URC Round eight - Teams and Predictions
CATCH-UP: Leinster host Edinburgh on a blockbuster of United Rugby Championship action on Friday, with four of the competition's top five taking to the field.
The other two teams in action are Glasgow Warriors and Munster, who will face each other at Scotstoun Stadium.
Leinster and Edinburgh have spent time at the summit this season and the latter could climb back above new leaders Ulster with a win in Dublin.
Leinster have played two fewer games than Ulster but would move to within a point with a bonus-point win against Edinburgh.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors could end at the summit with a bonus-point win, depending on the outcome of Edinburgh’s trip to Leinster.
Munster have played two fewer games than current leaders Ulster but have an opportunity to significantly narrow the gap on Friday, as well as climb above their hosts.
In terms of team news, Leintser head coach Leo Cullen has recall Dave Kearney on the left wing, the Louth native hasn’t featured for the province yet this season and will make his 170th appearance.
Nick McCarthy gets his first start since returning from Munster and will partner Ross Byrne in the halfbacks.
Cullen has switched up half of his pack with four changes from those who started the loss to Cardiff last time out.
James Tracy replaces Seán Cronin in the front row with Ed Byrne and Michael Ala’alatoa retaining their spots either side of him.
Ross Molony and Josh Murphy come into the second row while Max Deegan is the sole change in the back row.
Deegan will wear the No. 8 shirt with Scott Penny swapping to the openside. Rhys Ruddock fills the last spot in the XV and will captain the side.
On the bench, Cullen has opted for Seán Cronin, Peter Dooley, Vakh Abdaladze, Devin Toner, Martin Moloney, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne and Rob Russell.
Big talking for Friday, is the appearance of Simon Zebo in the Munster squad.
Zebo starts on the wing for his 150th Munster appearance as Gavin Coombes returns from international duty to start at no.8.
There are eight changes to the side that secured a bonus-point win away to Zebre last time out.
Zebo, Mike Haley, Chris Farrell, Rory Scannell and Ben Healy come into the backline with Coombes, Stephen Archer and Chris Cloete joining the pack.
Jack O’Donoghue captains the side and is joined in the back row by Coombes and Cloete, who has scored three tries in as many games this season and makes his first appearance since October.
Haley, Shane Daly and Zebo form the back three with a centre partnership of Scannell and Farrell.
Neil Cronin keeps his place at scrumhalf after a Player of the Match performance against Zebre with Healy starting at out-half.
Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron and Archer pack down in the front row with an unchanged second row partnership of Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley.
O’Donoghue, Cloete and Coombes complete the side.
Friday, February 11
Leinster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby
(RDS Arena, Dublin – Kick-off: 18.00; 18.00 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Leinster by three points
Teams:
Leinster: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Rory O’Loughlin, 12 Ciarán Frawley, 11 Dave Kearney, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Nick McCarthy, 8 Max Deegan, 7 Scott Penny, 6 Rhys Ruddock (captain), 5 Josh Murphy, 4 Ross Molony, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 2 James Tracy, 1 Ed Byrne
Replacements: 16 Seán Cronin, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Vakh Abdaladze, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Martin Moloney, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 Rob Russell
Edinburgh: 15 Henry Immelman, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 13 Matt Currie, 12 James Lang, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Charlie Savala, 9 Henry Pyrgos (captain), 8 Mesulame Kunavula, 7 Connor Boyle, 6 Ben Muncaster, 5 Glen Young, 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 Lee-Roy Atalifo, 2 Adam McBurney, 1 Boan Venter
Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Sam Grahamslaw, 18 Jake Armstrong, 19 Pierce Phillips, 20 Cristen van Niekerk, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Cammy Hutchison
Referee: Adam Jones
Assistant referees: Eoghan Cross & Stuart Douglas
TMO: Olly Hodges
Glasgow Warriors v Munster Rugby
(Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – Kick-off 20.15; 20.15GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Glasgow Warriors by six points
Teams:
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Sebastian Cancelliere, 13 Robbie Fergusson, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Rufus McLean, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Thomas Gordon, 6 Ryan Wilson (captain), 5 Richie Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Simon Berghan, 2 Fraser Brown, 1 Oli Kebble
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Kiran McDonald, 20 Ally Miller, 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Stafford McDowall
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Shane Daly, 13 Chris Farrell, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Ben Healy, 9 Neil Cronin, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 Chris Cloete, 6 Jack O’Donoghue (captain), 5 Fineen Wycherley, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Jeremy Loughman
Replacements: 16 Kevin O’Byrne, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 John Ryan, 19 Cian Hurley, 20 Alex Kendellen, 21 Paddy Patterson, 22 Jack Crowley, 23 John Hodnett
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi
Assistant referees: Keith Allen & David Sutherland
TMO: Neil Paterson