The Irish youngsters followed up their opening-round success over the Currie Cup Pumas with a 29-24 win over Western Force last Sunday.
Olympian Zac Ward is set to start on the wing for Emerging Ireland on Wednesday against the Pumas in Bloemfontein.
Olympian Zac Ward is set to start on the wing for Emerging Ireland on Wednesday against the Pumas in Bloemfontein.
Emerging Ireland have been dealt another injury blow with Connacht prop Jordan Duggan being replaced by Leinster's Alex Usanov the day before the squad embark for South Africa.
Emerging Ireland have been dealt another injury blow with Connacht prop Jordan Duggan being replaced by Leinster's Alex Usanov the day before the squad embark for South Africa.
As a new United Rugby Championship (URC) season approaches, we take a closer look at the physical makeup of the 16 sides competing for silverware.
Munster will face arguably European club rugby's toughest test - Leinster at home in the URC semi-final - without Conor Murray, Malakai Fekitoa, and RG Snyman.
United Rugby Championship leaders Leinster began the new year in familiar fashion with a 41-12 bonus-point win over Connacht at the RDS.Tries from David Hawkshaw and Tom Farrell had Connacht just 19-12 behind at half-time, with Liam Turner, Brian Deeny and Jordan Larmour crossing for Leinster.Larmour, Rob Russell, Ryan Baird and Josh van der Flier made it a seven-try victory for Leo Cullen’s men, whose only real worry was losing captain Jonathan Sexton to a facial injury.Connacht were missing three of their Ireland internationals, with illness ruling out Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen while Bundee Aki was rested due to Ireland player management.Turner took a lovely line in the second minute as Charlie Ngatai and Sexton combined to put him over to the right of the posts. Sexton missed the conversion.The Murray brothers, Darragh and Niall, both pinched lineouts and Connacht’s improving play was rewarded when Hawkshaw broke through tackles from Sexton and Russell for a fine 16th-minute score, converted by Jack Carty.Leinster turned to their powerful pack, young lock Deeny springing over from close range for Sexton to make it 12-7.On the half-hour mark, a sidestepping Larmour linked with Jimmy O’Brien, whose kick through evaded the unfortunate Carty, and Larmour gleefully followed up for a seven-pointer.Connacht pulled back five of those before the break, Carty slickly sent Farrell over but the skipper miscued the conversion.Larmour baged a 44th-minute bonus point from an inviting Jamison Gibson-Park pass, while Connacht lost Hawkshaw to injury in the process. Carty was soon sent to the bin for being offside from a penalty.Nonetheless, Connacht coped well while down to 14 men, Caolin Blade igniting their attack again and Jarrad Butler thwarting a Leinster maul.Sexton had to be replaced after head-on-head contact when tackling Butler which could have seen him carded.In his absence, Leinster finished with a flourish, Cormac Foley and Ngatai providing the assists for Russell and Baird to go over respectively, before Van der Flier showed his pace to make the left corner after Larmour was again involved in the build-up.
Connacht have confirmed the names of all twelve players leaving them at end of the current season, adding that a squad of 44 has so far been assembled for next season.