Leo Cullen Makes Three Changes To Leinster Lineup For Saints Clash
Leo Cullen Makes Three Changes To Leinster Lineup For Saints Clash
Caelan Doris captains Leinster, which will face Northampton in the Champions Cup semifinals at Aviva Stadium. Leo Cullen made three changes to the XV.
Caelan Doris will captain Leinster Rugby on Saturday, while head coach Leo Cullen made three changes to his starting XV ahead of his team's Investec Champions Cup semifinal against the Northampton Saints at the Aviva Stadium.
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Doris, who lines up at No. 8, will lead the side in the absence of regular captain James Ryan.
Doris is joined in the back row by Max Deegan and 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year Josh van der Flier, as Leinster looks to book a place in the European final for the first time since 2022.
Leinster comes into the contest off the back of a convincing quarterfinal win over the Glasgow Warriors, and Cullen has opted for continuity, making just three alterations to that winning lineup.
The most notable change comes in the second row, where South African World Cup winner RG Snyman steps in to partner with Joe McCarthy, adding power and experience to the engine room.
In the front row, stalwarts Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong will pack down on either side of hooker Dan Sheehan. The trio bring a combined 511 caps to a Leinster side stacked with international pedigree.
Behind the scrum, the exciting halfback pairing of Jamison Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast is retained. Prendergast continues his impressive rise with his 28th cap, while Gibson-Park adds crucial experience with over 150 appearances in blue.
In midfield, Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose form a tried-and-tested center partnership, bringing a balance of creativity and defensive solidity.
James Lowe and Tommy O’Brien line up on the wings, while Hugo Keenan starts at fullback, offering both attacking threat and aerial security.
On the bench, Leinster boasts serious firepower.
Andrew Porter, Rabah Slimani and Rónan Kelleher provide front-row cover, while Ryan Baird and Jack Conan round out the forward replacements.
Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne offer seasoned options in the backs, and All Black utility Jordie Barrett completes the matchday squad.
Cullen’s side is aiming for a record-equaling fifth Champions Cup title, but standing in the way is a resurgent Northampton Saints outfit.
The English club has not won in Dublin since 2013 and narrowly lost to Leinster in last season’s semifinal at Croke Park.
This time, however, the Saints arrive with form and belief, fresh off a commanding 51-16 quarterfinal win over Castres.
With both teams loaded with international talent and recent history between them, Saturday’s clash promises to be a heavyweight encounter in front of a raucous Aviva Stadium crowd.
The Leinster players will be hoping home advantage and big-game experience will carry them through to another European final, but they will be wary of a Saints side out to rewrite the script.
Leinster Rugby Lineup
15. Hugo Keenan, 14. Tommy O’Brien, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. James Lowe, 10. Sam Prendergast, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park, 8. Caelan Doris, 7. Josh van der Flier, 6. Max Deegan, 5. Joe McCarthy, 4. RG Snyman, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 2. Dan Sheehan, 1. Cian Healy
Replacements: 16. Rónan Kelleher, 17. Andrew Porter, 18. Rabah Slimani, 19. Ryan Baird, 20. Jack Conan, 21. Luke McGrath, 22. Ross Byrne, 23. Jordie Barrett (9)
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