Leinster Rugby vs Leicester Tigers
Leinster | Official Matchday Programme of Leinster Rugby | Issue 13 Leinster Rugby vs Leicester Tigers | EPCR Heineken Champions Cup Friday 7th April, 2023 | KO 8pm | Aviva Stadium
Leinster | Official Matchday Programme of Leinster Rugby | Issue 13
Leinster Rugby vs Leicester Tigers | EPCR Heineken Champions Cup
Friday 7th April, 2023 | KO 8pm | Aviva Stadium
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VSLEINSTER<br />
€6 | ISSUE 13 | LEINSTER RUGBY OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME<br />
VS<br />
leicester<br />
tigers<br />
FRI 7 APRIL<br />
AVIVA STADIUM<br />
KO 8PM
RUGBY.<br />
DELIVERED.<br />
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OFFICIAL LOGISTICS PARTNER. DHL.
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The Line up<br />
Telephone:<br />
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Fax:<br />
012693142<br />
E-mail:<br />
information@leinsterrugby.ie<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie<br />
10<br />
42<br />
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT<br />
President: Debbie Carty<br />
Chief Executive: Shane Nolan<br />
Honorary Secretary: Stuart Bayley<br />
Honorary Treasurer: Michael McGrail<br />
RUGBY MANAGEMENT<br />
Head Coach: Leo Cullen<br />
Senior Coach: Stuart Lancaster<br />
Head of <strong>Rugby</strong> Operations:<br />
Guy Easterby<br />
Assistant Coach: Robin McBryde<br />
Backs Coach: Andrew Goodman<br />
Kicking Coach: Emmet Farrell<br />
Contact Skills Coach: Seán O’Brien<br />
14<br />
PROGRAMME CREDITS<br />
Editorial Team: Marcus Ó Buachalla<br />
& Daniel Kelly<br />
Advertising: Gary Nolan<br />
Design: Julian Tredinnick,<br />
Ignition Sports Media<br />
Photography: Sportsfile<br />
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www.leinsterrugby.ie | 3
EPCR<br />
WELCOME<br />
MESSAGE<br />
Dominic McKay<br />
EPCR Chairman<br />
A warm<br />
welcome<br />
to this<br />
quarter-final<br />
fixture in<br />
the Heineken<br />
Champions<br />
Cup as<br />
competition<br />
for a coveted<br />
place in the<br />
2023 Dublin<br />
Final really<br />
begins to<br />
hot up.<br />
The knockout stage generates its<br />
very own brand of compelling,<br />
high-stakes rugby, and it’s win or<br />
bust now for the remaining elite<br />
clubs who remain in contention<br />
for the 28th Heineken Champions<br />
Cup Final, which will be staged at<br />
the Aviva Stadium on Saturday<br />
20 May.<br />
Following the historic introduction of<br />
the leading South African clubs into this<br />
season’s Heineken Champions Cup, it<br />
came as no major surprise that the Cell<br />
C Sharks, DHL Stormers and Vodacom<br />
Bulls all qualified in impressive style for<br />
the business end of the tournament at the<br />
first attempt.<br />
To emphasise the enduring quality of the<br />
tournament, the clubs that reached this<br />
season’s knockout stage had as many as<br />
27 EPCR titles between them.<br />
In addition, as you are no doubt aware,<br />
the clubs with the highest rankings from<br />
the pool stage earn home advantage<br />
for the Round of 16 and quarter-final<br />
matches.<br />
We are delighted to be joined on the<br />
journey to Dublin by our long-standing<br />
title partner, Heineken, by our official<br />
partners, DHL, IHG and Tissot, by our<br />
official supporters, Gilbert and Kappa,<br />
and also by our official airline partner in<br />
South Africa, Qatar Airways.<br />
Our loyal broadcast partners, BT Sport,<br />
beIN SPORTS and France Télévisions,<br />
continue to provide unrivalled coverage<br />
of the Heineken Champions Cup in the<br />
UK, Ireland and France respectively,<br />
while SuperSport in South Africa, ITV and<br />
RTÉ in the UK and Ireland, S4C in Wales<br />
and Flo<strong>Rugby</strong> in the USA and Canada<br />
are making valuable contributions to the<br />
growth of tournament.<br />
On behalf of everyone at EPCR, enjoy<br />
the match and best wishes to you, the<br />
fans, as well as to your club’s players<br />
and staff for what promises to be another<br />
tension-packed occasion in the Heineken<br />
Champions Cup knockout stage.<br />
Yours in rugby,<br />
Dominic McKay<br />
EPCR Chairman
Every great match<br />
starts with 0.0
HEINEKEN<br />
WELCOME MESSAGE<br />
Sharon<br />
Walsh<br />
Managing Director,<br />
HEINEKEN Ireland.<br />
You are all very welcome to this<br />
Heineken Champions Cup 2022-<br />
23 Quarter Final clash between<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> and <strong>Leicester</strong><br />
<strong>Tigers</strong> at the home of Irish <strong>Rugby</strong>,<br />
the Aviva Stadium. We witnessed<br />
some top-class games across the<br />
round of 16 fixtures last weekend.<br />
What a fantastic occasion the<br />
game between <strong>Leinster</strong> and Ulster<br />
was here in this stadium. Both<br />
sides deserve great credit for<br />
overcoming the very challenging<br />
conditions to put on a fine display<br />
of rugby. It was a privilege to be<br />
part of a sell-out home crowd,<br />
proof as ever, of just how much<br />
the Heineken Champions Cup<br />
means to Irish rugby fans.<br />
I have no doubt that <strong>Leinster</strong> will relish<br />
the prospect of another home fixture as<br />
they edge ever closer to that elusive 5th<br />
star. However, <strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong>, having<br />
overcome a spirited Edinburgh <strong>Rugby</strong>,<br />
will undoubtedly present stern opposition<br />
as they too look to advance to the final<br />
four of the Heineken Champions Cup<br />
2022-23. My sincere congratulations to<br />
the other six teams who have also made<br />
it through to the Quarter Finals. I have no<br />
doubt we can expect great excitement in<br />
all games.<br />
Fingers crossed, we are all back here<br />
again later this month to see <strong>Leinster</strong> take<br />
their place in the Heineken Champions<br />
Cup 2022-23 Semi-Final and move<br />
another step closer to the Final, in Dublin<br />
on the 20th May.<br />
Enjoy the upcoming game today<br />
with a cold, refreshing Heineken® or<br />
Heineken® 0.0% and as always, please<br />
do so responsibly.<br />
Finally, I wish you and your loved one’s a<br />
very Happy Easter.<br />
Sharon Walsh<br />
Managing Director, HEINEKEN Ireland.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 7
Debbie Carty welcome<br />
PRESIDENT, LEINSTER RUGBY 2022/23<br />
On behalf of <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong>, I would<br />
like to welcome you all to the Aviva<br />
Stadium, for tonight’s quarter-final<br />
match against <strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> in<br />
the Heineken Champions Cup.<br />
In particular, I wish to extend<br />
a warm welcome to Dublin<br />
to our English visitors; to<br />
their CEO Andrea Pinchen, to<br />
the squad, their Head Coach<br />
Richard Wigglesworth and their<br />
management team and hope you<br />
are enjoying your visit here to<br />
Ireland.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> have won their last five games in<br />
the Heineken Champions Cup and we’re<br />
now down to the knockout stages of the<br />
quarter-finals, I would like to congratulate<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> squad, Leo and coaching<br />
team on getting us here to the quarterfinals,<br />
I would also like to congratulate all<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> players who played in the<br />
Guinness Six Nations recently, coached<br />
by Andy Farrell, winning our country a<br />
Grand Slam and a Triple Crown. It shows<br />
how much strength and depth there is in<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> squad that we have so many<br />
players from <strong>Leinster</strong> in the Irish Squad.<br />
On that point I would like to congratulate<br />
John McKee on his European debut last<br />
weekend against Ulster.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> will be confident going into this<br />
match today after such a great season<br />
and what a great match last week they<br />
had, the atmosphere in and around<br />
the stadium was phenomenal and one<br />
couldn’t help to be emotional at it. For the<br />
first time since 2019 the Aviva Stadium<br />
was fully sold out for a club game, and it<br />
truly was coloured in blue and yellow as<br />
we took on and beat our rivals Ulster.<br />
We never underestimate our competitors<br />
in any competition especially, as <strong>Leicester</strong><br />
have been so strong this season also.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> will be very determined and<br />
confident going into this evening’s match.<br />
We expect tonight to be a challenging<br />
and physical match as we strive to take<br />
back the Champions Cup that was denied<br />
to us last year.<br />
I have no doubt that Leo and his squad<br />
are up for the challenge and we look<br />
forward to the game ahead. I know you<br />
will join me in wishing Leo and the Squad<br />
every success tonight.<br />
On the domestic front, all of the leagues<br />
are finishing up now as we head into cup<br />
season, and we have a busy cup season<br />
ahead with the Bank of Ireland Provincial<br />
Towns Cup and the Metro Cup semi-finals<br />
happening this week. I look forward to<br />
attending some of these matches as the<br />
domestic game finish off their season<br />
with a hopeful Cup win. Good luck to<br />
Tullamore and MU Barnhall as they’ve<br />
both made it through to the Junior Cup<br />
and will face off against each other.<br />
We also have the Women’s Paul Flood<br />
and Paul Cusack Cups coming up and I<br />
would advise everyone to find out if your<br />
local Club has a quarter or semi-final<br />
cup match on this weekend to get down<br />
to their local club to watch rugby at its<br />
grassroots rugby at its best.<br />
I was invited to Enniscorthy last Saturday<br />
as the Referees made a presentation of<br />
a plaque on behalf of the late Bryan<br />
Murphy; a huge Enniscorthy fan, a fair<br />
referee and a trojan supporter of the<br />
Women’s rugby game, we lost him far<br />
too soon and I was honoured to be in<br />
Enniscorthy last Saturday as the plaque<br />
was presented and the referee’s room<br />
was renamed the Bryan Murphy Room.<br />
I know we don’t have any mini’s playing<br />
at half-time today but I would like to thank<br />
all the Mini’s teams that have played<br />
in the RDS, Energia Park and the Aviva<br />
Stadium this season. I have watched them<br />
every week at half-time and am always<br />
in in awe of the talent coming through<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> even in the mini’s section, they<br />
truly epitomise <strong>Leinster</strong>’s motto ‘From<br />
the Ground Up’ and I look forward to<br />
watching these players come through the<br />
pathway and hopefully play for <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
in the future.<br />
To our title sponsor Bank of Ireland, great<br />
patrons of both our professional and<br />
domestic games, who along with all our<br />
premium partners and suppliers, who do<br />
so much to support <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong>, I offer<br />
my sincere thanks.<br />
Finally, to you the fans, our Season Ticket<br />
Holders, members of the Official <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Supporters Club and Friends of <strong>Leinster</strong>,<br />
I thank you for the contribution you make<br />
on match days. I am sure this evening<br />
will be no different as you get the roar<br />
going and the flags waving to cheer on<br />
“the Boys in Blue” to another victory. Let<br />
us hope for an energetic, exciting and<br />
injury-free match tonight.<br />
Debbie Carty<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> President 2022/23<br />
8 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
I would<br />
also like to<br />
