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Four Ireland players in Leinster 'A' squad for Connacht Eagles

Byrne of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Leinster Rugby has named its ‘A’ squad to face Connacht Eagles in the first round of the IRFU ‘A’ Interpro Championship at Creggs RFC on Saturday.

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With no senior fixtures for two weeks, these ‘A’ matches provide some much-needed game time for Leinster’s extended squad. Academy Manager Simon Broughton has selected a mix of senior and emerging talent, led by captain James Culhane.

Four Ireland internationals are included in the 25-man panel, with Will Connors and Harry Byrne starting; and Ross Byrne and Max Deegan feature on the bench. None of the four were selected for Ireland’s wider Autumn Nations Series squad, with the 23-times capped Ross Byrne by some way the most experienced of the quartet in terms of Test rugby.

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Can England bounce back to beat the Boks? | RPTV

Boks Office link up with For the Love of Rugby to discuss the Autumn Nations Series matches. Watch the full show on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

Ireland back-row Connors and Harry Byrne bring valuable experience to the starting lineup, while Ross Byrne and Deegan add significant depth from the bench. The team also sees URC try-scorers Aitzol King and Andrew Osborne in the backline.

Ben Brownlee and Liam Turner will start in the centre together, with Fintan Gunne at scrumhalf.

John McKee returns from injury in the front row alongside Michael Milne and Rory McGuire. 

Brian Deeny and Conor O’Tighearnaigh are selected in the second row, with Diarmuid Mangan, Connors and Culhane completing the pack.

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Twenty-year-old Ruben Moloney starts at the fullback.

The game kicks off at 1 pm and will be streamed by Connacht Rugby.

LEINSTER A:
15. Ruben Moloney
14. Aitzol King
13. Liam Turner
12. Ben Brownlee
11. Andrew Osborne
10. Harry Byrne
9. Fintan Gunne
1. Michael Milne
2. John McKee
3. Rory McGuire
4. Brian Deeny
5. Conor O’Tighearnaigh
6. Diarmuid Mangan
7. Will Connors
8. James Culhane (CAPTAIN)

REPLACEMENTS:
16. Stephen Smyth
17. Alex Usanov
18. Niall Smyth
19. Max Deegan
20. Liam Molony
21. Cormac Foley
22. Ross Byrne
23. Caspar Gabriel
24. Conor Fahy
25. Ciarán Mangan

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In this episode of Walk the Talk, Jim Hamilton chats with double World Cup winner Damian de Allende about all things Springbok rugby, including RWC2023 and the upcoming Ireland series. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

14 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

14 Go to comments
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