Leinster Seeks Revenge As Scarlets Aim For URC Quarterfinal Shock
Leinster Seeks Revenge As Scarlets Aim For URC Quarterfinal Shock
Leinster hosts Scarlets in a high-stakes URC quarterfinal clash at Aviva. After a recent upset, the Irish giants look to bounce back with a big response.
Three losses, a dramatically over the top negative response and backs to the wall, yes those are the parameters with which Leinster Rugby is operating.
Rightly or wrongly expected to win every match it plays, Irish powerhouse Leinster Rugby’s current record of 22-3 in all competitions is far and away the best in professional rugby. Yet, the squad's loss at home to the Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup semifinal brought with it yet another incoming offseason of soul searching.
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Kick-starting the downfall a week prior was a Scarlets side that laid the blueprint for how to beat the previously impenetrable blue defense.
Taking down an admittedly heavily rotated Leinster side 35-22 in Round 16 not only derailed the Dublin side, it set a line in the sand that has since become the Welsh side’s benchmark.
Picking up a key win on the road in South Africa against the Lions before losing a tight arm wrestle with a stacked Sharks side, the Scarlets deservedly stamped their ticket to the top 8.
Thus, setting up a mouthwatering contest between two sides that will be baying for blood at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Team News
Jimmy O’Brien will mark his 100th appearance for Leinster as part of a strong starting XV named by head coach Leo Cullen for the URC quarterfinal against the Scarlets at Aviva Stadium.
O’Brien starts on the wing opposite James Lowe, who returns to the side, with Hugo Keenan named at fullback.
Jamie Osborne links up with Jordie Barrett in a powerful midfield pairing, while young playmaker Sam Prendergast earns a start at fly-half alongside scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park.
Jack Conan captains the team from No. 8, joined in the back row by Ryan Baird and Josh van der Flier. James Ryan and Joe McCarthy form the engine room in the second row. Up front, Rónan Kelleher is flanked by props Andrew Porter and Thomas Clarkson.
Leinster’s bench features dynamic options, including Dan Sheehan, RG Snyman and Scott Penny. Luke McGrath and Ciarán Frawley provide cover in the backline.
Scarlets, meanwhile, has named an unchanged squad from its victory over the Sharks in Durban. Head coach Dwayne Peel sticks with a settled group as his side seeks a massive upset in Dublin.
Blair Murray, Ellis Mee and Tom Rogers form a youthful back three, while Sam Costelow again starts at fly-half, with Archie Hughes at scrumhalf. Sam Wainwright is in line for his 50th appearance off the bench.
Words From The Camp
One man who knows Welsh Rugby intimately is Leinster assistant coach Robin McBride. The 54-year-old former hooker spent 11 years playing for Llanelli RFC and the Scarlets before retiring in 2005.
"In fairness to them, they’re a cohesive bunch," he said. "They’re obviously tight as a unit, tight as a team. It’s a test that we failed a couple of weeks ago.
“First against the Scarlets and against Northampton. It will be a good test for us on Saturday.
“It is great from a Welsh perspective to see a Welsh team making it through to the quarterfinal. It’s been a tough season for everybody in Wales. From their perspective, it’s great."
Acknowledging the challenge that is coming the squad’s way, Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel knows Leinster intimately following his time with fellow Irish province Ulster.
“We have worked hard to get to the playoffs, now we have to embrace it, we have to make the most of it now we’re here.
“There is no greater task in club rugby than going to Dublin, but we’re looking forward to it. We won’t shy away from it. We are confident in our own ability, and we know we are going to have to be at our very, very best.
“It is going to be a great occasion, it will be a new experience for a lot of our boys - we are going to have to be brave, we are going to have to be accurate and we are going to have to try and put our stamp on our game, play the Scarlets way.”
Key Matchup
Unsurprisingly, given this is the first seed vs. the eighth seed, on paper, this clash is a mismatch.
Yet, as touched upon above, this Scarlets side has taken a significant step forward this season under Peel and is not an easy beat by any stretch of the imagination.
In the pack, Leinster holds a distinct advantage with an all international starting eight and a near-full international bench to back them up.
One area where the Scarlets will feel uber confident is in the back three, where their combination of Blair Murray, Tom Rogers and Ellis Mee has proven to be clinical finishers both in the URC and in the test arena.
Facing them is a group of tried-and-tested internationals in Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O’Brien and James Lowe, who themselves are among the best in the world in their positions.
Making this matchup a tantalizing head-to-head is the stark difference in playing style between the six players.
Employing a deadly counterattack, the Scarlets combination is a freewheeling, counter-attacking mismatch Leinster learned to their detriment last time around.
At fullback, Murray is lightning-quick and routinely beats the first defender before haring away for chunk plays. Mee and Rogers are rangy operators who are exceptional under the high ball and back their pace to wreak havoc.
Conversely, Leinster’s three are slick system-based operators, with Keenan and O’Brien utilizing their fitness and intelligence to cover the backfield with authority. Lowe brings the x-factor to the combination and relies on power, vision and intellect to punish defenses.
In one-on-one situations, Lowe is close to unstoppable and therefore opens up incredible space for those around him.
Deciding who comes out in this battle within the match likely will come down to the aerial portion of the match.
Both combinations are rock-solid in the department and will be acutely aware that sloppy kicking will be punished.
Should the Scarlets miss a beat, the highly organized Leinster machine will slot into their shape at a moment’s notice. In the same breath, if Leinster miss their cues, the Welsh side will make meters at a rapid rate.
Prediction
This fixture has two distinct outcomes.
One, if Leinster comes out fast, it will simply blow the Scarlets away with the power game.
If the visitors cannot contain the opening 20 minutes, Leinster’s prowess between minutes 20 and 60 could see an ugly scoreline emerge quickly.
If the Scarlets can do what the Saints did and score first and make Leinster chase the game, the demons that live within the Leinster psyche could see the team stiffen up.
Until Leinster wins a title, questions will remain, but in the quarterfinal against a side it owes one to, we just can’t see it happening.
Team Lineups
Leinster
Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe, Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (CAPT)
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley
Scarlets
Blair Murray, Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Ellis Mee, Sam Costelow, Arhie Hughes, Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Josh Macleod (CAPT), Taine Plumtree
Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Page
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