congratulate<br />
all the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
players who<br />
played in<br />
the Guinness<br />
Six Nations<br />
recently,<br />
coached by<br />
Andy Farrell,<br />
winning our<br />
country a<br />
Grand Slam<br />
and a<br />
Triple<br />
Crown.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 9
Leo Cullen<br />
head Coach Welcome<br />
Good evening and a very warm welcome<br />
to everyone for this evening’s Heineken<br />
Champions Cup quarter-final. The<br />
games are coming thick and fast now<br />
and, as always at this time of year, the<br />
stakes are incredibly high.<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> are a team that<br />
will always have a special place in<br />
my heart.<br />
I was lucky enough to spend two<br />
amazing seasons at the East Midlands<br />
club, where I learned so much from some<br />
great people. After a few seasons where<br />
<strong>Tigers</strong> found themselves at the wrong end<br />
of the Premiership table, they came back<br />
strong last season to win English rugby’s<br />
10 | www.leinsterrugby.ie<br />
showpiece event against Saracens. And<br />
in Richard Wigglesworth, they have<br />
a really astute young coach who has<br />
already experienced plenty of highs in<br />
this competition.<br />
Many thanks to everyone who turned up<br />
here last week (especially the OLSC who<br />
greeted us with a Sea of Blue), for our<br />
sell-out round of 16 tie against Ulster.<br />
Even though the conditions were a<br />
challenge for both sides, it was a brilliant<br />
celebration of all that is good about the<br />
interprovincial game in Ireland, with two<br />
fiercely committed teams battling it out in<br />
front of their passionate supporters in a<br />
packed-out stadium.<br />
Congratulations to John McKee who<br />
made his Champions Cup debut last<br />
week when he came off the bench<br />
against Ulster. John has had a great rise<br />
this season off the back of lots of hard<br />
work and dedication.<br />
Next week, we’ll be heading off to South<br />
Africa for our final two rounds of the BKT<br />
United <strong>Rugby</strong> Championship regular<br />
season with games against the Lions and<br />
the Bulls to look forward to.<br />
These trips are always a brilliant<br />
experience for whoever gets to<br />
travel. And thanks to all the hard<br />
work that has gone in during the<br />
first 16 rounds of the URC, we<br />
are already guaranteed a home<br />
quarter-final here at the Aviva<br />
on the weekend of 5-7 May.<br />
It’s going to be extremely competitive to<br />
get into the top eight (and qualify for the<br />
Champions Cup) so we hope to see you<br />
all back here, whoever we play.<br />
Many thanks to all the team’s sponsors,<br />
in particular Bank of Ireland. You are<br />
such an important part of the team and<br />
your support is crucial for us to be able to<br />
continue investing in the future of <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong>.<br />
Tonight sees two teams who care<br />
deeply about this competition going at<br />
it. We’ve had many great battles over<br />
the years and I think we’re in for a<br />
titanic struggle. We’ve had to work<br />
hard to secure home advantage<br />
and we’re going to need all the<br />
support we can get!<br />
Finally Happy Easter to<br />
everyone.<br />
We hope you get to enjoy<br />
the long weekend with family,<br />
friends and loved ones. We<br />
are so grateful for the support<br />
you give the team and the<br />
fact that you prioritise coming<br />
to <strong>Leinster</strong> games over all the<br />
other things you could be doing.<br />
We’re going to try and make you<br />
proud this evening.<br />
Enjoy the game.<br />
Leo
Many<br />
thanks to<br />
everyone<br />
who turned<br />
up here<br />
last week<br />
(especially<br />
the OLSC who<br />
greeted us<br />
with a Sea<br />
of Blue), for<br />
our sell-out<br />
round of 16<br />
tie against<br />
Ulster.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 11
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BANK OF IRELAND<br />
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER<br />
A very warm<br />
welcome to the<br />
aviva stadium<br />
from Bank of<br />
Ireland as we look<br />
forward to this<br />
evening’s fixture.<br />
Bank of Ireland are proud partners to <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong>. Like us, they are rooted in local communities<br />
across the 12 counties of <strong>Leinster</strong>.<br />
We are delighted to support Leo Cullen and his coaching<br />
team in building <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> through clubs and schools,<br />
developing home grown talent and always ensuring that<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> #NeverStopCompeting.<br />
Much of that amazing talent will be on display on the pitch this<br />
evening.<br />
We wish <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> every success, and hope that you<br />
enjoy the game.<br />
Laura Lynch.<br />
BANK OF IRELAND<br />
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 13
james<br />
lowe<br />
the big interview<br />
BY DANIEL KELLY<br />
The phones are<br />
constantly ringing<br />
in <strong>Leinster</strong>’s ticket<br />
office on Monday<br />
morning, as a<br />
familiar face walks<br />
in the door.<br />
“How are tickets<br />
going?” is the<br />
simple question.<br />
14 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 15
They will<br />
have a similar<br />
game plan to<br />
last year, and<br />
it works. They<br />
have won their<br />
last six games<br />
and we know<br />
the challenge<br />
that’s coming.<br />
It’s less than 48-hours after James<br />
Lowe played in front of an Aviva<br />
Stadium sell-out, and he’s eager<br />
for another big crowd on Friday<br />
night.<br />
“Knockout rugby is a beautiful thing, but it<br />
can hurt so much as well!”<br />
It’s a simple mantra for Lowe, as clubs<br />
enter the final stages of the season. To<br />
the victor, the spoils. To the losers, the<br />
heartbreak.<br />
When asked about last week’s game, the<br />
30-year-old was eager to pay tribute to<br />
those in attendance.<br />
“Thanks to everyone who turned out in<br />
abysmal conditions. The atmosphere,<br />
especially in the first half, was<br />
phenomenal.<br />
“It’s pretty special to play at home, with<br />
over 50,000 people there screaming and<br />
chanting was awesome.<br />
“It’s something that we will need if we go<br />
deeper in these competitions. Hopefully,<br />
we will have more opportunities to fill it<br />
out, if we are lucky enough.<br />
“When you run out, and there are<br />
thousands waving those blue flags - it<br />
gets you up. In times of need, when<br />
backs are against the wall - people are<br />
screaming for you! It’s very special.<br />
“We are in a position to keep playing<br />
at home if we keep advancing. It’s<br />
awesome!”<br />
The 30-15 win set up this evening’s match<br />
with <strong>Leicester</strong>, with a six-day turnaround.<br />
Despite the win, Lowe and his teammates<br />
know there is plenty to work on ahead of<br />
facing the English champions.<br />
“It was obviously a good result last<br />
weekend. Conditions dictated the way<br />
we had to play. The first half was very<br />
intense. Scoreboard pressure came into it<br />
pretty quickly.<br />
“In the second half, we could have scored<br />
some more points, but it’s something we<br />
will try and do better this weekend.”<br />
Though not by design, Lowe felt<br />
Saturday’s wet conditions may have<br />
helped <strong>Leinster</strong> prepare for this evening’s<br />
clash.<br />
“The fact we had to play a different style<br />
of rugby, and then come on top was very<br />
pleasing.<br />
“It wasn’t pretty and wasn’t one for<br />
the fans. We had to change our game<br />
plan because of the conditions. We<br />
16 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
showed we can play some good pressure<br />
rugby.”<br />
For the second year in a row, the teams<br />
meet in the quarter-finals of the Heineken<br />
Champions Cup. Last season, <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
came away from Mattoli Woods Welford<br />
Road with a 23-14 win, in a proverbial<br />
game of two halves.<br />
Lowe knows the team is in for a tough test<br />
this evening, against a team they know<br />
well.<br />
“We were up 20-0 at the break last<br />
season. Fair play to <strong>Leicester</strong> - they<br />
came back at us.<br />
“We made it tough on ourselves and<br />
weren’t clinical enough. <strong>Leicester</strong> put a lot<br />
of pressure on us with their kicking game.<br />
We’ll have to rectify that on Friday.<br />
“They will have a similar game plan to<br />
last year, and it works. They have won<br />
their last six games and we know the<br />
challenge that’s coming.”<br />
With both teams having played on this<br />
weekend last year, Lowe admits it’s easier<br />
to play a team they are familiar with,<br />
instead of preparing for them through<br />
video analysis.<br />
“Sometimes there are teams that you find<br />
you play a lot. You get a sense of what<br />
they’re about.<br />
“They have new coaching staff but will<br />
play in a similar way. They are big<br />
on pressure rugby and keep the<br />
ball away from the middle of<br />
the field.<br />
“<strong>Leicester</strong> have some excellent kickers of<br />
the ball. Freddie Steward has a big boot.<br />
Handré Pollard pulls the strings at ten,<br />
and the addition of Anthony Watson is<br />
something they didn’t have last year. He’s<br />
a big addition, and it’s a challenge I look<br />
forward to.”<br />
Watson is a two-time Lions tourist,<br />
who has impressed at both club and<br />
international level. How does Lowe<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 17
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prepare for a battle with a player of<br />
Watson’s stature?<br />
“We have a game plan, and it’s about<br />
sticking to it!<br />
“Individually, if you get your own things<br />
right and collectively too, it’s normally a<br />
good result.<br />
“The basics of my role this weekend will<br />
be high ball and kick execution. There will<br />
be a lot of kicking this weekend, and that<br />
won’t be dictated by the weather.<br />
“We will have to play against a team<br />
that wants to dominate territory.<br />
“If I get my own bits right - kick,<br />
pass, carry well, defend well -<br />
hopefully the team can go on<br />
from there.”<br />
Since Lowe arrived at <strong>Leinster</strong>, he<br />
has seen the team win one Heineken<br />
Champions Cup, from the sidelines in<br />
Bilbao.<br />
He was on the pitch for the losses in<br />
Newcastle (2019) and Marseille (2022)<br />
but would love nothing more than to be<br />
on the pitch celebrating a fifth star in<br />
Aviva Stadium next month.<br />
“The aim of the season is to win<br />
trophies. We’re in a very good position<br />
at the moment, that if we keep winning<br />
matches, we’re going to play a final in<br />
our own backyard.<br />
European<br />
games do feel<br />
like they mean<br />
a little more.<br />
Every time<br />
you put the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> crest<br />
on your chest,<br />
it’s a special<br />
opportunity.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 19
“The cliche of the next game being the<br />
most important one is so so true. If we do<br />
get to the final hurdle, hopefully the stars<br />
align for us to win at home. That’s what<br />
we’re hopefully gonna do!”<br />
Lowe was last season’s top try scorer in<br />
the competition, and he says there is a big<br />
It’s flown by! I’m going<br />
through my residency at<br />
the moment. There’s a lot of<br />
paperwork to be done. We’ve<br />
loved every minute of it.<br />
difference in intensity to games he plays<br />
in the BKT United <strong>Rugby</strong> Championship.<br />
