United Rugby Championship Round 11 Preview (Updated!)

This round of the URC feels like a bit of a dress rehearsal for the Wales vs. Ireland match with Ospreys playing Leinster, Connacht playing Cardiff, and Munster playing Scarlets. Given the state of Wales’ regional rugby, It is difficult to see the provinces not winning a clean sweep, with Ulster away to a Benetton side minus their substantial international contingent.

The Irish XXIII who played Scotland are rested this week-end, so the casual fan might be tempted to give this URC round a miss. But for the rugby buff its an opportunity to see what up and coming talent is coming through and get a sense of the strength in depth of Irish rugby as a whole. Leinster are missing 16 internationals from last weekend, Munster 4, and Connacht 3, while Ulster have a full deck of players to choose from with James Hume, Jacob Stockdale and Stuart McCloskey back fit but may be short at loose head with Warwick and O’Sullivan carrying knocks.

Wales have made a scapegoat of Gatland when their problems run far deeper at every level of the game. New coaches often get a bounce and Wales have parted company with their Head Coaches, in February mid 6 Nations twice before (Graham Henry in 2002 and Mike Ruddock in 2006) and bounced back straight away. I cannot see that happening this time around despite new temporary Head Coach, Cardiff’s Matt Sherratt, having a reputation as a good man manager.

Ospreys vs. Leinster, Friday 19.35, TG4 and Premiersports.

The runaway leaders Leinster are away to the Osprey’s in 12th. place in the table. RG Snyman and Ross Byrne can only make the bench for Leinster and there is no place for Jordie Barrett or Will Connors. Jack Boyle is auditioning for getting a game against Wales, while Ciarán Frawley gets a rare outing at 10. It will be interesting to see Hugh Cooney in action as he was in the Irish training squad in Portugal despite only having two caps for Leinster to his name.

Seven academy players are getting a run (McCarthy, Mangan, McGuire, Gunne, Tector, Cooney and Andrew Osborne. All are good prospects and in line for full contracts next year, so they have plenty to play for. (They may also push out some senior players, with Milne and Barron already leaving for Munster, and a new Eddie Jordan led London Irish in need of players)

Ospreys are also missing their international contingent but have Keelan Giles and veteran Justin Tipuric (35) available and make just three changes from the side that beat Benetton 43-0 in January. Hooker Sam Parry has been released from Wales’ Six Nations squad, Harri Deaves comes in at blind-side flanker, with James Ratti moving to the second row. Osprey’s have four wins and a draw since Mark Jones took over as head coach from Toby Booth in late December, but it’s hard to see Leinster not winning this with a bonus point given their recent performances.

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets): 15. Jamie Osborne (56) 14. Tommy O’Brien (37) 13. Hugh Cooney (2) 12. Charlie Tector (14) 11. Jimmy O’Brien (91) 10. Ciarán Frawley (94) 9. Luke McGrath (223) CAPTAIN

1. Jack Boyle (17) 2. Gus McCarthy (11) 3. Rabah Slimani (12) 4. Diarmuid Mangan (6) 5. Brian Deeny (31) 6. Max Deegan (124) 7. Scott Penny (78) 8. James Culhane (13)

Replacements: 16. John McKee (30) 17. Paddy McCarthy (5) 18. Rory McGuire (5) 19. RG Snyman (11) 20. Alex Soroka (11) 21. Fintan Gunne (9) 22. Ross Byrne (176) 23. Andrew Osborne (8)

Referee: Filipo Russo (FIR)

 

Benetton vs, Ulster, Saturday 17.15 Premiersports

Ulster are able to field a near full strength team with Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey, James Hume and Tom O’Toole back in harness, but are now down to bare bones at loosehead where, in the absence through injury of Warwick and O’Sullivan, academy prospect Jacob Boyd is given his debut with Bryan O’Connor drafted in from Crosshaven RFC as cover from the bench. Cormac Izuchukwu and Rob Herring are also drafted in from the Ireland squad, though not Iain Henderson.

Benetton will be no pushover, even without their Italian squad members, but lost their last match away to Ospreys 43-0 while a weaker Ulster side lost to Zebra 14-15 last time out. Ulster will need to improve their away  form considerably as Benetton have an excellent home record. If the Ulster scrum can survive a rigorous examination by Benetton tighthead, Giosue Zilocchi, Ulster should be good enough to win.

Ulster: 1. Jacob Boyd (Belfast Royal Academy), 2. Rob Herring (SACS) (245), 3. Tom O’Toole (Ashbourne RFC) (115); 4. Alan O’Connor (Capt) (Skerries RFC) (204), 5. Cormac Izuchukwu (Tullamore RFC) (37); 6. Matty Rea (Ballymena RFC) (106), 7. Nick Timoney (Blackrock College RFC) (158), 8. David McCann (Cooke RFC) (59); 9. Nathan Doak (Lisburn RFC) (80), 10. Aidan Morgan (King’s College) (11); 11. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan RFC) (125), 12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor RFC) (196), 13. James Hume (Malone RFC) (95), 14. Michael Lowry (Dromore RFC) (116), 15. Stewart Moore (Ballymoney RFC) (75).

