Cuige Laighin vs Aironi, Thursday, February 10

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

The Leinster team to face Aironi in Thursday night's Magners League clash at the RDS (KO: 7.05pm) has been named...
Related Multimedia
<!-- CACHE FAILED leinster/other/rugby/fixmedialist/ENG-a8da2491dbcd4ee51ef2052efba388f2-5172b7d6d11d2be8ad3958ac8b0673f3.php -->
The Six Nations provides the coaching team with an opportunity to freshen things up for the visit of the Italians and Ireland international Rhys Ruddock leads the team for the first time in a back-row which also includes Dominic Ryan and Stephen Keogh. Ian Madigan makes his 11th appearance of the season and partners Paul O'Donohoe at half back with Eoin O'Malley, fresh from his Ireland Wolfhounds debut, lining up alongside debutant Brendan Macken at centre.
In the pack, Heinke van der Merwe and Richardt Strauss are named in the front row, with Kevin McLaughlin lining up at second row alongside fellow Ireland international Devin Toner.
A decision on the final make up of the replacements bench will be made closer to kick off.
There will be the usual 'Family Day' activities inside the ground, while the OLSC (Official Leinster Supporters Club) will be hosting a 'Meet the Referees Night' in 'The Laighin Out' Bar post match with Leinster international referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland. Admission is free and open to all.
Ticket sales for Thursday's game have passed the 14,000 mark and are on sale now online from www.leinsterrugby.ie, Spar (Donnybrook), the Leinster Rugby Store (Donnybrook) as well as Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. Tickets will also be available on the gate on Thursday.

LEINSTER:
15: Isa Nacewa
14: Andrew Conway
13: Brendan Macken
12: Eoin O'Malley
11: David Kearney
10: Ian Madigan
9: Paul O'Donohoe
1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Clint Newland
4: Kevin McLaughlin
5: Devin Toner
6: Rhys Ruddock CAPTAIN
7: Dominic Ryan
8: Stephen Keogh
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Jason Harris-Wright
17: Jack McGrath
18: Simon Shawe
19: Ed O'Donoghue
20: Paul Ryan/Shane Jennings
21: Isaac Boss
22: Ian McKinley
23: Niall Morris

AIRONI:
15: Paolo Buso
14: Kaine Robertson
13: Gabriel Pizarro
12: Horacio San Martin
11: Danwel Demas
10: James Marshall
9: ***o Tebaldi
1: Alberto De Marchi
2: Roberto Santamaria
3: Fabio Staibano
4: Marco Bortolami CAPTAIN
5: Joshua Furno
6: Nicola Cattina
7: Jaco Erasmus
8: Nick Williams
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Luigi Ferraro
17: Andrea De Marchi
18: Luca Redolfini
19: George Biagi
20: Andrea Benatti
21: Pietro Travagli
22: Alberto Benettin
23: Matteo Pratichetti
REFEREE: Nigel Owens (WRU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Dave Wilkinson (IRFU), Mark Hermin (IRFU), 4th OFFICIAL: John Montayne (Leinster Rugby Referees), 5th OFFICIAL: James Fegan (Leinster Rugby Referees), TMO: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Two 19 year olds starting in the backs for Leinster. Two 20 year olds playing flanker including the captain. A blindside flanker playing in the second row. I'm lookig forward to seeing how all of this plays out. Madigan, O'Malley and Macken is an exciting 10,12,13 combination.

 

[munstermuffin]

Fair play to Schmidt as this will all comeback someday and Leinster will be glad they blooded guys.
Jennings I presume won't be allowed bench as he is probably on stand by for Sunday.
Also is McLaughlin a 2nd row too or is this an experiment or what.

 

[Logorrhea]

Experiment on McLaughlin. An interesting one too I'd say.

Ruddock as captain is another good call.

Should be a fun game but I'll probably have to miss this one.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Weird decision with McLaughlin... Let's see how it pans out. Has he ever played second row before? I guess he's probably tall enough

 

[Feicarsinn]

Kev McLaughlin's eventual home could be in the second row. What with the competition in the backrow it's good to see him being given a go somewhere else. He's a strong lineout option and is good around the park. Cullen and Hines are getting on, Galazara has gone home and Sheriff hasn't been given the game time to step up next season. If it works he could establish himself as a starting lock by the end of next season.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I think McLaughlin was a second row in school but I don't know if he's played in that position much since. What does it say about Ed O'Donoghue that despite the retirement of Trevor Hogan, departure of Mariano Galarza and international call ups of Leo Cullen and Nathan Hines, he still can't get in the team? If EOD gets a good offer elsewhere, it's probably best that he moves on. He's been a terribly disappointing signing.

Eoin O'Malley at 12 is a call I like. He could develop into a quality 2nd 5/8 in my opinion. Leinster have more than enough 13s on their books.

 

[Logorrhea]

Leinster have more than enough 13s on their books.

Do we? BOD, Macken,...................?

McFadden can play both but hes primarily a 12. Fitzgerald has been thrown in there but its not his natural position.

As for McLaughlin. Will be very interested in seeing how it all works out.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Do we? BOD, Macken,...................?

McFadden can play both but hes primarily a 12. Fitzgerald has been thrown in there but its not his natural position.

BOD, McFadden, Macken, Kelly.

