Leinster hoping to bring in the big dogs after disappointing Lions loss

Leinster players after the URC match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Pic: Shaun Roy/Sportsfile

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen will hope to add up to four Test players to his arsenal as they go after a first win of the campaign on the second leg of the province’s South African tour next week.

The reigning URC champions got their season underway in Johannesburg on Saturday with a one-point defeat to the Lions despite the absence of all bar a handful of their first-choice players who are on tour but still being game-managed.

They move on to Durban now where they meet a Sharks side that accounted for the Ospreys on a 41-24 scoreline at the weekend and, whatever happens there, the visitors are further ahead now than when they returned to Dublin from the same trip 12 months ago.

That experience ended with zero match points bagged after defeats to the Stormers and the Bulls, and Cullen has been clear about the lessons learned from that episode as they look to hit the ground running this time around.

“The URC is such a competitive competition, every point matters,” flanker Scott Penny told Premier Sports after their 27-26 loss in Ellis Park. 

“Obviously it’s great to get the three points (sic) but we came here to get the win. It’s annoying we didn’t get it.” Leinster fell shy of the Lions despite scrum-half Fintan Gunne scoring a first-half hat-trick.

Gunne got the scoreboard going six minutes in and his third score put Leinster 19-17 ahead at the break. The Lions retook the lead on the restart with a penalty and Leinster were in more trouble when Dylan McNeice was sinbinned on his debut.

Kelly Mpeku’s late try gave the hosts some breathing room but they had SJ Kotze shown a yellow card with the clock up before Stephen Smyth snatched a converted injury-time try and, with it, two match points for Leinster.