United Rugby Championship: Ospreys vs Leinster, Saturday January 7th, swansea.com Stadium, 7.35pm kick-off, live on TG4
Harry Byrne starts at outhalf for the first time this season for Leinster’s trip to the Ospreys on Saturday night. With a European double-header on the horizon, Leo Cullen has opted to rest a number of frontline players but still has a significant amount of experience at his disposal.
Alongside Ruddock in the backrow, Jack Conan gets a rare opportunity to start and force his way back up the European pecking order with Caelan Doris and Ryan Baird rested. Scott Penny gets another opportunity at openside after his bench role last week against Connacht.
[ Jack Conan eager to grasp rare opportunity against the Ospreys ]
Brian Deeny holds onto his starting berth as Ross Molony this time partners him in the secondrow; James Ryan drops down to the bench. Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan and Michael Ala’alatoa form the frontrow.
Cormac Foley is promoted from the bench to start in the halfbacks next to Byrne, while Charlie Ngatai and Jamie Osborne once line out in the centres. Jordan Larmour gets another chance to force his way into the European side after a player of the match display last time out. He is joined in the backthree by Jimmy O’Brien and Hugo Keenan.
Alongside Ryan, Leinster have plenty of experienced options to call on from the bench in Josh van der Flier, Nick McCarthy and Ross Byrne. Rob Russell provides backthree cover while John McKee, Michael Milne and Vakh Abdaladze are the replacement frontrows.
Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Jamie Osborne, Charlie Ngatai, Jimmy O’Brien; Harry Byrne, Cormac Foley; Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, Michael Ala’alatoa; Ross Molony, Brian Deeny; Rhys Ruddcok (capt), Scott Penny, Jack Conan.
Replacements: John McKee, Michael Milne, Vakh Abdaladze, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Nick McCarthy, Ross Byrne, Rob Russell.