McFadden is having an excellent season but I don't think he has the passing game to be a 12. He's overly fond of tucking the ball under one arm and trying to offload out of a tackle. IMO he's better suited as a 13 with a creative 10 and 12 making space for him.

Macken gets an unfair amount of criticism. When he left school he was being hailed as the second coming of Christ and could never live up to the hype. Having been to a good few Leinster A games in which he's played, Macken is developing very nicely. He probably still needs to work on his defensive positioning but he has everything else in his locker.

O'Malley has been a revelation this season but I'm not conviced about his top end pace and physicality. He could develop into a Paddy Wallace type player more so than a viable international 13. I really believe that if he gets a run of games at 12, he could take Gordon D'arcy's spot in the Leinster team before too long.

McLaughlin as a long(ish) term successor to Nathan Hines?

 

[King_D'Arcy]

BOD, McFadden, Macken, Kelly.

McFadden is having an excellent season but I don't think he has the passing game to be a 12. He's overly fond of tucking the ball under one arm and trying to offload out of a tackle. IMO he's better suited as a 13 with a creative 10 and 12 making space for him.

Macken gets an unfair amount of criticism. When he left school he was being hailed as the second coming of Christ and could never live up to the hype. Having been to a good few Leinster A games in which he's played, Macken is developing very nicely. He probably still needs to work on his defensive positioning but he has everything else in his locker.

O'Malley has been a revelation this season but I'm not conviced about his top end pace and physicality. He could develop into a Paddy Wallace type player more so than a viable international 13. I really believe that if he gets a run of games at 12, he could take Gordon D'arcy's spot in the Leinster team before too long.

McLaughlin as a long(ish) term successor to Nathan Hines?

I firmly believe that O'Malley has the potential to be much better than Paddy Wallace ever was

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Potentially, yes. I meant similar to Wallace in terms of playing style ie a creator/passer rather than a basher like D'arcy.

 

[coonor]

Nice to see Ruddock get the captaincy armband at the age of 20. A lovely backline of Conway, Kearney and Nacewa that looks like a very dangerous back three. I agree that O'Malley has many qualities for a 12. I was very impressed by his passing in the Clermont match in France when he played brilliantly. He is a strong runner and has quick feet which were shown when he came of the bench to score a good try against Saracens. I think its also very good to see that over 14,000 tickets have been sold which is alot for a Thursday evening game agaist Aironi and with no big international players.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ospreys and Leinster both following Sales lead in giving the captaincy to a 20yr old backrower

 

[coonor]

Ospreys and Leinster both following Sales lead in giving the captaincy to a 20yr old backrower

Sale are always one step ahead of everyone :lol:

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'll be watching St.Marys-St.Michaels down the road in Donnybrook or on setanta sports instead of going to this won't be a great game

 

[Feicarsinn]

I'll be there. As a poor student this is the only live rugby I'll be able to afford this week.

 

[profitius]

Interesting article here. It looks like your success will make it harder to hang onto players but I suppose thats a nice problem to have!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/french-target-leinster-clubs-2531494.html

French target Leinster academy

On the week of Ireland's Six Nations showdown with Grand Slam champions France, Leinster face a battle to hold on to their up-and-coming stars as French clubs target their successful Academy operation.

"We know that top French and English clubs are sending people over to look at our Academy," said Des Lamont, chairman of Leinster's provincial team management committee.

"Given the quality of players it has been producing, there is obviously interest in how the operation has been so successful, and, of course, they are also looking at potential recruits."

Academy graduates such as Sean O'Brien, Fergus McFadden, Eoin O'Malley, Dominic Ryan and Rhys Ruddock have been hugely impressive in Leinster's march to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

And former prop Reggie Corrigan, who works with the Academy as scrum coach, said it was inevitable that the province's Academy operation would attract overseas interest.

"The Academy system in Leinster is streets ahead of most and the proof is in the quality of players it is producing and the province's success at underage levels," said Corrigan. "It doesn't surprise me that the French and English are taking a close look at it and while there is the risk of Leinster losing players before they are brought through, it is also testament to the good work that is being done there, and a lot of credit must go to (Academy manager) Colin McEntee."

Academy players are expected to feature in Leinster's side to take on Aironi in their Magners League clash at the RDS tomorrow evening, while Brian O'Driscoll, Jonathan Sexton and the other senior stars prepare for their Six Nations showdown with France.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

@profitius
I saw that article earlier. It seems a bit odd given that no players are mentioned in it. Also over the last few seasons Porn Dorm Jones, Conor McInerney, Dave Moore, Ruaidhri Murphy and Kyle Tonetti left the Leinster academy to sign for British clubs. Jamie Hagan, Felix Jones, Ian Keatley, Fionn Carr and Shane Monahan left the academy to sign for other Irish teams. Academy players moving elsewhere isn't particularly new. What would concern me a bit more is clubs from abroad plucking players from the schools system under Leinster's nose. Last season Leinster and Ireland schools players Stephen Macauley and Ross Jones joined Leicester and Ospreys respectively.

 

[munstermuffin]

Agreed Snoop but reality is Irish guys are been monitored now closer than ever

 

[Logorrhea]

Last season Leinster and Ireland schools players Stephen Macauley and Ross Jones joined Leicester and Ospreys respectively.

Jones was Welsh though wasnt he. He was always pretty straight about it.