Leinster name strong team for Bulls as Nienaber defends tour selections

There are three changes to the starting XV from the win over Cardiff Rugby at Aviva Stadium at the beginning of March.

RG Snyman takes a selfie with supporters after a Leinster open training session. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Jacques Nienaber has defended Leinster’s selection policy for their annual URC mini-tours to South Africa as the province bids to face the Bulls in Pretoria with Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani named among nine Test players in the starting XV.

The Irish province has made the trip south of the equator at a similar time of year ever since the calendar returned to normal post-pandemic, and that has prompted a travelling squad devoid of their frontline Six Nations stars.

They had 16 players on duty for Ireland in Rome last Saturday.

The knock-on consequences have been apparent in the fact that they have won only one of their last six games in South Africa with the low point coming two seasons ago when a very callow squad went down 62-7 to this weekend’s opponents.

Head coach Leo Cullen wasn’t even present that particular day as he, along with their first-team squad members, spent the week back in Ireland preparing for the Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium the following week.

So it was that the phrase ‘academy teams’ was put to Nienaber this week.

“I won’t say it’s harsh, maybe a little harsh,” said the Leinster senior coach. “Since I’ve been here, the South African tour has always been in this slot between the Six Nations and the European games and that always makes it a little bit tough, especially since some of the squad played a big chunk of minutes over the Six Nations.

“But this group here now, we don’t need to manage that. They have rallied to the challenge. And they are selected because we believe they are good enough and that they can get a result on Saturday. That’s their main focus. How exciting to come to Loftus and play an international team with so many threats all over the park.” 

Jake White has named nine players who have worn the Springbok jersey at one point or another, but they are missing three stars in the versatile back Canan Moodie, flying wing Kurt-Lee Arendse and back row Elrigh Louw.

Third in the URC table, they have lost their last two games to the Sharks and Stormers but they can draw on good memories of Leinster at Loftus Versfeld having edged past them there in a league semi-final last season.

Both sides have gone with a 6/2 bench split and Leinster arrived a day earlier than usual for a game that will be played at altitude. Though without that Six Nations contingent, this is a strong 23 with established world stars, solid experience and bright young things.

Sam Prendergast cut his teeth for Leinster at senior level in South Africa and Gus McCarthy made his debut there, against the Stormers, last season. Blooding more again, and maybe even picking up some points, would make for a good fortnight’s work between this and the Sharks next week.

“As a professional sportsperson you want to test yourself against the best and that’s what we will do on Saturday,” said Nienaber. “We will have to be mentally and physically at our best to get an opportunity, but then we have to take that opportunity.” 

Vodacom Bulls: W le Roux, S de Klerk, D Kriel, H Vorster, S Jacobs, K Johannes, E Papier, A Tshakweni, A van der Merwe, W Louw, R Vermaak, JF van Heerden, M Coetzee, J Kirsten, C Hanekom.

Replacements: J Grobbelaar, JH Wessels, M Smith, R Ludwig, M van Staden, N Carr, Z Burger, D Williams.

Leinster: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, H Cooney, J Barrett, A Osborne; R Byrne, L McGrath; J Boyle, J McKee, R Slimani; RG Snyman, D Mangan; M Deegan, W Connors, J Culhane.

Replacements: S Smyth, I Soroka, T Clarkson, B Deeny, A Soroka, S Penny, F Gunne, C Frawley.

Ulster (v Dragons): S. Moore; M. Lowry, J. Hume, S. McCloskey, J. Stockdale; J. Murphy, N. Doak; C. Reid, R. Herring, T. O’Tool; A. O’Connor (captain), M. Dalton; D. McCann, N. Timoney, J. McNabney.

Replacements: J Andrew, S. Crean, S. Wilson, K Treadwell, R Crothers, J Cooney, A Morgan, Z Ward.