Replacements: 16. John Andrew (Ballymena RFC) (130), 17. Bryan O’Connor (Crosshaven RFC), 18. Scott Wilson (Dromore RFC) (26); 19. Kieran Treadwell (Chipstead RFC) (171), 20. Reuben Crothers (Lisburn RFC) (5); 21. Dave Shanahan (Clontarf RFC) (96), 22. Jake Flannery (Kilfeacle & District RFC) (17), 23. Jude Postlethwaite (Lisburn RFC) (24).

 

Munster vs Scarlets, Saturday 17.15, RTE2 and Premiersports

Munster have loosehead Josh Wycherley back from injury but are still missing loose heads Dave Kilcoyne and Jeremy Loughman, locks Jean Kleyn and Edwin Edogbo, centres Alex Nakivell and Seán O’Brien, and full back Mike Haley through injury, as well as Jack Crowley, Connor Murray, Tadgh Beirne and Peter O’Mahony with the international squad.

Allowing for all of that, they can still field a reasonably experienced side with just three academy players in the squad: Ben O’Connor, Kieran Ryan and Shay McCarthy. They should be too strong in Thomond Park for a Scarlets side also shorn of their Wales squad players, especially in the backrow where Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes must be harbouring ambitions of international recognition.

Munster Rugby: Ben O’Connor (Highfield RFC/PBC); Shane Daly (Highfield RFC/PBC), Tom Farrell (Coolmine RFC/Castleknock College), Rory Scannell (PBC), Diarmuid Kilgallen (Naas RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea); Billy Burns (Beechen Cliff/Hartpury College), Ethan Coughlan (Ennis RFC); Josh Wycherley (Bantry Bay RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea), Diarmuid Barron (Cashel RFC/Rockwell College), Oli Jager (Naas RFC/Newbridge College/Blackrock College); Tom Ahern (Youghal RFC/Dungarvan RFC/Waterpark RFC), Fineen Wycherley (Bantry Bay RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea); Jack O’Donoghue (C) (Waterpark RFC), Alex Kendellen (PBC), Gavin Coombes (Skibbereen RFC).

Replacements: Niall Scannell (PBC), Kieran Ryan (Shannon RFC/St Munchin’s College), John Ryan (Muskerry RFC/CBC), Brian Gleeson (Thurles RFC/Rockwell College), John Hodnett (Clonakilty RFC), Paddy Patterson (Blackrock College), Tony Butler (Ennis RFC), Shay McCarthy (Richmond RFC/St Munchin’s College).

Connacht vs. Cardiff, Saturday 19.35, TG4 and Premiersports

Connacht have beaten Cardiff in Cardiff 19-28 in the Challenge Cup just four weeks ago but so inconsistent has there form been this season, that any prediction is difficult. Coming off defeats against Ulster and Glasgow in the URC, Connacht are in  14th. place in the URC and could badly do with a win, especially at home.

They have Jack Aungier,  Cian Prendergast, Ben Murphy, Cathal Forde, and Shayne Bolton coming straight in from the Ireland squad, and presumably champing at the bit for an opportunity to show what they can do. Standout u.20 centre last season, Hugh Gavin starts at 13 and they have a strong bench. Interestingly, Caolin Blade is not included, and I wonder does that mean he is in the running for a game against Wales.

15. Piers O’Conor (Heathfield and Waldron / Eastbourne College, ENG)
14. Shayne Bolton (Hoerskool Eldoraigne, SA)
13. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC / Coláiste Iognáid)
12. Cathal Forde (Corinthians RFC / Coláiste Iognáid)
11. Chay Mullins (Keynsham RFC, ENG)
10. Josh Ioane (Southern Magpies, NZ)
9. Ben Murphy (Old Wesley RFC)
1. Peter Dooley (Birr RFC)
2. Dave Heffernan (Ballina RFC)
3. Jack Aungier (Suttonians RFC)
4. Josh Murphy (Clontarf RFC)
5. Joe Joyce (Clifton RFC, ENG)
6. Cian Prendergast (Newbridge RFC) Captain
7. Shamus Hurley-Langton (Coastal Rugby, NZ)
8. Paul Boyle (Gorey RFC)

16. Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians RFC / The Bish)
17. Jordan Duggan (Newbridge RFC)
18. Sam Illo (Old Wesley RFC)
19. Oisín Dowling (Lansdowne RFC)
20. Sean Jansen (Green Island, NZ)
21. Matthew Devine (Ballinasloe RFC / Garbally College)
22. JJ Hanrahan (Castleisland RFC)
23. Santiago Cordero (Club Regatas Bella Vista, ARG)

 

—oo0oo—

There aren’t too many vacancies in the Ireland Squad at the moment, but Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey, James Hume and Tom O’Toole will be hoping to persuade Easterby they still have something to offer for this season’s 6 Nations title push. Squads are often tweaked at this stage of the competition, often in response to injuries, but the problem may be that squad is currently in rude health with no one ruled out through injury. Even Iain Henderson didn’t get a run against Scotland while Clarkson has done well in the absence of O’Toole. I do expect there to be a few additions to the Squad for Cardiff however, so the players have every incentive to perform this week-end.