Leinster v Bath,Aviva Stadium,Saturday, 5.30Live on RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports
It’s nine years and counting since Garry Ringrose made his Leinster debut in September 2015, with his first four appearances for the province on the wing, the first two on the left and the next brace on the right. A game against the Glasgow Warriors on October 23rd that year was the last time he wore the number 14 jersey; that is until Saturday evening.
Leinster’s head coach Leo Cullen has decided to leave the Irish international centre in the position that he finished last weekend’s victory over La Rochelle, the backline reshuffled that day because of injury. Jordie Barrett starts in the more familiar role of inside centre, Robbie Henshaw shifts to the 13 jersey while Hugo Keenan returns at fullback.
There are four changes to the starting pack, Andrew Porter, Rabah Slimani, Max Deegan and Jack Conan promoted, with the number eight also named as captain. Cian Healy, Caelan Doris and Jimmy O’Brien drop to the bench while Ryan Baird, Ciarán Frawley and Tadhg Furlong are rested.
Dan Sheehan, who has made a remarkable recovery from his ACL injury sustained in the first Test against the Springboks last summer, and James Lowe are close to returning and could play for Leinster against the Stormers in a URC game next weekend if that’s what Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby decrees.
Cullen explained: “Dan Sheehan, he’s very close. We are going to have conversations after this weekend in terms of what Ireland wants. We’ve a game next week and some of those guys who haven’t featured in this game will possibly feature.
“[Tadhg Furlong] is in that conversation. He did well to get through the [La Rochelle] game. Tadhg is good to go. Dan Sheehan and James Lowe will go into that mix as well. What they want to do in terms of game time next week versus guys travelling. We’ll see how the weekend plays out.
“There are a couple of guys who are not in our 23 who are in that group that were named to go to Portugal. Some of them will likely feature next week but that’s a conversation that will take place next week.”
Bath head coach Johann van Graan has made three changes to the team that beat Clermont Auvergne 40-21 last week. Ross Molony, who joined the English club from Leinster in the summer, is promoted to the run-on team in the second row, where he will partner former Ireland international, the South African-born Quinn Roux.
Former Irish underage international, Belfast’s Niall Annett and England international Will Stuart are the other changes at hooker and tighthead prop respectively. Van Graan spent 4½ years in charge at Munster before leaving for his current place of work in 2022. The South African has done a superb job with Bath in terms of results and how they play.
Bath head coach Johann van Graan: ‘You get players that adapt to where I think the game is going.’ Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
When asked about the difference in styles he said: “I won’t comment on how we played at Munster, what I would say at Bath is, it was a team who were last in the table and needed to re-establish what in my view are the principles of the game. You’ve got to start with your defence, your kicking game, your set-piece and you’ve got to look at players you have at that stage.
“We needed a change. You get players that adapt to where I think the game is going. The game, if you look at the law changes, is going to be a more attacking game. Hence, I made some coaching changes and personnel changes.”
The project has been a notable success. He continued: “If you look at rugby very simplistically it’s 50 per cent attack and 50 per cent defence. We spend an equal amount of time on both. In the Premiership, I’m not saying it from an arrogant point of view but I’m saying it because it’s a fact today, we scored the most number of tries and conceded the least.
“I’d like to think we’ve got good balance in our game. We’ve got a way we play here. It’s only two and a half years old, who knows where we’ll be in five years’ time. Most importantly, you want to be part of something that people enjoy. The people of Bath are certainly enjoying this journey.”
Molony is a superb lineout technician, Finn Russell has a conjuror’s sleight of hand, while there’s pace in Bath’s back three, power in the shape of England centre Ollie Lawrence and a shrewd box-kicking and breaking scrumhalf in Ben Spencer.
Leinster have won every game this season, yet everyone is still awaiting that razzle dazzle which was once a part of their attacking DNA. New players, coaches and systems take time to bed in but today would be timely to rediscover that heritage.
LEINSTER: H Keenan; G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Barrett, J Osborne; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, R Kelleher, R Slimani; J McCarthy, J Ryan; M Deegan, J van der Flier, J Conan (capt).
Replacements: GMcCarthy, C Healy, T Clarkson, RG Snyman, C Doris, L McGrath, R Byrne, J O’Brien.
BATH: T de Glanville; J Cokanasiga, Ó Lawrence, M Ojomoh, R McConnachie; F Russell, B Spencer (capt); B Obano, N Annett, W Stuart; Q Roux, R Molony; T Hill, M Reid, A Barbary.
Replacements: T Dunn, F van Wyk, T du Toit, C Ewels, J Bayliss, L Schreuder, Ó Bailey, J Coetzee.
Referee: L Ramos (France).
Verdict: Leinster to win
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The post Leinster hoping to take the plunge in attack against Bath with a restyled backline – The Irish Times first appeared on Rugby 247.
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-01-18 08:40:17
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