URC: Leinster v Lions, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 5.15pm – Live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sports 2
Five wins in succession can hardly classify as a streak for Leinster after their 2021 unbeaten run of 26 games. But this top-of-the-table clash between first- and second-placed teams at least has the whiff of a possible slowing down of the Leinster steam train start to the season.
Then again, the home side have been impressively having things their way in the opening phase of the United Rugby Championship (URC) and go in as favourites to make it six wins from six outings.
As much as Robbie Henshaw’s first start of the championship in the centre is welcome after injury, and timely before the All Blacks, Australia, Argentina and Fiji visit next month, the fact that three-quarters of the Leinster team are international players will give the South African side most pause for thought.
The Lions are second in the table but have played just four matches to Leinster’s five.
Leinster’s style of play is not unknown but whether the visitors have the tools to stop them is at issue. Leinster’s modus operandi has been to fly out of the blocks, move the scoreboard early and pressurise teams into playing catch-up. It is simple but how to counter it has not been in evidence after the opening five rounds.
“They like to put you under scoreboard pressure, so the important thing for us is to start well,” said Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen. “You also can’t go into this match with the mindset of just keeping them out defensively. They’re good enough to score tries from everywhere. The important thing for us is to fire shots. We must go out and force our game on to them from an attack point of view.”
As van Rooyen knows too, the kind of play Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber encourages will also put the Lions’ skill set under all sorts of stress. From the home side’s viewpoint they exert pressure when the opposition have the ball by abruptly closing down space.
The set piece and the kind of intensity captain Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Ryan Baird and RG Snyman can bring to a game is also hard to match anywhere in the URC.
A fit Snyman in the secondrow has also added another dimension and variation to how Leinster play. Having watched Sonny Bill Williams and how the All Blacks played an offloading game, the huge forward also brings that world-class ability into the game’s flow.
“Yeah, I definitely looked at Sonny Bill,” said Snyman this week. “I had a very, very big appreciation of how he played the game. Always looking for an option around him and for someone to run a line off him. So yeah, it’s definitely somebody I studied growing up.”
In addition to Leinster’s reputation, the Aviva Stadium will be a new experience for most of the Lions players, and although only the lower bowl, with a capacity of 22,300, will be occupied, the home side will have overwhelming support.
Keeping the blending going, Leinster have three academy players included among the 10 changes, with Andrew Osborne and Gus McCarthy retaining their places from last Saturday’s 33-12 win over Connacht and Hugh Cooney promoted from the bench after making his debut in Galway.
With injuries to hookers Dan Sheehan, Rónan Kelleher and John McKee, the frontrow of Michael Milne, Gus McCarthy and French international Rabah Slimani will be tested.
“I asked Gus McCarthy when walking back from the training field today when was his first cap and it was against the Stormers,” said Nienaber. “So, if you just think he has grown as an individual. The nice thing is Gus has had an opportunity and he’s had some good starts against some good teams and he had some good quality players around him.”
Leinster’s 21-year-old outhalf Sam Prendergast will face the talented Lions playmaker Kade Wolhuter with coach van Rooyen determined that after winning their most recent games against Dragons and Zebre, the Lions will be competitive in Dublin. But that may not be enough.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Andrew Osborne, Hugh Cooney, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Michael Milne, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani; RG Snyman, Ryan Baird; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, James Culhane, Cormac Foley, Ross Byrne, Charlie Tector.
EMIRATES LIONS: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Rynhardt Jonker, Edwill van der Merwe; Kade Wolhuter, Morne van den Berg; Juan Schoeman, PJ Botha, Asenathi Ntlabakanye; Ruben Schoeman, Reinhard Nothnagel; JC Pretorius, Jarod Cairns, Francke Horn (capt).
Replacements: Franco Marais, Heiko Pohlmann, RF Schoeman, Ruan Delport, Renzo du Plessis, Sanele Nohamba, Marius Louw, Erich Cronje.
Referee: C Evans (WRU).
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