“These games have more weight to them.<br />
You come up against teams where most of<br />
the international players are fit.<br />
“It’s where you need to measure yourself<br />
when it comes to club footy. We’ve been<br />
there or thereabouts, in my time here.<br />
“The opportunities have come [to win] a<br />
few times, but we have come up short.<br />
It’s knockout footy now, and we need to<br />
make sure that if the opportunity comes<br />
again, we don’t let it slip.<br />
“We have a pretty good team, and we<br />
owe it to a few people. That’s for sure.<br />
“Last week’s game with Ulster felt like a<br />
test match. We’d been hanging out with<br />
a lot of those boys for three months, and<br />
then it was time to go to war with them.<br />
“European games do feel like they mean<br />
a little more. Every time you put the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> crest on your chest, it’s a special<br />
opportunity.”<br />
After a tremendous Guinness Six Nations,<br />
that saw Lowe score three tries and<br />
play every minute of the Grand Slam<br />
campaign, he is clearly enjoying life on<br />
the field.<br />
The return to <strong>Leinster</strong> after being away<br />
with Ireland since early February was<br />
relatively seamless.<br />
“It hasn’t been too difficult. It’s something<br />
that we are pretty used to.<br />
20 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
“The lucky thing is that we play with so<br />
many of the boys at <strong>Leinster</strong>. There’s not<br />
too much of a change when we go into<br />
Ireland camp.<br />
“There are different coaches, but<br />
we’re fortunate to play with a lot<br />
of the same people for club and<br />
country.<br />
“I like sleeping in my own bed<br />
though, so it’s always good to<br />
be with <strong>Leinster</strong>!”<br />
This season is Lowe’s sixth with<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>, after he joined the club in<br />
2017. Could he have imagined the<br />
success that has come in that period<br />
since?<br />
“It’s flown by! I’m going through my<br />
residency at the moment. There’s a lot<br />
of paperwork to be done. We’ve loved<br />
every minute of it.<br />
“I’m very fortunate to have come to<br />
a club and be welcomed so warmly.<br />
Our immediate future is in Ireland. I see<br />
residency as a no-brainer!”<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>’s gain, both on and off the field.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 21
30 15<br />
Action<br />
replay<br />
FRIDAY, 1 APRIL 2023<br />
AVIVA STADIUM<br />
ATTENDANCE: 51,700<br />
REFEREE: LUKE PEARCE (RFU)<br />
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP<br />
SCAN THIS QR CODE FOR<br />
THE FULL MATCH REPORT<br />
SCAN THIS QR CODE FOR<br />
THE MATCH HIGHLIGHTS<br />
LEINSTER RUGBY<br />
Keenan, Larmour, J O’Brien, Henshaw, Lowe,<br />
R Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan,<br />
Furlong, Molony, Ryan (capt), Baird, van der<br />
Flier, Conan.<br />
REPLACEMENTS: McKee, Healy, Ala’alatoa,<br />
Jenkins, Penny, McGrath, H Byrne, Frawley<br />
TRIES: Baird, Gibson-Park, Porter<br />
CONVERSIONS: R Byrne (3)<br />
PENALTIES: R Byrne (3)<br />
ULSTER RUGBY<br />
Lowry, Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey,<br />
Stockdale, Burns, Doak; Sutherland, Herring,<br />
O’Toole, O’Connor (capt), Treadwell,<br />
McCann, Timoney, Vermeulen.<br />
REPLACEMENTS: Stewart, O’Sullivan,<br />
Toomaga-Allen, Sheridan, Rea, Cooney,<br />
Moore, Moxham.<br />
At times we were a little<br />
sloppy. There’s a lot to improve<br />
on. <strong>Leicester</strong> will provide a<br />
different challenge. We played<br />
them last year. They’re a big lump<br />
of a side. It’ll be a different<br />
challenge.<br />
Jack Conan<br />
TRIES: Hume, Herring<br />
CONVERSIONS: Doak<br />
PENALTIES: Cooney<br />
22 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
After Ryan Baird scored a try,<br />
Ulster hit back and even when<br />
Jamison scored, they hit back again<br />
- so they battled away Ulster,<br />
as we knew they would and it’s a<br />
strange feeling, a 10-week lead-up<br />
to a game and now you’ve a six-day<br />
turnaround. There’s some positives<br />
in the game and overall we’ve come<br />
through ok.<br />
Leo Cullen<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 23
Four teams remain<br />
in Bank of Ireland<br />
Paul Flood Cup<br />
The Bank of<br />
Ireland Paul<br />
Flood Cup is<br />
the primary<br />
knockout<br />
competition<br />
for the<br />
Women’s clubs<br />
involved in<br />
Division One<br />
and Two of<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
League.<br />
Three quarter-finals have taken<br />
place in the past week, with<br />
the semi-finals taking place this<br />
weekend.<br />
Mullingar, Tullamore and Tullow came<br />
through impressively, while Portlaoise was<br />
forced to concede a walkover to PortDara<br />
Falcons due to an extensive injury list.<br />
Mullingar 40<br />
CYM 10<br />
Ciara Wynne was the hat-trick<br />
hero as Mullingar marched into the<br />
semi-finals.<br />
It wasn’t as straight-foward as the final<br />
scoreline might suggest. Sure, they moved<br />
into a 14-0 lead through tries by out-half<br />
Aine Hayden and flanker Eadaoin Liddy<br />
and conversions from Ciara Foxe.<br />
However, CYM were able to respond in<br />
impressive fashion to hit back not once,<br />
but twice, as centre Caoimhe Brady broke<br />
through for tries to leave it 14-10 at the<br />
interval.<br />
Thereafter, the physicality of Liddy and<br />
the control of Hayden led to good things<br />
happening for the Westmeath club.<br />
Wynne was involved in everything, the<br />
centre striking for two tries back-toback<br />
in what amounted to the decisive<br />
moments.<br />
CYM were just unable to keep pace and<br />
the holes that opened up due to tiring<br />
bodies were exposed by Kara Mulcahy<br />
and Wynne with Foxe converting five<br />
from six tries overall.<br />
Scorers: Mullingar - C Wynne 3 tries; A<br />
Hayden, E Liddy, K Mulcahy try each; C<br />
Foxe 5 cons. CYM - C Brady 2 tries.<br />
Balbriggan 8<br />
Tullamore 44<br />
The home side were in the mood<br />
to show what they could do,<br />
marching ahead 8-5 early on as<br />
a reward for pressure after Clare<br />
Leonard had given Tullamore the<br />
lead.<br />
Balbriggan had a fine general in out-half<br />
Rachel Mulligan, who struck a penalty<br />
and created their only try of the game.<br />
As the Offaly club pushed up in defence,<br />
Mulligan slid a clever kick in behind<br />
where Sorcha Murphy pounced.<br />
Left-wing Leonard turned fine approach<br />
play into a second try and a third<br />
followed from full-back Caroline Aherne<br />
for 15-8 at the break.<br />
Balbriggan were in it for an hour as<br />
24 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
centre Laura Browne, prop Caoimhie<br />
Coleman and the scrum provided<br />
encouragement.<br />
The Dubliners were not without their<br />
chances before scrum-half Aoibhe Kelly<br />
sniped to the line from a ruck.<br />
Last year’s runners-up Tullamore kept their<br />
feet on the accelerator as Sinead Rigney<br />
notched two tries in a minute, number<br />
eight Hannah Foxe cruised over and<br />
Aherne picked up her second.<br />
Scorers: Tullamore - C Leonard, S Rigney,<br />
C Aherne 2 tries each; H Foxe, A Kelly try<br />
each; L Sampson 2 cons. Balbriggan - S<br />
Murphy try; R Mulligan pen.<br />
Tullow 13<br />
MU Barnhall 10<br />
The quarter-finals came to a<br />
dramatic conclusion at Blackgates<br />
last Friday night.<br />
It all came down to a penalty in the last<br />
play of the game from the right foot of<br />
Catherine Dempsey for the holders to<br />
seal a semi-final date for the defending<br />
champions with PortDara Falcons.<br />
This was something of a surprise given<br />
how Barnhall had been crowned <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
League Division 1 champion on March<br />
5th with Tullow back in fifth place.<br />
Really, defences were mean, both of them<br />
setting a tone early on to keep chances at<br />
a minimum, Tullow moving in front from a<br />
try by inside centre Roisin O’Toole.<br />
Then, MU Barnhall began to take<br />
a stranglehold, punching in two<br />
unconverted tries by lock replacement<br />
Ruth Campbell and centre Ciara Faulkner.<br />
It was Tullow’s turn to come from behind<br />
and they did just that when outside centre<br />
Chloe Farrell squared the game to set<br />
up a frantic endgame in which out-half<br />
Dempsey came through in style.<br />
Scorers: Tullow – R O’Toole, C Farrell try<br />
each; C Dempsey pen. MU Barnhall – R<br />
Campbell, C Faulkner try each.<br />
The Paul Flood Cup semi-finals are set for Sunday week (16 April) when Tullow host PortDara at Blackgates<br />
and Tullamore travel to Mullingar, with a repeat of last year’s final still a possibility<br />
If you are<br />
interested in<br />
taking up rugby<br />
or you would like<br />
to follow our<br />
updates, check out<br />
our social media<br />
channels:<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Women<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>Womens<br />
@<strong>Leinster</strong>Women<br />
womenspro@leinsterrugby.ie<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 25
Our People, Our Home<br />
TWELVE COUNTIES. ONE SHIRT.<br />
Aaron Craig<br />
From a lad wearing <strong>Leinster</strong> blue to the RDS, to<br />
designing this season’s shirt. Aaron Craig’s journey has<br />
been amazing. The adidas Designer talks us through<br />
his design and what it means to create the shirt for his<br />
boyhood club.<br />
How did you begin working with adidas?<br />
When I was at the National College of Art and Design Dublin, I learned<br />
of adidas’ intern program. A lifelong fan of the brand, I knew it was an<br />
amazing opportunity. Luckily, I got to join adidas as an intern in 2016<br />
and I’ve been in Herzogenaurach (adidas HQ) ever since. I’m now a<br />
licensed apparel designer for some of the biggest teams in the world.<br />
What drew you to this project?<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> asked if there were any Irish designers at adidas HQ they<br />
could collaborate with. For a lad who comes from <strong>Leinster</strong> that grew<br />
up supporting the team, this was a massive bucket list moment. My<br />
grandfather even worked the entrance gates the RDS and Donnybrook<br />
for years.<br />
What was your inspiration for the design?<br />
The inspiration came quite naturally. Each county of <strong>Leinster</strong> was to be<br />
represented equally with their heraldic crests – instantly recognisable<br />
symbols. I wanted to recount my own <strong>Leinster</strong> memories too. That<br />
meant introducing the darker blue sleeves and the collegiate gold<br />
detailing. To me, it’s a design that could be worn by players from any<br />
generation, from O’Driscoll to Sexton.<br />
How do you keep designs fresh year on year?<br />
We work closely with clubs to find authentic and fresh stories. At<br />
adidas, we also want to be at the forefront of performance technologies<br />
and sustainability. So every year we work to combine the two.<br />
Which design excited you the most?<br />
On a professional level, I designed the Spanish national team kits for<br />
the World Cup this season. The biggest sporting event there is. But,<br />
on a personal level, being part of the first adidas Celtic jersey in 2020<br />
and now seeing the framed <strong>Leinster</strong> kits in my parents’ home in Dublin<br />
might just be level with the World Cup.<br />
How does it feel to see your designs worn by thousands of fans?<br />
Seeing your jersey enjoyed by fans is definitely one of the most<br />
rewarding aspects of our jobs. Seeing people of all ages around Dublin<br />
on game day. Outside the pubs and cafés around the RDS. It’s a real<br />
pinch yourself moment for sure.
