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Just three Ireland World Cup quarter-final players from a possible 20 selected for Munster-Leinster derby

Leinster's Robbie Henshaw (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

A bumper attendance of around 26,000 is expected in Limerick on Saturday but those attending the sold-out Munster versus Leinster Guinness PRO14 match will be feeling very short-changed following Friday’s respective underwhelming team announcements.

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Instead of getting to see a festive fixture showcasing the very best players on the circuit in Ireland, the stars of the Irish game will be in short supply. 

The two provinces provided 20 of the 23 players chosen by Joe Schmidt for the recent World Cup quarter-final loss to New Zealand, but just three of those players have been included for the very watered-down interprovincial at Thomond Park. 

Under new boss Andy Farrell, Ireland held a training camp in Dublin at the start of this week and all his front-line players have now been given the weekend off. 

Of the 20 Munster-Leinster players chosen in Schmidt’s 23 for the World Cup elimination match in Yokohama, props Dave Kilcoyne and Andrew Porter – who were on the Ireland bench – are the only ones to have starting roles in Limerick ten weeks later.

(Continue reading below…)

Munster versus Leinster will be streamed live on RugbyPass in some territories 

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The pair will pack down directly against each other, with Joey Carbery, another Ireland replacement from that humiliation at the hands of the All Blacks, chosen on the Munster bench. 

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Sean Cronin, who was at the finals in Japan before injury cut short his participation, has been chosen on the Leinster bench. 

The resting of so many big names for high profile interprovincial fixtures at this time of the year is a common occurrence in Ireland, but Saturday’s latest selections only further highlights how the IRFU only ever releases its star players for very select PRO14 matches unlike what happens in rival countries. 

For instance, relegation-threatened Leicester have included five of their six England World Cup squad contingent for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership trip to a sold-out Twickenham where they face Harlequins.    

In contrast, the teams that will be respectively captained at Thomond Park by Munster’s Billy Holland and Leinster’s Scott Fardy in a league that has no relegation bear little resemblance to what their full-strength XVs could potentially be.

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MUNSTER: 15. Mike Haley; 14. Dan Goggin, 13. Sammy Arnold, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Shane Daly; 10. JJ Hanrahan, 9. Nick McCarthy; 1. Dave Kilcoyne, 2. Kevin O’Byrne, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Fineen Wycherley, 5. Billy Holland (capt), 6. Tommy O’Donnell, 7. Chris Cloete, 8. Jack O’Donoghue. Reps: 16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Jeremy Loughman, 18. Keynan Knox, 19. Darren O’Shea, 20. Jack O’Sullivan, 21. Neil Cronin, 22. Joey Carbery, 23. Calvin Nash.

LEINSTER: 15. Hugo Keenan; 14. Adam Byrne, 13. Jimmy O’Brien, 12. Conor O’Brien, 11. James Lowe; 10. Ross Byrne; 9. Jamison Gibson-Park; 1. Ed Byrne, 2. James Tracy, 3. Andrew Porter, 4. Devin Toner, 5. Scott Fardy (capt), 6. Josh Murphy, 7. Will Connors, 8. Caelan Doris. Reps: 16. Sean Cronin, 17. Peter Dooley, 18. Jack Aungier, 19. Ross Molony, 20. Scott Penny, 21. Rowan Osborne, 22. Ciaran Frawley, 23. Tommy O’Brien. 

WATCH: RugbyPass went behind the scenes with the Barbarians before their recent clash with Wales

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J
JPM 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 1 hour ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

13 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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