Jason Jenkins is the only member of Leinster’s matchday squad from the Champions Cup quarter-final win over Leicester last Friday to be included in Leinster’s 30-man for their forthcoming games away to the Lions next Saturday and the Bulls a week later.
Leo Cullen has included a sprinkling of experienced players, including Rhys Ruddock, Max Deegan, Will Connors, Ed Byrne and Dave Kearney, among an otherwise fairly callow squad, including four players yet to be capped at senior level by the province.
In addition to the uncapped under-20 Grand Slam-winning halfback pair of Fintan Gunne and Sam Prendergast, the other members of the academy to travel to South Africa are outside backs Rob Russell, Max O’Reilly, Chris Cosgrave and Aitzol King, centre Ben Brownlee, scrumhalf Ben Murphy, hooker Lee Barron, props Jack Boyle and Temi Lasisi and backrowers Alex Soroka and James Culhane.
The 20-year-old uncapped UCD and Ireland under-20 lock Conor O’Tighearnaigh is also included, as is Trinity’s Irish under-20 flanker Liam Molony. The squad left Dublin for South Africa on Tuesday evening.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
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Leinster squad
Backs (13): Max O’Reilly, Chris Cosgrave, Rob Russell, Tommy O’Brien, Liam Turner, Ben Brownlee, Aitzol King, Dave Kearney, Charlie Tector, Sam Prendergast*, Ben Murphy, Nick McCarthy, Fintan Gunne*.
Forwards (17): Jack Boyle, Ed Byrne, Michael Milne, Lee Barron, Tadgh McElroy, Vakhtang Abdaladze, Thomas Clarkson, Temi Lasisi, Brian Deeny, Alex Soroka, Jason Jenkins, Conor O’Tighearnaigh*, Liam Molony*, Rhys Ruddock, Will Connors, James Culhane, Max Deegan.
*denotes uncapped player