COMPARISON<br />
Played<br />
193<br />
(101 home, 92 away)<br />
Wins<br />
134<br />
(82 home, 52 away)<br />
Losses<br />
54<br />
(18 home, 36 away)<br />
Draws<br />
5<br />
(1 home, 4 away)<br />
Average points<br />
27<br />
Biggest win<br />
89 - 7<br />
Heaviest defeat<br />
10 - 51<br />
head-to-head<br />
record:<br />
Played 12, <strong>Leinster</strong> won 7,<br />
LEICESTER won 5, Draws 0.<br />
LAST 3 MEETINGS:<br />
07/05/2022<br />
14 LEICESTER TIGERS VS<br />
LEINSTER RUGBY 23<br />
09/04/2011<br />
17 LEINSTER RUGBY VS<br />
LEICESTER TIGERS 10<br />
23/05/2009<br />
16 LEICESTER TIGERS VS<br />
LEINSTER rugby 19<br />
Season so far:<br />
TOTAL TRIES<br />
31 12<br />
METRES GAINED<br />
2177 1389<br />
PASSES<br />
830 433<br />
TACKLES MADE<br />
439 773<br />
PENALTIES CONCEDED<br />
49 46<br />
TURNOVERS WON<br />
49 46<br />
Played<br />
168<br />
(90 home, 78 away)<br />
Wins<br />
105<br />
(69 home, 36 away)<br />
Losses<br />
59<br />
(19 home, 40 away)<br />
Draws<br />
4<br />
(2 home, 2 away)<br />
Average points<br />
26<br />
Biggest win<br />
90 - 19<br />
Heaviest defeat<br />
0 - 43
leo<br />
the lion’s<br />
kids<br />
corner<br />
ANAGRAMS<br />
Can you un-jumble<br />
the names of these<br />
players?<br />
CAR<br />
MAJESTY<br />
spot the difference!<br />
Can you find all six?<br />
CONTENT<br />
SPY<br />
zoomed in!<br />
WHo is this leinster player<br />
having an extreme close-up?<br />
how did you do?<br />
ANAGRAMS<br />
James Tracy & Scott Penny<br />
ZOOMED IN!<br />
Tadhg Furlong<br />
a...<br />
...maze...<br />
...ing<br />
can you make<br />
your way<br />
through the<br />
maze to the<br />
ball?<br />
28 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Lorem ipsum<br />
Kimpton St Honoré Paris
McGrath and Murphy - Two<br />
Giants of <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Hang Up Their Boots<br />
Jack McGrath<br />
LEINSTER: 145 CAPS<br />
ULSTER: 25 CAPS<br />
IRELAND: 56 CAPS<br />
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: 3 CAPS<br />
St Mary’s College man McGrath<br />
announced his retirement last<br />
month but had been struggling<br />
with a hip injury for a few seasons<br />
before his announcement.<br />
McGrath came through St Mary’s<br />
College school as well as representing<br />
the club in the All-Ireland League. He<br />
made his <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> debut in the<br />
2009/10 Magners League against<br />
Glasgow Warriors and while that may<br />
have been his only appearance of that<br />
season, the Academy graduate wasn’t<br />
long in building a serious career for<br />
himself at loosehead prop.<br />
During his time at <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> he was<br />
a key part of two Heineken Champions<br />
Cup wins, a Challenge Cup win in 2013<br />
and four PRO12/14 titles.<br />
His performances in blue were soon<br />
rewarded with an Irish debut and he<br />
started his Ireland career with a Man-ofthe-Match<br />
performance against Samoa<br />
in 2013. With Ireland he won Six Nations<br />
titles in 2014, 2015 and 2018, as well as<br />
playing in the <strong>Rugby</strong> World Cup in 2015.<br />
McGrath was further rewarded for his<br />
excellence at club and country, with<br />
selection for the 2017 British & Irish Lions<br />
tour to New Zealand where he played in<br />
all three tests.<br />
He was a key part of the <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
squad that won a historic double in 2018,<br />
playing in 20 games across that season<br />
including nine Champions Cup games<br />
and the finals of both competitions in<br />
Bilbao and Dublin.<br />
McGrath moved to Ulster at the end of<br />
the 2019/20 season with another PRO14<br />
medal in his back pocket but he was<br />
not a part of the match-day squad with<br />
injury forcing him to miss the final against<br />
Glasgow Warriors in Celtic Park.<br />
While a hip injury would curtail his<br />
playing time with Ulster, he still made a<br />
further 25 appearances for the Belfast<br />
club before announcing his retirement in<br />
February 2023.<br />
McGrath left an incredible legacy for<br />
all the clubs and teams that he played<br />
for, but his impact off the pitch is harder<br />
to define but no less impactful when in<br />
2016, he opened up and was part of<br />
the <strong>Rugby</strong> Players Ireland ‘Tackle Your<br />
Feelings’ campaign. The campaign called<br />
on people to be more open with their<br />
feelings and to tackle the stigma around<br />
mental health issues.<br />
McGrath spoke very openly and honestly<br />
about his own mental health when<br />
discussing the tragic death of his brother<br />
in 2010 to suicide.<br />
His selfless efforts as part of this<br />
campaign to help young men talk more<br />
openly about their own struggles are a<br />
credit to him and his family.<br />
30 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Over the last few months two<br />
stalwarts of <strong>Leinster</strong> and Irish<br />
rugby, Jack McGrath and Jordi<br />
Murphy, have announced their<br />
retirements from the game.<br />
Jordi Murphy<br />
LEINSTER: 107 CAPS<br />
ULSTER: 63 CAPS (TO DATE)<br />
IRELAND: 30 CAPS<br />
Murphy announced his retirement<br />
this week and plans to hang up his<br />
boots at the end of the season.<br />
One of the highlights for Murphy was<br />
being a central figure in <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong>’s<br />
historic and first ever domestic and<br />
European double in 2018, and indeed<br />
being the man to lift the Champions Cup<br />
trophy in Bilbao alongside captain Isa<br />
Nacewa.<br />
Speaking about that honour, club captain<br />
Nacewa said, "Jordi is a great guy and<br />
he plays with his heart on his sleeve and<br />
just gives it his all. It was pretty fitting for<br />
him to have an outstanding campaign<br />
and it's just good that he lifts the trophy.<br />
He was in the centre of it all; in the mix of<br />
things; throughout the whole campaign.<br />
"It was a good way to sign off his<br />
European honours with <strong>Leinster</strong> but<br />
maybe we'll see him back one day."<br />
That day won’t now come after five<br />
seasons up the M1 in Belfast with Ulster<br />
<strong>Rugby</strong> and his decision to retire at the end<br />
of the season but Murphy can look back<br />
with pride on a superb career.<br />
He won a Junior Cup in 2006 with<br />
Blackrock College and then captained<br />
them to Senior Cup success in March<br />
2009 and quickly followed that success<br />
with further accolades in his fledgling<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> career, as well as lining out for<br />
Lansdowne FC in the All-Ireland League.<br />
He made his Senior debut in the 2011/12<br />
season against Glasgow Warriors, his<br />
European debut a year later and with 17<br />
games played across both competitions,<br />
he was named the <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> Young<br />
Player of the Year for 2012/13.<br />
Both players came to prominence<br />
and came through the <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Academy into the Senior team, before<br />
both left the club in recent seasons to join<br />
Ulster <strong>Rugby</strong>, where they finished their<br />
careers.<br />
He also captained the <strong>Leinster</strong> ‘A’ side to<br />
the British & Irish Cup in May 2013. The<br />
following season he made his Ireland<br />
debut against England in the Six Nations<br />
and was named in the PRO12 Team of the<br />
Season at the end of the year.<br />
He would go on to win 30 caps for<br />
Ireland, contributing on some of the<br />
biggest days including a try in the first<br />
ever win over the All Blacks in Chicago<br />
in 2016. He was a key member of the Six<br />
Nations winning teams of 2014, 2015<br />
and 2018 and was also part of Ireland’s<br />
2015 and 2019 World Cup squads.<br />
His final act in blue was being part of the<br />
double-winning team that beat Scarlets<br />
in the PRO14 Final in the Aviva Stadium<br />
in 2018.<br />
Let’s take a look back and celebrate<br />
some of the stats and highlights from<br />
stellar careers in blue, in green and of<br />
course in Jack’s case, in red.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 31
© 2022 adidas AG
From The Archives:<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> 14<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> 23<br />
2022 Heineken Champions Cup Quarter-Final<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong><br />
advanced to<br />
the semifinals<br />
of<br />
the Heineken<br />
Champions Cup<br />
after a 23-<br />
14 win over<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong><br />
<strong>Tigers</strong> at<br />
Mattioli<br />
Woods<br />
Welford Road.<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong>: Steward, Asthon,<br />
Moroni, Porter, Potter, Ford, Youngs;<br />
Genge, Montoya, Cole, Chessum, Green,<br />
Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese<br />
Replacements: Dolly, Whitcombe,<br />
Heyes, Wells, Martin, Wigglesworth,<br />
Burns, Nadolo<br />
Tries: Ashton, Dolly<br />
Conversions: Ford (2)<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong>: Keenan, J O’Brien,<br />
Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe, Sexton,<br />
Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Furlong,<br />
Molony, Ryan, Doris, van der Flier, Conan<br />
Replacements: Sheehan, Healy,<br />
Ala’alatoa, J McCarthy, Ruddock,<br />
McGrath, R Byrne, T O’Brien<br />
Tries: van der Flier, Henshaw<br />
Conversions: Sexton (2)<br />
Penalties: Sexton (2), R Byrne<br />
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)<br />
A 20-point first half lead was<br />
enough breathing room for<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> to see out the victory,<br />
coming through tries from<br />
Josh van der Flier and Robbie<br />
Henshaw.<br />
The <strong>Tigers</strong> were keen to make an early<br />
impact but it was the visitors who started<br />
liveliest and that would eventually show in<br />
the 20-0 half-time scoreline.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> were into their stride from Jamison<br />
Gibson-Park’s measured high ball and<br />
strong carries from Caelan Doris and Jack<br />
Conan which drew a penalty for Johnny<br />
Sexton to strike from 30 metres in the<br />
fourth minute.<br />
A misjudged clearance from Gibson-Park<br />
handed <strong>Leicester</strong> a lineout on the 22,<br />
requiring James Lowe to take control of a<br />
garryowen.<br />
The first scrum produced a <strong>Leicester</strong><br />
penalty when Andrew Porter’s elbow hit<br />
the floor, prompting a fierce driving attack<br />
which was made redundant by Sexton<br />
and James Ryan forcing a knock-on.<br />
The next scrum was a chance for <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
to make amends, the pack turning <strong>Tigers</strong><br />
inside out for a penalty.<br />
Then, Lowe triggered a counter from the<br />
claim of a high ball and Hugo Keenan<br />
got away up the left, Rónan Kelleher’s<br />
fine line undone by Tommy Reffell’s<br />
excellent floor work.<br />
It wasn’t long before Gibson-Park was<br />
hurtling through a hole and Sexton’s skip<br />
pass put Lowe on the ball only for Freddie<br />
Steward to stand his ground.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> were playing on a penalty<br />
advantage, deciding to go to the corner<br />
where Conan’s take was moved forward<br />
for van der Flier to find the line.<br />
Another penalty and lineout followed. The<br />
punch in the carries started and finished<br />
34 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
with Henshaw, the centre eventually<br />
arrowing between George Ford and<br />
Jasper Wiese for Sexton’s extras to take<br />
the lead up to 17 in the 22nd minute.<br />
The vigilance of Gibson-Park in snuffing<br />
out a trick lineout was quickly countered<br />
by back-to-back tackles by Reffell on<br />
Lowe and Henshaw.<br />
A breakdown at a <strong>Leinster</strong> lineout<br />
allowed the <strong>Tigers</strong> to apply pressure until<br />
Ryan flew high to steal hooker Julian<br />
Montoya’s throw.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> stayed patient in defence and<br />
adopted the same approach in attack,<br />
led by Sexton.<br />
A bout of kick-ball ended with Garry<br />
Ringrose nabbing full-back Steward in the<br />
backfield for Gibson-Park to clamp down<br />
for a penalty which Sexton nailed for<br />
20-0 in the 38th minute.<br />
Stellar work by Keenan, involving a catch<br />
and carry, allowed <strong>Leinster</strong> to play in the<br />
right area until the home side broke away,<br />
Chris Ashton’s kick ahead gobbled up by<br />
Keenan to end the half.<br />
A barrelling <strong>Leicester</strong> maul was followed<br />
by a second crooked throw-in by<br />
Montoya and a short Lowe clearance.<br />
The Englishmen stayed on the attack,<br />
generating front-foot ball from a maul.<br />
George Ford’s pass put Ashton outside<br />
Keenan in the left corner.<br />
A long ball forward by Ben Youngs and<br />
Doris’ failure to hold the ball gave up<br />
field position.<br />
Ford kicked to the corner from a scrum<br />
penalty. Nemani Nadolo was held up<br />
over the line by Jimmy O’Brien and van<br />
der Flier.<br />
The pressure was growing. Ryan rose<br />
to snatch a five-metre lineout against<br />
the throw. Jimmy O’Brien claimed a<br />
skyscraper from Ford. Sexton secured<br />
the ball on the floor and the Blues were<br />
quickly up to close down Nadolo.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> were finding it difficult to escape<br />
their half. Henshaw’s intervention and<br />
Conan’s ball control from a block down<br />
almost cracking the cover against the run<br />
of play.<br />
However, there was the consolation of<br />
a 5-metre scrum, the carry from Conan<br />
earning a penalty for Ross Byrne, just on<br />
for Sexton, to make it a three-score game<br />
in the 66th minute.<br />
The <strong>Leicester</strong> scrum continued to have an<br />
impact before <strong>Leinster</strong> turned the tables in<br />
a crucial engagement close to their line.<br />
The scoring stalemate suited the visitors<br />
as the minutes moved by, <strong>Leicester</strong> finally<br />
delivering on their promise at the maul<br />
when Nic Dolly grounded for Ford to<br />
convert one minute from time.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 35
leinster<br />
squad 2022/23<br />
season<br />
Vakhtang Abdaladze #1263<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 6 Feb 1996<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 121kg (19st 1 lb)<br />
3<br />
CAPS<br />
Michael Ala’alatoa #1301<br />
12<br />
CAPS<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 28 August 1991<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 126kg (19st 11lbs)<br />
Ryan Baird #1278<br />
Second Row<br />
DOB 26 July 1999<br />
HEIGHT 1.98m (6’ 6”)<br />
WEIGHT 113kg (17st 9lbs)<br />
11<br />
CAPS<br />
Ed Byrne #1222<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 9 September 1993<br />
HEIGHT 1.80m (5’ 11”)<br />
WEIGHT 115kg (18st)<br />
6<br />
CAP<br />
Harry Byrne #1280<br />
Out-half<br />
DOB 22 April 1999<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 95kg (14st 11lbs)<br />
2<br />
CAPS<br />
Ross Byrne #1236<br />
Out-half<br />
DOB 8 April 1995<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 92kg (14st 5lbs)<br />
19<br />
CAPS<br />
Thomas Clarkson #1285<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 22 February 2000<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 118kg (18st 7lbs)<br />
Jack Conan #1223<br />
38<br />
CAPS<br />
7<br />
CAPS<br />
No 8<br />
DOB 29 July 1992<br />
HEIGHT 1.93m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 110kg (17st 4 lbs)<br />
36 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Will Connors #1264<br />
9<br />
CAPS<br />
Max Deegan #1256<br />
2<br />
CAPS<br />
Brian Deeny #1306<br />
Caelan Doris #1268<br />
28<br />
CAPS<br />
Back Row<br />
DOB 4 April 1996<br />
HEIGHT 1.96 (6’ 5”)<br />
WEIGHT 99kg (15st 8lbs)<br />
No 8<br />
DOB 1 October 1996<br />
HEIGHT 1.93m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 110kg (17st 4lbs)<br />
Second Row<br />
DOB 2 March 2000<br />
HEIGHT 1.99m (6’ 6”)<br />
WEIGHT 118kg (18st 8lbs)<br />
Back Row<br />
DOB 2 April 1998<br />
HEIGHT 1.94m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 106kg (16st 10lbs)<br />
Cormac Foley #1299<br />
Scrum-half<br />
DOB 24 October 1999<br />
HEIGHT 1.81m (5’ 11 ”)<br />
WEIGHT 90kg (14 st 2 lbs)<br />
Ciarán Frawley #1265<br />
Out-half<br />
DOB 4 December 1997<br />
HEIGHT 1.92m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 98kg (15st 5lbs)<br />
Tadhg Furlong #1220<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 14 November 1992<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 125kg (19st 8lbs)<br />
65<br />
CAPS<br />
13<br />
CAPS<br />
Jamison Gibson-Park #1247<br />
Scrum-half<br />
DOB 23 February 1992<br />
HEIGHT 1.76m (5’ 9”)<br />
WEIGHT 80kg (12st 8lbs)<br />
25<br />
CAPS<br />
Cian Healy #1142<br />
123<br />
CAPS<br />
2<br />
CAPS<br />
Robbie Henshaw #1251<br />
63<br />
CAPS<br />
9<br />
CAPS<br />
Jason Jenkins #1310<br />
1<br />
CAP<br />
Dave Kearney #1158<br />
19<br />
CAPS<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 7 October 1987<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 116kg (18st 4lbs)<br />
Centre / Full Back<br />
DOB 12 June 1993<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 99kg (15st 8lbs)<br />
Lock<br />
DOB 2 December 1995<br />
HEIGHT 2.03 m (6’ 8”)<br />
WEIGHT 124kg (19st 5lbs)<br />
Wing / Full Back<br />
DOB 19 June 1989<br />
HEIGHT 1.81m (5’ 11”)<br />
WEIGHT 90kg (14st 2lbs)<br />
Hugo Keenan #1253<br />
30<br />
CAPS<br />
Rónan Kelleher #1277<br />
21<br />
CAPS<br />
Jordan Larmour #1258<br />
30<br />
CAPS<br />
James Lowe #1262<br />
20<br />
CAPS<br />
Full Back<br />
DOB 18 June 1996<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 92kg (14st 4lbs)<br />
Hooker<br />
DOB 24 January 1998<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 110kg (17st 5lbs)<br />
Wing<br />
DOB 10 June 1997<br />
HEIGHT 1.78m (5’ 10”)<br />
WEIGHT 88kg (13st 12lbs)<br />
Wing / Full Back<br />
DOB 8 July 1992<br />
HEIGHT 1.88m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 105kg (16st 7lbs)<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 37
Joe McCarthy #1303<br />
1<br />
CAP<br />
Nick McCarthy #1241<br />
Tadgh McElroy #1312<br />
Luke McGrath #1206<br />
19<br />
CAPS<br />
Second Row<br />
DOB 26 March 2001<br />
HEIGHT 1.98m (6’ 6”)<br />
