The United Rugby Championship commences… plus emerging Ireland squad picked

Edinburgh vs. Leinster Match Preview:

Leo Cullen has picked three academy players to start their campaign in a tricky away fixture in Edinburgh. Charlie Tector was a good u.20 outhalf subsequently overshadowed by his successor, Sam Prendergast but is played slightly out of position at 12. Gus McCarthy and Conor O’Tighearnaigh were members of the Grand Slam winning u.20 team the season before last, but this is a big step up for them. I would be particularly worried about the prospects for the Leinster front row against an all international Edinburgh front row. A strong looking Leinster bench front row may have to come to the rescue!

Otherwise, the teams seem well matched, but you would have to make the home team favourites against a Leinster squad containing only six members of the Ireland squad which toured South Africa, two of whom, Sam Prendergast and Jordan Larmour, didn’t even get a minute’s game time there. Leinster’s surfeit of riches at 10 is illustrated by the fact that three of them are in this match day squad and with only one specialist centre, the squad looks a little unbalanced. Still, Cullen has seen these players in training and pre-season, so must feel they are capable of doing the job.

Leinster (v Edinburgh, Friday, Hive Stadium, Edinburgh, 7.35pm): Jamie Osborne; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Charlie Tector, Jordan Larmour, Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Michael Milne, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson; Conor O’Tighearnaigh, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (capt).

Replacements: John McKee, Cian Healy, Rabah Slimani, Brian Deeny, James Culhane, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Rob Russell.

—oo0oo—

The Emerging Ireland Squad to play the Pumas on Wednesday, October 2nd (3pm Irish time), Super Rugby outfit Western Force on Sunday, October 6th (12pm Irish time) and defending Currie Cup champions the Cheetahs on Wednesday, October 9th (6pm Irish time) has been named and includes quite a few academy players (in bold), some of whom have yet to make their senior debut.

It looks a tough task unless their opposition field under strength teams, but clearly these players have been ear-marked for greater things ahead. Twelve members of the 2022 Emerging Ireland Squad have since been capped for Ireland. I am surprised the squad contains only two specialist 10’s and I suspect the provinces kicked back against losing some of their key players while the URC is ongoing.

(Backs – 15): Shayne Bolton (Connacht), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Ethan Coughlan (Shannon/Munster), Matthew Devine (Corinthians/Connacht), Cormac Foley (Lansdowne/Leinster), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht), Jack Murphy (Clontarf/Ulster), Tommy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Munster), Ben O’Connor (UCC/Munster), Andrew Osborne (Naas/Leinster), Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge/Ulster), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster), Zac Ward (Ballynahinch/Ulster/Ireland Sevens).

(Forwards – 18): Jack Aungier (Lansdowne/Connacht), Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster), James Culhane (UCD/Leinster), Jordan Duggan (Naas/Connacht), Sean Edogbo (UCC/Munster), Ronan Foxe (Garryowen/Munster), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster, capt), Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht), Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian/Munster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD/Leinster), Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Harry Sheridan (Dublin University/Ulster), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster), Alex Soroka (Clontarf/Leinster), Scott Wilson (QUB/Ulster).

PS – since my last update Martin Molony, whose career has been blighted by injury, has left Leinster to join Exeter where he will join ex-Leinster lock Jack Dunne, ex-Ulster under age pathway scrum half Niall Armstrong, and Ex- Munster academy lock Eoin O’Connor. Former Munster centre Dan Goggin and Ulster backrow Greg Jones have joined a St Mary’s club side newly promoted to division 1A of the AIL.

If time and opportunity allows, I will update this post on an ongoing basis over the week-end as teams are announced and as the matches are played.

Frank Schnittger is the author of Sovereignty 2040, a future history of how Irish re-unification might work out. He has worked in business in Dublin and London and, on a voluntary basis, for charities in community development, education, restorative justice and addiction services.