Sam Prendergast has won the starting 10 jersey for Leinster as they travel to Ashton Gate for Sunday’s opening Champions Cup match against the Bristol Bears (5.30), while Jordie Barrett is set to make his debut for the province off the bench.
Injuries to Hugo Keenan and James Lowe while on Ireland duty mean Ciarán Frawley starts at fullback while Jimmy O’Brien will play on the left wing in a three-quarter line that includes Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw.
Leinster’s Champions Cup opener brings a meeting with a familiar face
Prendergast, who started Ireland’s win over Australia, is named alongside Jamison Gibson-Park at halfback. The 21-year-old outhalf made three appearances in the group stage of last season’s Champions Cup.
Head coach Leo Cullen confirmed that Keenan “picked up a wrist injury in the Australia game” and will be sidelined for “around four weeks” while Lowe is also a doubt for next week’s game against Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium.
“We’re still exploring how long that [Lowe’s absence] will be. We’ll probably know a bit more in the next week. He was talking to a few different people, trying to get the full assessment of what went on.”
Up front, Cullen has elected not to repopulate the pack completely with returning Irish players. The 22-year-old loosehead prop Jack Boyle will make his first start in Europe after 13 appearances in the URC and he is joined in the frontrow by Rónan Kelleher and French international tighthead prop Rabah Slimani.
Four of the back five in the pack started against the Wallabies for Ireland, the exception, number eight Jack Conan, who captains the team. Gus McCarthy, fresh from an Ireland debut and two tries in two Tests in November, is part of a very strong bench that includes Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, RG Snyman, Ireland and Leinster captain Caelan Doris, while Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne and All Black Barrett provide backline cover.
Interim Munster head coach Ian Costello has rewarded former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell with a first European start. He will partner Fineen Wycherley in the secondrow with Tadhg Beirne named among the replacements and as a result hooker Diarmuid Barron will captain the team to face Stade Francais at Thomond Park on Saturday evening (5.30).
Shane Daly starts at fullback on his 100th appearance for Munster while academy prop Kieran Ryan is set for a first European appearance off the bench. There are five changes to the side that beat the Lions in the URC last time out, returning internationals Calvin Nash, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Peter O’Mahony all start, with Beirne among the replacements. Conor Murray wasn’t considered because of injury.
Short-term signing South African prop Dian Bleuler, Tom Farrell and Thaakir Abrahams start on their first Champions Cup appearances for Munster. Costello has opted for a six-two split on the bench with Paddy Patterson and Billy Burns acting as backline cover.
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has given four European debuts to hooker James McCormick, centre Ben Carson and summer signings outhalf Aidan Morgan and wing Werner Kok for Sunday’s trip to champions Toulouse (3.15 Irish time).
Injury issues in terms of back three players have forced Murphy’s hand a little but he’s given a chance in the run-on team to some promising young players like Carson, Scott Wilson, James McNabney, while holding back a host of Irish internationals in reserve on the bench.
Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Eric O’Sullivan and Nick Timoney have all been capped for Ireland, while scrumhalf Dave Shanahan and centre Jude Postlethwaite will cover the backline options.
There are major milestones for Connacht’s Caolin Blade (200th appearance) and Paul Boyle (100th appearance) as they take on Zebre in the Challenge Cup at the Dexcom stadium on Saturday night (8.0).
Monivea native Blade made his debut in May 2014 and last week scored his 50th try for the club, becoming only the second player after Matt Healy to reach the milestone.
Former Ireland Sevens Olympian Chay Mullins will make his Connacht debut on the right wing. Last year’s Connacht Player of the Year Shamus Hurley-Langton makes his first start of the campaign at openside flanker.
There are two further potential debutants on the bench, both of whom are Connacht natives in the Academy set-up. Tighthead prop Fiachna Barrett from Geesala, Co Mayo is named in the matchday 23 for the first time, as well as Galway native outhalf Seán Naughton. Also on the bench is Oisín McCormack who could feature for the first time since making his debut two years ago.
LEINSTER (v Bristol): Ciarán Frawley; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jack Boyle, Rónan Kelleher, Rabah Slimani; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (capt).
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, RG Snyman, Caelan Doris, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jordie Barrett.
MUNSTER (v Stade Francais): Shane Daly; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Dian Bleuler, Diarmuid Barron (capt), John Ryan; Evan O’Connell, Fineen Wycherley; Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Stephen Archer, Tadhg Beirne, John Hodnett, Paddy Patterson, Billy Burns, Jack O’Donoghue.
ULSTER (v Toulouse): Stewart Moore; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Stuart McCloskey, Michael Lowry; Aidan Morgan, Nathan Doak; Andrew Warwick, James McCormick, Scott Wilson; Alan O’Connor (capt), Harry Sheridan; Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, James McNabney.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave Shanahan, Jude Postlethwaite, Nick Timoney.
CONNACHT (v Zebre): Shane Jennings; Chay Mullins, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Santiago Cordero; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Jordan Duggan, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jack Aungier; Darragh Murray, Oisín Dowling; Josh Murphy, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Temi Lasisi, Fiachna Barrett, David O’Connor, Oisín McCormack, Matthew Devine, Seán Naughton, Byron Ralston.
