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One cap lreland wing makes Leinster return 22 months after last appearance
By Kim Ekin
One cap Ireland international Adam Byrne has returned to a Leinster starting fifteen for the first time in nearly two years.
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Capped by Ireland in 2017, Byrne hasn’t played for his home province since December 2019 when he started against Munster. The 6’3, 98kg former Ireland Sevens star – who was once touted as an outside bet to make 2017 British & Irish Lions by Will Greenwood – returned to training in June after a long-standing hamstring injury.
The Kildare man will be eager to add to his 57 Leinster caps to date and his impressive strike rate of 20 tries.
The 27-year-old won his first cap for Ireland against Argentina during the 2017 November Tests and will be eager to start the long road back to the Test arena after effectively a near two-year hiatus from competitive rugby.
Elsewhere Leinster have named six Irish internationals in their pack. Ed Byrne and Seán Cronin come in this week but it’s a third start in-a-row for new signing Michael Ala’alatoa who will experience the RDS Arena for the first time. Devin Toner is involved in a matchday 23 for the first time this campaign and starts in the second row alongside Ryan Baird.
In the back row, Dan Leavy starts his first game of the season, as does Scott Penny, with Rhys Ruddock retained from the starting XV last week but moving from blindside flanker to No 8 for tomorrow’s game. On the bench, Rónan Kelleher is back involved with Leinster for the first time this season having toured with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa during the summer.
Leinster Rugby: Jimmy O’Brien, Adam Byrne, Jamie Osborne, Ciarán Frawley, Jordan Larmour, Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath (CAPT), Ed Byrne, Seán Cronin, Michael Ala’alatoa, Ryan Baird, Devin Toner, Dan Leavy, Scott Penny, Rhys Ruddock
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Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Peter Dooley, Cian Healy, Ross Molony, Max Deegan, Nick McCarthy, Johnny Sexton, Rob Russell