WEIGHT 119kg (18st 8lbs)<br />
Scrum Half<br />
DOB 25 March 1995<br />
HEIGHT 1.8m (5’ 11”)<br />
WEIGHT 84kg (13st 3lbs)<br />
Hooker<br />
DOB 16 June1997<br />
HEIGHT 1.78m (5’ 10’)<br />
WEIGHT 103kg (16st, 2lbs)<br />
Scrum Half<br />
DOB 3 February 1993<br />
HEIGHT 1.75m (5’ 9”)<br />
WEIGHT 82kg (12st 12lbs)<br />
Michael Milne #1279<br />
Martin Moloney #1300<br />
Ross Molony #1233<br />
Charlie Ngatai #1311<br />
1<br />
CAP<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 5 February 1999<br />
HEIGHT 1.83m (6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 115kg (18st 1lbs)<br />
Back Row<br />
DOB 19 October 1999<br />
HEIGHT 1.88m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 104kg (16st 5lbs)<br />
Lock<br />
DOB 11 May 1994<br />
HEIGHT 2.00m (6’ 6”)<br />
WEIGHT 116kg (18st 4lbs)<br />
Centre / Full Back<br />
DOB 17 August 1990<br />
HEIGHT 1.87 m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 102kg (16st 1lbs)<br />
Jimmy O’Brien #1272<br />
5<br />
CAPS<br />
Tommy O’Brien #1283<br />
Jamie Osborne #1294<br />
Scott Penny #1271<br />
Back Three<br />
DOB 27 November 1996<br />
HEIGHT 1.84m (6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 89kg (14st 0lbs)<br />
Wing<br />
DOB 28 May 1998<br />
HEIGHT 1.83m (6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 95kg (14st 3lbs)<br />
Centre<br />
DOB 16 November 2001<br />
HEIGHT 1.93m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 97.5kg (15st 5lbs)<br />
Flanker<br />
DOB 22 September 1999<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 104kg (16st 4lbs)<br />
Andrew Porter #1246<br />
53<br />
CAPS<br />
Garry Ringrose #1237<br />
50<br />
CAPS<br />
Rhys Ruddock #1167<br />
27<br />
CAPS<br />
Charlie Ryan<br />
Prop<br />
DOB 16 January 1996<br />
HEIGHT 1.84m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 114kg (17st 13lbs)<br />
Centre<br />
DOB 26 January 1995<br />
HEIGHT 1.87m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 96kg (15st 1lbs)<br />
Back Row<br />
DOB 13 November 1990<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 113kg (17st 9lbs)<br />
Lock<br />
DOB 3 February 1999<br />
HEIGHT 2.01m (6’ 7”)<br />
WEIGHT 115kg (18st 1lbs)<br />
38 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
James Ryan #1259<br />
53<br />
CAPS<br />
Johnny Sexton #1127<br />
113<br />
CAPS<br />
14<br />
CAPS<br />
Dan Sheehan #1286<br />
17<br />
CAPS<br />
James Tracy #1211<br />
6<br />
CAPS<br />
Lock<br />
DOB 24 July 1996<br />
HEIGHT 2.00m (6’ 7”)<br />
WEIGHT 115kg (18st 1lbs)<br />
Out-half<br />
DOB 11 July 1985<br />
HEIGHT 1.88m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 90kg (14st 2lbs)<br />
Hooker<br />
DOB 17 September 1998<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 110kg (17st 5lbs)<br />
Hooker<br />
DOB 2 April 1991<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 106kg (16st 9lbs)<br />
Liam Turner #1287<br />
Centre<br />
DOB 14 July 1999<br />
HEIGHT 1.73m (5’ 8”)<br />
WEIGHT 93kg (14st 9lbs)<br />
Josh van der Flier #1228<br />
50<br />
CAPS<br />
Flanker<br />
DOB 25 April 1993<br />
HEIGHT 1.87m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 103kg (16st 3lbs)<br />
for full squad profiles<br />
please scan this qr code<br />
Coaching<br />
Staff 2022/23<br />
Stuart<br />
Lancaster<br />
Senior Coach<br />
season<br />
Leo Cullen<br />
Head<br />
Coach<br />
Emmet<br />
Farrell<br />
Kicking Coach and<br />
Lead Performance Analyst<br />
Robin<br />
McBryde<br />
Assistant Coach<br />
SEÁN<br />
O’BRIEN<br />
CONTACT SKILLS Coach<br />
ANDREW<br />
GOODMAN<br />
ASSISTANT COACH<br />
Guy<br />
Easterby<br />
Head of <strong>Rugby</strong> Operations<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 39
We always strive to be<br />
A beat ahead<br />
layahealthcare.ie
The Team Behind The Team:<br />
Jim<br />
Bastick<br />
Jim Bastick<br />
served in the<br />
elite Irish<br />
Army Ranger<br />
Wing but he<br />
now brings all<br />
his military<br />
training and<br />
skills to his<br />
role as senior<br />
kit man with<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong>.<br />
He spoke to<br />
Marcus Ó<br />
Buachalla in<br />
the recent<br />
edition of<br />
Across The<br />
Laighin, that<br />
is available<br />
exclusively to<br />
season ticket<br />
holders.<br />
In this excerpt, Marcus sits down<br />
to chat with the affable Laois man<br />
to hear about his own journey<br />
to this point and what his latest<br />
role in a high-performance<br />
environment involves.<br />
“My role is pretty much the day to day of<br />
training and everything that is involved<br />
with the pitch sessions and preparing<br />
that pitch for those sessions. Tackle pads,<br />
cones, bollards, balls, bibs, poles, the<br />
water, the Powerade.<br />
“Whatever is needed.<br />
“My day would start with checking in with<br />
Leo, Stuart, Goody (Andrew Goodman),<br />
Robin, Seánie and see what they need<br />
and then making sure to have it ready for<br />
them and the players when they get on<br />
the pitch.<br />
“Now I am lucky that Jack O’Brien and<br />
Molly Boyne give a dig out here and<br />
there but that’s it in a nutshell day to day.<br />
“The match days are different and you<br />
have home weeks and away weeks and<br />
the impact of travel on that planning<br />
piece, but the role itself is the same.<br />
Whatever is needed to make that match<br />
day go well, for everyone, to try to have<br />
it there in the dressing room.”<br />
Any unusual or funny requests over the<br />
years?<br />
“Plenty but I’ll not be telling you!”<br />
Eventually he gives a small insight but<br />
also the benefit of these unusual requests<br />
for future dressing rooms.<br />
“There was one player and he asked<br />
me for nail clippers. Not a scissors, nail<br />
clippers.<br />
“I didn’t have one, but I have one now<br />
and if anyone ever needs one again, I’ll<br />
have it.<br />
“And it’s like that for a lot of the little bits<br />
and pieces that you will have. You might<br />
only need it once a season, but as long<br />
as you have it or can get it quickly when<br />
asked.”<br />
As Bastick goes on to describe his<br />
background it’s not long before you see<br />
quite clearly what <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> saw<br />
in him.<br />
“My background is in the military and I<br />
joined the army when I was 19 but I just<br />
didn’t think that a professional rugby club<br />
could get value out of the military or out<br />
of my military training.<br />
42 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 43
“I suppose when you step away from it,<br />
the background in logistics, travelling,<br />
good lessons in punctuality, buying into<br />
a mission or a purpose. All those little<br />
things add up and I think are a very good<br />
grounding for a role like this.”<br />
The opportunity at <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> wasn’t<br />
his first role in a sporting environment.<br />
“I had worked with the Defence Forces<br />
rugby team for a good few years with<br />
Mervyn Farrell and Rory McCann but that<br />
was in a different capacity.<br />
“I had studied Sports Therapy so I had<br />
that string to my bow and was helping<br />
out the team in that regard on match day<br />
with their requirements and massages and<br />
whatever was needed. So being in and<br />
around team environments was nothing<br />
new.”<br />
In total he spent 22 years in the Defence<br />
Forces, 20 years of which was in the<br />
Army Ranger Wing.<br />
As well as numerous tours of duty<br />
abroad, he also has a BA in management<br />
and leadership from Carlow Institute<br />
of Technology and a qualification as a<br />
Sports Therapist.<br />
Not content to help out the Defence<br />
Forces rugby team, he also helped<br />
out the Laois hurlers at Minor and<br />
U-21 levels and Emo senior Gaelic<br />
footballers for three seasons.<br />
He was a busy man in the army, but it’s<br />
all he ever knew even as a young lad<br />
growing up and he loved it.<br />
“I grew up in the Curragh with my mam,<br />
Mary and dad, Jim Senior, and did all<br />
my education in the Curragh as well.<br />
“I did think about going off to college<br />
after the Leaving Cert and doing<br />
engineering but I heard that the military<br />
were recruiting in 12 months’ time so I<br />
got a job for that year with Microsoft in<br />
Kildare and in the meantime I trained<br />
and got fit and just waited for the time<br />
to apply.<br />
“My dad served in the 1st Armoured<br />
Cavalry Squadron. He left Coolrain<br />
at the foothills of the Slieve Bloom<br />
mountains in the early 1970’s and<br />
joined the military in the Curragh.<br />
“We grew up in the Curragh and it was<br />
brilliant. I loved it. It was a community in<br />
itself. If you were in your mate’s house<br />
I suppose<br />
when you step<br />
away from it,<br />
the background<br />
in logistics,<br />
travelling,<br />
good lessons<br />
in punctuality,<br />
buying into a<br />
mission or a<br />
purpose. All<br />
those little<br />
things add up<br />
and I think are<br />
a very good<br />
grounding for a<br />
role like this.<br />
44 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
at lunch, you got your lunch, if he was<br />
in yours for dinner, he got his dinner.<br />
The key was in everyone’s door.<br />
“I joined the army in 1997 and growing<br />
