Leinster aiming to kickstart season after defeats provide'good old jolt'
Head coach Leo Cullen during Leinster training this week. Pic: INPHO/Dan Clohessy
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is hopeful an experimental selection can get the province back on track when they face Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship at the Aviva Stadium this evening (kick-off 5.30pm).
Following last weekend’s comprehensive 31-14 reversal at the hands of arch rivals Munster in Croke Park, Leinster find themselves 12th in the URC standings with three defeats to their name after just four rounds of fixtures.
With 16 of those who featured at GAA HQ the last time out now part of the Ireland squad that are preparing for the upcoming November internationals, Cullen has been forced to make wholesale changes for the visit of the Italians to Ballsbridge.
In total, only five of those who saw game time against Munster are included in the match day 23 for this fifth round clash. Additionally, there are a quintet of players - all of whom have featured in the All-Ireland League this season - who are set to make their Leinster debuts tonight.
Along with the starting duo of Hugo McLaughlin and Jerry Cahir, Bobby Sheehan (brother of Ireland international Dan Sheehan), Alex Usanov and Caspar Gabriel will also make their provincial bows if they are introduced off the bench.
“The group that we have worked hard this week. We know it’s not going to be perfect because you’re trying to mould a team together with ultimately three training sessions. It’s an exciting group. It’s another game week. Making sure we prepare well with the group that we have,” Cullen remarked.
“It has been an unusual start to the season, but nothing gets won in October as they say. Maybe it’s a good old jolt for us, nice and early. Rather than having it later in the season after winning a big succession of games to get to a point where suddenly you get unstuck in a knockout game.
“It has definitely focused the mind. It’s making sure we respond in a positive fashion is probably the big thing as a group. Players, staff, coaches, everybody in the same direction.”
It isn’t normally the case when they face the Italian outfit, but Leinster are in the unusual position of being three points and four places adrift of Zebre in advance of tonight’s encounter.
While their only away fixture to date ended in a convincing 24-0 defeat to the Ospreys on October 11, Massimo Brunello’s charges did kick-start the current campaign with impressive back-to-back successes over Edinburgh and the Lions.
The visitors may look to take advantage of the relative inexperience of their opponents, but the presence of veteran star Luke McGrath in the starting line-up will be a boost to some of Leinster’s youngsters. Having missed out on the match day squad against Munster, McGrath will captain Leinster from scrum-half on what will be his 238th senior appearance at provincial level.
He will be joined at half-back by Harry Byrne, who was named player of the match when Leinster overcame the challenge of the Sharks in the Aviva a fortnight ago.
: H McLaughlin; J Kenny, H Cooney, C Tector, A Osborne; H Byrne, L McGrath; J Cahir, J McKee, R Slimani; B Deeny, D Mangan; M Deegan, S Penny, J Culhane.
: B Sheehan, A Usanov, A Sparrow, RG Snyman, A Soroka, W Connors, F Gunne, C Gabriel.
L Pani; M Belloni, G Bertaccini, M Zanon, A Einstein Batista; G Da Re, T Dominguez; M Hasa, G Quattrini, M Nocera; F Carrera, L Krumov; G Ferrari, S Locatelli, D Odiase.
: T Di Bartolomeo, P Buonfiglio, M Gallorini, G Milano, G Licata, M Prinsloo, M Roger Farias, L Morisi.
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