Prendergast starts, key duo return as Cullen names Leinster side to face Bulls in URC Grand Final

There are two changes to the starting XV from Saturday's 37-19 win over Glasgow Warriors, with Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier returning.

Sam Prendergast of Leinster during the United Rugby Championship semi-final. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier return from short-term injury to bolster Leinster for their URC title shot in Saturday’s URC Grand Final against the Bulls at Croke Park.

The Ireland duo’s comebacks from respective calf and hamstring issues bring Leinster’s 2025 British & Irish Lions representation to 10 of their 12-strong contingent set to tour Australia this summer as Leo Cullen’s men bid to end a four-year silverware drought. Yet Hugo Keenan and Tadhg Furlong remain absent from the Leinster matchday squad, each with a calf injury.

The return of Ringrose to outside centre means Jamie Osborne moves to the replacements as Ciaran Frawley misses out having made a try-scoring appearance off the bench in the 37-19 semi-final victory over outgoing champions Glasgow Warriors at Aviva Stadium last Saturday. And van der Flier’s selection means no place in the 23 for last weekend’s starting openside flanker Scott Penny.

Jack Conan once again captains Leinster in the continuing absence of club skipper Caelan Doris while Furlong’s unavailability means another start at tighthead prop for Thomas Clarkson while Jimmy O’Brien retains the full-back berth with Keenan sidelined.

It is an unchanged set of five forward replacements with Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle and Rabah Slimani covering the front row and RG Snyman and Max Deegan covering the second and back rows with Osborne joins the backline reinforcements alongside Luke McGrath and the departing Ross Byrne, who is set to make his 186th and final appearance for Leinster before joining Gloucester this summer.

Bulls head coach Jake White has been forced to make one change to his starting line-up with the loss of No.8 Cameron Hanekom to injury in last Saturday’s semi-final victory over South African rivals the Sharks, with Marcell Coetzee switching from flanker and Marco van Standen moving onto the back row at blindside flanker.

Leinster: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, G Ringrose, J Barrett, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Clarkson; J McCarthy, J Ryan; R Baird, J van der Flier, J Conan - captain. 

Replacements: R Kelleher, J Boyle, R Slimani, RG Snyman, M Deegan, L McGrath, R Byrne, J Osborne. 

Vodacom Bulls: W le Roux; C Moodie, D Kriel, H Vorster, S de Klerk; J Goosen, E Papier; JH Wessels, J Grobbelaar, W Louw; C Wiese, JF van Heerden; M van Staden, R Nortje - captain, M Coetzee.

Replacements: A van der Merwe, A Tshakweni, M Smith, J Kirsten, N Carr, Z Burger, K Johannes, D Williams.

Referee: A Piardi.