Show of strength as Leinster get back to business in Belfast

After a month off, Ulster will host Leo Cullen's side on Friday night. 

Jimmy O'Brien and Will Connors on the way to training with Leinster Rugby Kicking Coach & Head Analyst Emmet Farrell earlier this week, both Kildare men start against Ulster on Friday Pic:  INPHO/Ben Brady

Fourteen Leinster players named in Andy Farrell’s Ireland matchday squad for Saturday’s Test against Australia. Another seven Irish internationals listed in the province’s XV to face Ulster in Belfast on Friday night.

Is there no end to these riches?

Leo Cullen will travel north for their first URC game in over a month with another Irish international, Harry Byrne, on the bench where he will be seated near RG Snyman, the two-time World Cup-winning Springbok who has returned from his own Test duties.

Not just that but, in Rabah Slimani, they have a 57-times capped French prop in reserve. No sign on the teamsheet yet of All Black Jordie Barrett but he has been knocking about this week and may make a debut away to Bristol in ‘Europe’ nine days later.

None of which even touches on the youngsters flooding through the system.

Jack Boyle will face Ulster after a month in Ireland camp while guys like Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne, Diarmuid Mangan and James Culhane will have their own ambitions as they look to help Leinster continue their impeccable start to the season.

Will Connors was once that future, and may be again.

He earned nine caps for Ireland before injury intervened but looks at colleagues like Sam Prendergast, Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson getting their goes in green this month and knows he’s not so removed from a return.

“Credit to the lads who were absolutely class in taking their chances,” he said. “That is testament to them as young lads coming through who have always had that bit of confidence and coming out of their shell. They have really showed that talent in buckets this last weekend.

“From my own point of view, rugby is a funny game and things can change quickly, in a matter of weeks. It is a very fast moving game like that so I will just keep knocking on the door and try to cement my place here at Leinster. That’s important. Just keep trying my best.” 

The strength in depth Leinster enjoy was evident during recent ‘A’ games won against Connacht and Munster where the likes of Ross Byrne and Connors rubbed shoulders with the next generation.

The task for them all here is to avoid what would be a third straight defeat to Ulster after their two reversals last season. Win one of those, as Cullen remarked this week, and they would not have travelled to Loftus Versfeld where they lost a semi-final to the Bulls in June.

Nick Timoney is back on board for Ulster having been a non-playing member of the Ireland collective up to that point in November but Richie Murphy’s side will miss the likes of Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Tom O’Toole and Stuart McCloskey.

Jacob Stockdale is out with the injury suffered against Fiji last week.

Ulster: S Moore, W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, M Lowry, A Morgan, N Doak; E O'Sullivan, J McCormick, S Wilson, A O'Connor, K Treadwell, J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.

Replacements: T Stewart, A Warwick, C Barrett, H Sheridan, M Rea, J Cooney, J Humphreys, B Moxham.

Leinster: J O’Brien; J Larmour, L Turner, C Tector, A Osborne; R Byrne, L McGrath; J Boyle, J McKee, R Slimani, D Mangan, B Deeny; M Deegan, W Connors, J Conan.

Replacements: L Barron; M Milne, R McGuire, RG Snyman, J Culhane, F Gunne, H Byrne, S Penny.

Referee: E Cross (IRFU).