up, we lived in Connolly Barracks in the<br />
Curragh and I remember standing in the<br />
square on parade in recruit training and<br />
witnessing my parents move out of the<br />
family home and back to Laois, where<br />
we are still living now.<br />
“It’s a funny way to think of it but I never<br />
left the Curragh until I joined <strong>Leinster</strong>.<br />
It was my life every day for however<br />
many years. My home and then my<br />
place of work.<br />
“But no, we’re all back in Laois now,<br />
living in Emo, a lovely village, another<br />
great community there. My parents are<br />
literally a stone’s throw from my house.<br />
“So it’s a little slice of heaven and we’re<br />
very happy there.”<br />
You can read more features like this in<br />
Across the Laighin, which is available to<br />
all season ticket holders.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 45
compiled by stuart farmer<br />
media services limited<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Player<br />
SQUAD CAP NO DEBUT<br />
Statistics<br />
2022/23 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER<br />
ALL GAMES URC EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14/URC EPCR<br />
App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts<br />
SINCE LAST TRY<br />
CAPS<br />
VAKHTANG ABDALADZE 1263 2 DEC 17 0+9 - - 0+9 - - - - - 0+26 2 10 0+25 2 10 0+1 - - 11 GEO 3<br />
MICHAEL ALA'ALATOA 1301 25 SEP 21 16+2 2 10 12+1 1 5 4+1 1 5 28+15 5 25 23+7 3 15 5+8 2 10 3 WS 12<br />
AITZOL ARENZANA-KING 1316 28 JAN 23 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - - -<br />
RYAN BAIRD 1278 27 APR 19 9+2 3 15 6+1 2 10 3+1 1 5 28+21 10 50 23+15 9 45 5+6 1 5 1 IR 11<br />
LEE BARRON 1308 23 APR 22 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - 0+5 - - 0+5 - - - - - - -<br />
JACK BOYLE 1317 18 FEB 23 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - - -<br />
BEN BROWNLEE 1313 28 OCT 22 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - - -<br />
ED BYRNE 1222 9 FEB 14 4+5 1 5 4+3 - - 0+2 1 5 31+63 13 65 31+48 11 55 0+15 2 10 3 IR 6<br />
HARRY BYRNE 1280 28 SEP 19 5+6 2 55 5+2 2 45 0+4 - 10 26+21 8 238 26+16 8 223 0+5 - 15 4 IR 2<br />
ROSS BYRNE 1236 4 SEP 15 12+4 - 114 7+4 - 67 5 - 47 97+47 9 940 78+25 4 663 19+22 5 277 27 IR 19<br />
TOM CLARKSON 1285 29 AUG 20 2+4 1 5 2+4 1 5 - - - 8+16 1 5 8+16 1 5 - - - 5 -<br />
JACK CONAN 1223 20 FEB 14 7+4 - - 4+2 - - 3+2 - - 98+30 25 125 67+18 16 80 31+12 9 45 21 IR 38<br />
WILL CONNORS 1264 9 FEB 18 1+7 - - 1+7 - - - - - 19+14 2 10 18+14 2 10 1 - - 20 IR 9<br />
HUGH COONEY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />
CHRIS COSGRAVE 1305 26 MAR 22 2+1 1 5 2+1 1 5 - - - 3+2 1 5 3+2 1 5 - - - 3 -<br />
JAMES CULHANE 1315 28 JAN 23 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - - -<br />
MAX DEEGAN 1256 3 DEC 16 9+1 3 15 9 3 15 0+1 - - 52+42 27 135 49+29 25 125 3+13 2 10 1 IR 2<br />
BRIAN DEENY 1306 23 APR 22 4+5 2 10 4+4 2 10 0+1 - - 6+5 2 10 6+4 2 10 0+1 - - 4 -<br />
CAELAN DORIS 1268 28 APR 18 8+1 2 10 4+1 - - 4 2 10 55+9 10 50 37+7 6 30 18+2 4 20 2 IR 28<br />
CORMAC FOLEY 1299 24 APR 21 2+4 1 5 2+4 1 5 - - - 4+7 2 10 4+7 2 10 - - - 4 -<br />
CIARAN FRAWLEY 1265 17 FEB 18 4+3 - 9 4+2 - 9 0+1 - - 35+28 7 188 32+19 5 172 3+9 2 16 9 -<br />
TADHG FURLONG 1220 1 NOV 13 2+1 - - 1+1 - - 1 - - 87+43 10 50 48+35 3 15 39+8 7 35 9 IR 65<br />
JAMISON GIBSON-PARK 1247 2 SEP 16 6+1 1 5 2 - - 4+1 1 5 66+57 23 115 51+30 15 75 15+27 8 40 1 IR 25<br />
FINTAN GUNNE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />
MARCUS HANAN 1295 19 FEB 21 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 0+4 - - 0+4 - - - - - - -<br />
CIAN HEALY 1142 5 MAY 07 4+7 - - 4+2 - - 0+5 - - 164+96 30 150 97+58 16 80 65+37 13 65 12 IR 123<br />
ROBBIE HENSHAW 1251 8 OCT 16 5+1 1 5 4+1 1 5 1 - - 71+3 17 85 33+2 8 40 38+1 9 45 4 IR 63<br />
JASON JENKINS 1310 17 SEP 22 10+3 2 10 9+2 2 10 1+1 - - 10+3 2 10 9+2 2 10 1+1 - - 10 SA 1<br />
DAVE KEARNEY 1158 16 MAY 09 9 3 15 9 3 15 - - - 159+23 55 275 133+16 48 240 25+6 7 35 2 IR 19<br />
HUGO KEENAN 1253 5 NOV 16 8 4 20 3 1 5 5 3 15 49+3 13 65 31+3 6 30 18 7 35 2 IR 30<br />
RONAN KELLEHER 1277 22 FEB 19 6+3 4 20 4+1 1 5 2+2 3 15 35+10 17 85 20+6 12 60 15+4 5 25 2 IR 21<br />
JORDAN LARMOUR 1258 2 SEP 17 12+1 5 25 9 3 15 3+1 2 10 76+11 32 160 49+7 23 115 27+4 9 45 4 IR 30<br />
46 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
SQUAD CAP NO DEBUT<br />
2022/23 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER<br />
ALL GAMES URC EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14/URC EPCR<br />
App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts<br />
SINCE LAST TRY<br />
CAPS<br />
TEMI LASISI 1304 12 MAR 22 - - - - - - - - - 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - - -<br />
JAMES LOWE 1262 2 DEC 17 5 3 15 2 1 5 3 2 10 68+2 50 250 41+1 29 145 27+1 21 105 3 IR 20<br />
GUS MCCARTHY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />
JOE MCCARTHY 1303 29 JAN 22 3+3 - - 2+2 - - 1+1 - - 11+6 1 5 10+2 1 5 1+4 - - 8 IR 1<br />
NICK MCCARTHY 1241 19 DEC 15 1+12 - - 1+11 - - 0+1 - - 10+49 5 25 10+42 5 25 0+7 - - 19 -<br />
TADGH MCELROY 1312 28 OCT 22 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - - -<br />
LUKE MCGRATH 1206 5 MAY 12 12+4 7 35 11+1 6 30 1+3 1 5 126+65 48 240 90+50 39 195 36+15 9 45 4 IR 19<br />
JOHN MCKEE 1307 23 APR 22 5+8 2 10 5+7 2 10 0+1 - - 7+9 2 10 7+8 2 10 0+1 - - 8 -<br />
MICHAEL MILNE 1279 28 SEP 19 5+6 4 20 5+4 4 20 0+2 - - 6+22 6 30 6+20 6 30 0+2 - - 1 -<br />
MARTIN MOLONEY 1300 24 APR 21 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - 2+8 - - 2+8 - - - - - - -<br />
ROSS MOLONY 1233 20 FEB 15 15+5 - - 12+3 - - 3+2 - - 97+62 5 25 84+45 4 20 13+17 1 5 36 -<br />
BEN MURPHY 1309 21 MAY 22 - - - - - - - - - 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - - -<br />
CHARLIE NGATAI 1311 17 SEP 22 9+2 - - 7+2 - - 2 - - 9+2 - - 7+2 - - 2 - - - NZ 1<br />
JAMIE OSBORNE 1294 30 JAN 21 10+2 1 5 8+1 - - 2+1 1 5 23+8 2 10 21+7 1 5 2+1 1 5 4 -<br />
JIMMY O'BRIEN 1272 23 NOV 18 14 3 15 9 1 5 5 2 10 57+10 19 99 43+9 11 59 14+1 8 40 3 IR 5<br />
SEAN O'BRIEN 1297 12 MAR 21 - - - - - - - - - 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - - -<br />
TOMMY O'BRIEN 1283 20 DEC 19 - - - - - - - - - 10+11 6 30 10+9 6 30 0+2 - - 2 -<br />
MAX O'REILLY 1291 2 JAN 21 2 1 5 2 1 5 - - - 10+1 2 10 10+1 2 10 - - - 1 -<br />
SCOTT PENNY 1271 23 NOV 18 10+3 5 25 10+1 5 25 0+2 - - 44+10 28 140 44+8 28 140 0+2 - - 2 -<br />
ANDREW PORTER 1246 2 SEP 16 9+4 4 20 4+4 2 10 5 2 10 50+54 18 90 33+35 12 60 17+19 6 30 1 IR 53<br />
GARRY RINGROSE 1237 12 SEP 15 10+1 6 30 6+1 4 20 4 2 10 110+3 36 188 66+2 23 123 44+1 13 65 1 IR 50<br />
RHYS RUDDOCK 1167 6 DEC 09 10 3 15 10 3 15 - - - 166+54 15 75 128+35 13 65 37+17 2 10 3 IR 27<br />
ROB RUSSELL 1302 3 OCT 21 7+4 9 45 7+4 9 45 - - - 10+6 9 45 10+6 9 45 - - - 1 -<br />
CHARLIE RYAN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />
JAMES RYAN 1259 2 SEP 17 9+3 1 5 4+3 - - 5 1 5 61+9 4 20 31+4 1 5 30+5 3 15 6 IR 53<br />
JOHNNY SEXTON 1127 27 JAN 06 3+2 1 32 3+1 1 30 0+1 - 2 159+30 27 1646 92+22 14 887 65+8 12 728 4 I R 113<br />
DAN SHEEHAN 1286 23 OCT 20 10+3 9 45 7+1 8 40 3+2 1 5 19+23 25 125 15+14 21 105 4+9 4 20 4 IR 17<br />
ANDREW SMITH 1292 2 JAN 21 - - - - - - - - - 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - - -<br />
ALEX SOROKA 1296 28 FEB 21 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 2+5 - - 2+5 - - - - - - -<br />
CHARLIE TECTOR 1314 28 OCT 22 0+5 1 9 0+5 1 9 - - - 0+5 1 9 0+5 1 9 - - - 2 -<br />
JAMES TRACY 1211 4 NOV 12 - - - - - - - - - 64+77 18 90 57+48 17 85 7+29 1 5 5 IR 6<br />
LIAM TURNER 1287 23 OCT 20 8+2 2 10 8+1 2 10 0+1 - - 12+4 2 10 12+3 2 10 0+1 - - 4 -<br />
JOSH VAN DER FLIER 1228 11 OCT 14 10+1 7 35 5+1 2 10 5 5 25 100+25 25 125 57+19 10 50 43+6 15 75 2 IR 50<br />
KICKING<br />
2022/23 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER<br />
SUCCESS<br />
ALL GAMES URC EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14/URC EPCR OVERALL<br />
RATE C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG ATT Career %<br />
HARRY BYRNE 62.86% 21 1 - 16 1 - 5 - - 84 10 - 78 9 - 6 1 - 127 74.02%<br />
ROSS BYRNE 84.13% 45 8 - 26 5 - 19 3 - 299 98 1 221 66 1 78 32 - 503 78.93%<br />
CIARAN FRAWLEY 100.00% 3 1 - 3 1 - - - - 57 13 - 54 13 - 3 - - 84 83.33%<br />
JIMMY O'BRIEN - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - 2 - - - - - 4 50.00%<br />
GARRY RINGROSE - - - - - - - - - - 4 - - 4 - - - - - 6 66.67%<br />
JOHNNY SEXTON 68.42% 12 1 - 11 1 - 1 - - 277 308 11 140 172 7 130 132 4 733 79.81%<br />
CHARLIE TECTOR 66.67% 2 - - 2 - - - - - 2 - - 2 - - - - - 3 66.67%<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 47
TITLE PARTNER<br />
OFFICAL KIT PARTNER<br />
PREMIUM PARTNERS<br />
PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS<br />
MEDIA PARTNERS<br />
48 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Bank of Ireland<br />
Match Day Mascots<br />
MAX<br />
QUINLAN<br />
Age: 12<br />
School: Kill O The Grange National School,<br />
Deansgrange, Co. Dublin.<br />
Class: 5th Class<br />
Hobbies and interests: <strong>Rugby</strong>, piano<br />
and computer games<br />
MAX<br />
LAWLOR<br />
Age: 10<br />
School: Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh<br />
Class: 3rd Class<br />
Hobbies and interests: Lego, sport and music<br />
Favourite player: Johnny Sexton<br />
Favourite player: Johnny Sexton<br />
but loves all the players.
