Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Ryan Baird switches to blindside for Leinster, as Ireland No.8 ruturns from injury

Ryan Baird looks like a lock with a big future (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ryan Baird is to set to start at six for Leinster as they take on Connacht in their PRO14 inter-pro at the RDS tomorrow. Leo Cullen will run the positional experiment denied to him by the cancellation of last weekend’s St Stephen’s Day derby between Leinster and Munter.

ADVERTISEMENT

The back row is an all-St. Michael’s College affair with Baird, Scott Penny and Dan Leavy selected to start in Cullen’s first match day XV of 2021. Ireland No.8 Jack Conan is also set to complete a return to action, with the back row being named on the bench.

There will also be debuts for academy duo Max O’Reilly and Andrew Smith making their debuts from the start. 20-year-old O’Reilly, who is in year one of the Leinster Rugby Academy, is a native of Enniskerry in Wicklow and a former pupil of St. Gerard’s School in Bray and starts his first senior game for Leinster in the number 15 jersey.

In the back three with O’Reilly is Andrew Smith making his debut on the right wing and Dave Kearney who is selected on the left.

Smith, who is also 20 years of age and in year one of the Academy, is a former St. Michael’s College pupil and won a Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Schools Senior Cup in 2019. He has also represented Ireland Under 20s as recently as the 2020 Six Nations.

Rory O’Loughlin and Jimmy O’Brien form the centre partnership for Cullen while Luke McGrath will captain the side from scrumhalf with Johnny Sexton back from injury beside him in the number ten jersey.

The front row consists of Peter Dooley, James Tracy and Michael Bent, with Bent making his 150th appearance in Leinster colours, with Ross Molony and Devin Toner behind them in the second row.

ADVERTISEMENT

Leinster Rugby:

15. Max O’Reilly
14. Andrew Smith
13. Jimmy O’Brien
12. Rory O’Loughlin
11. Dave Kearney
10. Johnny Sexton
9. Luke McGrath CAPTAIN
1. Peter Dooley
2. James Tracy
3. Michael Bent
4. Ross Molony
5. Devin Toner
6. Ryan Baird
7. Scott Penny
8. Dan Leavy

16. Seán Cronin
17. Ed Byrne
18. Tom Clarkson
19. Josh Murphy
20. Jack Conan
21. Hugh O’Sullivan
22. Liam Turner
23. Will Connors

Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 27 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

305 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'England's blanket of despair feels overdone - they are not a team in freefall' 'England's blanket of despair feels overdone - they are not a team in freefall'
Search