (captain)
- 7. John Hodnett
- 8. Alex Kendellen
Replacements:
- 16. Chris Moore
- 17. Kieran Ryan
- 18. John Ryan
- 19. Evan O’Connell
- 20. Jack Daly
- 21. Ruadhán Quinn
- 22. Ethan Coughlan
- 23. Fionn Gibbons
- 24. Stephen Kiely
- 25. Shay McCarthy
Leinster
- 15. Jordan Larmour
- 14. Tommy O’Brien
- 13. Liam Turner
- 12. Ben Brownlee
- 11. Rob Russell
- 10. Ciarán Frawley
- 9. Cormac Foley
- 1. Jack Boyle
- 2. Lee Barron
- 3. Rory McGuire
- 4. Brian Deeny
- 5. Jason Jenkins
- 6. Max Deegan
- 7. Scott Penny (captain)
- 8. James Culhane
Replacements:
- Gus McCarthy
- Paddy McCarthy
- Temi Lasisi
- Ross Molony
- Conor O’Tighearnaigh
- Diarmuid Mangan
- Will Connors
- Luke McGrath
- Sam Prendergast
- Charlie Tector
- Andrew Osborne
- Jamie Osborne
- Aitzol King
- Chris Cosgrave
There were many standout moments this year, many players that stepped up to the mark but for me the one player who epitomized all the good things about Leinster is Robbie Henshaw. Himself and Ringrose make Leinsters and Ireland’s best centre pairing and consistently deliver a quality of performances not matched by others either here or abroad. Long may it continue.
My wish for 2021? That we can get back to supporting our team. God I miss the RDS match days.
@Ro Molloy: so true
So if you include last seasons victories with this seasons, it something like 27 played and 26 wins. Which is an incredible stat.
@Greg Cavey: 28 out of 29 if you Champions Cup. That’s phenomenal. However they haven’t played any decent teams this yet this season. The lack of depth in most PRO14 squads makes it easy for them when the internationals are on.
Munster & Ulster are also too strong for most other PRO14 teams.
Leinster were convincing in Europe. Munster showed grit and hinted that real progress is being made. Ulster? More depth required & maybe more quality in some positions.
Playing in the PRO14 isn’t improving Leinster but maybe when the top SA teams join it will improve them & the other Irish provinces and therefore the national team.
@TL55: Why would they need to improve…They are the best in the league by far.
@Harry O’Callaghan: To beat the likes of Saracens, Exeter and Toulouse.
Leinster correctly want to the big fish in the big pond not just the little pond.
@Harry O’Callaghan: So champions cup quarter final losses are the acceptable Leinster standard now are they? Do you think Exeter aren’t looking to improve or will they just sit and wait for someone to take the champions cup and premiership from them?
@Kohn Jeenan: it’s acceptable to lose 1 game of rugby per season. This can happen if you can’t see the improvement year on year at leinster well your just not looking.
@Chris Mc: I didn’t say they aren’t improving though, they are, I was saying they definitely need to keep improving, since it was implied they don’t need to improve at all just for being the best club in the pro14….
@Chris Mc: do you not think leinster have some issues at the setpiece? Furlong should shore up the scrum but leinster still have a bit of a dependence on toner
@Tim Magner: the leinster lineout is very poor even with toner in it.
Any team who competes in the air will win a fair amount of leinster ball. Its hard to understand as Cullen was a very good lineout operator.
Its far too complicated, too many moving parts and as simple as it sounds putting toner (or Ryan) straight up at 2 often discourages teams from competing and as such makes ball to the back easier to win in the long run.
@Chris Mc: I just don’t think the leinster pack has improved since ’18. Back then they had probably the 2 best props in europe in furlong & healy, ryan was on fire, toner was 2 yrs younger, fardy was keeping lowe out of the hcup squad and leavy was at his best. Since then porter and doris have shown their mettle at international level and baird looks a serious prospect but I dont think the pack now is as good as it was
@Tim Magner: fair point, healy is not getting any younger and Jack is gone. Furlong will be back soon enough and porter is a fine prop.
Hooker we are in a better place and while Ryan is not playing as well as he was what’s coming through with baird Dunne and Moloney is getting better. The backrow is better now. Leavy is almost there and doris is firing, Conan, jvdf, connors, penny ruddock Murphy etc are all seriously pushing each other. This pack will gell over the next few months. Only real concern is at looshead.
@Chris Mc: yer by no means in a bad place, ye still have the best pack in the pro14. I think the 18 pack was the best in europe though. As you say though the 2 young hookers look the business, penny has the look of a class player and baird could be special so as a munster fan I know leinster are going nowhere
@Tim Magner: I guess time will tell with this lot. In fairness the munster pack is becoming a serious unit too. Bar kilcoyne your missing a front row but have a few younger ones who could step up but the likes of coombes JOD and Aherne all could really make the grade. Theres nothing like players who grew up wanting to play for a club.