Squads<br />
matchday<br />
15<br />
14<br />
13<br />
12<br />
11<br />
10<br />
9<br />
Hugo KEENAN<br />
Jimmy O’BRIEN<br />
Garry RINGROSE<br />
Robbie HENSHAW<br />
James LOWE<br />
Ross BYRNE<br />
Jamison GIBSON-PARK<br />
FULL BACK<br />
RIGHT WING<br />
OUTSIDE CENTRE<br />
INSIDE CENTRE<br />
LEFT WING<br />
FLY HALF<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
Andrew PORTER<br />
Dan SHEEHAN<br />
Tadhg FURLONG<br />
Ross MOLONY<br />
James RYAN [C]<br />
Ryan BAIRD<br />
Caelan DORIS<br />
Jack CONAN<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
HOOKER<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
SECOND ROW<br />
SECOND ROW<br />
BLINDSIDE FLANKER<br />
OPENSIDE FLANKER<br />
NUMBER 8<br />
16<br />
17<br />
18<br />
19<br />
20<br />
21<br />
22<br />
23<br />
John McKEE<br />
Cian HEALY<br />
Michael ALA’ALATOA<br />
Jason JENKINS<br />
Scott PENNY<br />
Luke McGRATH<br />
Harry BYRNE<br />
Ciarán FRAWLEY<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT
officials<br />
REFEREE: NIKA AMASHUKELI (GEORGIA)<br />
ASSISTANT REFEREE 1: PIERRE BROUSSET (FRANCE)<br />
ASSISTANT REFEREE 2: TUAL TRAININI (FRANCE)<br />
TMO: ERIC GAUZINS (FRANCE)<br />
FULL BACK<br />
Mike BROWN 15<br />
RIGHT WING<br />
OUTSIDE CENTRE<br />
INSIDE CENTRE<br />
LEFT WING<br />
FLY HALF<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
Anthony WATSON<br />
Harry POTTER<br />
Dan KELLY<br />
Freddie STEWARD<br />
Handré POLLARD<br />
Jack VAN POORTVLIET<br />
14<br />
13<br />
12<br />
11<br />
10<br />
9<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
HOOKER<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
SECOND ROW<br />
SECOND ROW<br />
BLINDSIDE FLANKER<br />
OPENSIDE FLANKER<br />
NUMBER 8<br />
James CRONIN<br />
Julián MONTOYA [C]<br />
Joe HEYES<br />
George MARTIN<br />
Cameron HENDERSON<br />
Hanro LIEBENBERG<br />
Tommy REFFELL<br />
Jasper WIESE<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
Charlie CLARE<br />
Tom WEST<br />
Dan COLE<br />
Eli SNYMAN<br />
Olly CRACKNELL<br />
Sam WOLSTENHOLME<br />
Charlie ATKINSON<br />
Jimmy GOPPERTH<br />
16<br />
17<br />
18<br />
19<br />
20<br />
21<br />
22<br />
23
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Season Ticket<br />
Renewals Open<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
have launched<br />
their Season<br />
Tickets for<br />
2023/24 and<br />
as always, the<br />
first step<br />
is a renewal<br />
process<br />
for those<br />
with a seat<br />
currently.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> have 12,248<br />
Season Ticket Holders this season,<br />
and the club has confirmed that<br />
there would again be no increase<br />
in the price of the season tickets<br />
for the coming season.<br />
The club also confirmed that the Guinness<br />
Fan Zone has again been confirmed for<br />
next season at the RDS Arena following<br />
a hugely popular debut season in<br />
2022/23.<br />
Once again, a number of local bands<br />
and DJs have been secured to provide<br />
pre and post-match entertainment for all<br />
supporters at games at the RDS Arena<br />
and a number of additional match-day<br />
activations are also being looked at for<br />
the 2023/24 season.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> CEO, Shane Nolan, said,<br />
“The current season is still very much<br />
alive and going strong but the planning<br />
for next year and indeed beyond that,<br />
can’t wait.<br />
“We have had a brilliant reaction from<br />
our supporters this season and it’s been<br />
heartening to get through a full season<br />
with no interruptions and to see that<br />
confidence in our Season Ticket numbers<br />
and in our match day attendances.<br />
“We are though mindful that we are<br />
all making our way out of the impact<br />
of Covid-19 and an on-going cost of<br />
living crisis and for that reason, we have<br />
decided that prices for 2023/24 will stay<br />
as they are.<br />
“<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> supporters stood by us<br />
during the Covid-19 pandemic and we<br />
feel that it’s important that we recognise<br />
that fact.”<br />
Nolan also confirmed that Season Ticket<br />
Holders would not be impacted over the<br />
course of the 2023/24 season by any<br />
redevelopment works at the RDS Arena<br />
but that an update from the RDS would be<br />
the next step in the process.<br />
“Both <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> and the RDS Arena<br />
are hugely excited by the work already<br />
underway.<br />
“As a club we are supporting the work<br />
of the RDS, on what is an exciting multipurpose<br />
Arena regeneration project, to<br />
ensure that this important opportunity<br />
advances. We are excited about our<br />
long-term future in the RDS, especially<br />
having recently signed a 25-year<br />
agreement.<br />
“When the time is right, the RDS will<br />
give the next update and I know our<br />
supporters are looking forward hugely<br />
to that.”<br />
As well as confirming the pricing strategy,<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> also confirmed that<br />
Season Tickets would include entry to all<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> Women’s games, as well<br />
as any <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> ‘A’ games played<br />
during the regular season, excluding<br />
play-offs and finals.<br />
The key dates for current Season Ticket<br />
Holders and for members of the public<br />
looking to purchase season tickets were<br />
also confirmed by the club.<br />
Supporters with a seat currently will have<br />
until 14 April 2023 to renew, after which<br />
time the tickets will be made available to<br />
the waiting list and finally, from 26 April<br />
2023, the remaining tickets will be made<br />
available to the general public.<br />
“I think we have seen so many positives<br />
on the pitch this season from Leo Cullen<br />
and his squad of players and from Tania<br />
Rosser and her squad and you see the<br />
talent that is coming through the player<br />
pathway from our clubs and our schools,”<br />
continued Nolan.<br />
“Supporters are seeing the best of talent<br />
on a weekly basis in Energia Park, in the<br />
RDS and in the Aviva and I know there is<br />
a real and genuine excitement for what’s<br />
to come next season and beyond.”<br />
The renewal window for <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Season Tickets opens this morning, while<br />
remaining tickets will be available to the<br />
public from 26 April 2023.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 53
offical leinster<br />
supporters club<br />
Welcome to what we hope will<br />
be a very good Friday at the final<br />
whistle around 10pm tonight,<br />
as we welcome the visitors from<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> for the first match of the<br />
Heineken Champions Cup quarterfinals<br />
weekend.<br />
We met <strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> last year in the<br />
quarter-final in Mattioli Woods Welford<br />
Road, where we overcame our hosts<br />
23-14 to secure a place in the semi-final.<br />
It certainly won’t be an easy night here<br />
in the Aviva. <strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> is a form<br />
side, currently third in the Gallagher<br />
Premiership, and no doubt will want to<br />
upset the local side today with a win to<br />
continue their European adventure, and<br />
perhaps seek out a bit of revenge for our<br />
victory last year on their home turf. This<br />
is the sixth time that the two sides with<br />
six European titles between them will be<br />
going head-to-head in the knockout stage<br />
of the tournament when we meet tonight.<br />
Ní hé lá na báistí lá na bpáistí (the day<br />
of rain is not the day of children). Living<br />
in Ireland we all know that trying to plan<br />
and do anything when it’s wet can be an<br />
unpleasant ordeal hence our obsession<br />
with the weather. There is nothing like<br />
relentless Irish rain to dampen people’s<br />
spirits and increase their irritability.<br />
Gladly that was not the case here last<br />
Saturday, a sell-out crowd enthusiastically<br />
made the trip to the Aviva to shout loud,<br />
very loud for the lads, rain was certainly<br />
not going to dampen our spirits. It was<br />
a tough game against our interprovincial<br />
rivals in very challenging conditions,<br />
sometimes it looked more like a summer’s<br />
day slip’n slide minus the sun than a<br />
rugby match.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> dug deep and took the challenge<br />
on and secured a spot in the next stage<br />
of the competition. The Sea of Blue<br />
was incredible, we created an intense<br />
cauldron of noise and colour and we<br />
will need that today more than ever.<br />
It’s a reduced capacity Aviva, six-day<br />
turnarounds are no fun, it puts that extra<br />
bit of pressure on everyone involved,<br />
players, coaches, staff, and supporters,<br />
but as we have always said <strong>Leinster</strong> do<br />
enjoy doing things the hard way.<br />
If you made the trip to Welford Road last<br />
season you will remember the atmosphere<br />
on the ground. <strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> are an<br />
old traditional rugby club situated in the<br />
midlands of the UK and the home crowd<br />
are very noisy. Welford Road is a tough<br />
place to go and win, the atmosphere is<br />
electric but we took it over last year with<br />
the huge travelling support.<br />
During the week, Leo spoke about the<br />
amazing support and how important<br />
it is for the team, who get a real boost<br />
from this. Last week was a hard game<br />
and we expect no difference. Tonight we<br />
will need to get behind the team straight<br />
away, so please be loud, very loud let<br />
the team hear you. We know what a win<br />
will bring, one step closer to that muchcoveted<br />
prize, the elusive fifth star, a<br />
place in history, and all roads lead home<br />
this year hopefully paved in blue.<br />
It was an early and wet start for some<br />
last week as an army of volunteers took<br />
to the Aviva early in the morning to flag<br />
the stadium, and wasn’t it worth it, it was<br />
amazing. We had two supporter bases<br />
last week, the Sandymount Hotel and<br />
next-door neighbours Lansdowne FC. It<br />
was a great build-up to the game despite<br />
the weather, we were supplied with<br />
plenty of covered space, a face painter,<br />
and plenty of food and drink options,<br />
and Leo the Lion even joined in the fun.<br />
Thanks very much to both venues for their<br />
amazing hospitality and a huge thanks to<br />
all our volunteers who turned up to help<br />
with early flagging, the SOB, and the<br />
giant pitch flag. As we always say none<br />
of this is possible without all the help that<br />
we get on a regular basis.<br />
As always we are very thankful for the<br />
support we as a committee get from<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong>, Bank of Ireland, and all<br />
the corporate sponsors, and as always<br />
we encourage you to show your support<br />
through our social media channels.<br />
Be loud, be true, be blue!<br />
The OLSC Committee<br />
olsc@leisterrugby.ie<br />
54 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
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2022/23<br />
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Bank of Ireland<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> Summer<br />
Camps launch for 2023!<br />
The 2023 Bank<br />
of Ireland<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Summer Camps<br />
have officially<br />
launched, with<br />
29 camps to<br />
choose from<br />
around the 12<br />
counties.<br />
The summer camps are open to<br />
girls and boys aged six to 12 and<br />
all of the camps are run by fully<br />
accredited IRFU coaches. Each<br />
camp runs from Monday to Friday<br />
and from 9.30am to 1pm.<br />
The summer camps, which will take place<br />
in 28 different locations all across the<br />
province in July and August, offer children<br />
the chance to learn to play the <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
way while having plenty of fun!<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> have also announced that<br />
with the change in the rugby schedule<br />
this summer due to the <strong>Rugby</strong> World Cup,<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> players will once again be<br />
available and will make appearances at<br />
this year’s summer camps.<br />
There are also a number of new venues<br />
added reflecting the growth in popularity<br />
of the camps, including; Rathfarnham/<br />
Stillorgan, Birr, Carlingford Knights,<br />
Carlow and Roscrea rugby clubs.<br />
Ray McCabe, <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> Summer<br />
Camp Co-ordinator, said, “We’re thrilled<br />
to have Bank of Ireland on board again<br />
as the title sponsor of our <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
summer camps.<br />
“And it’s brilliant as well to have the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> players back visiting<br />
our camps. The players playing for Leo<br />
Cullen and for Tania Rosser, they are the<br />
stars of the show and it’s a real bonus to<br />
have them back visiting our camps and<br />
inspiring all the boys and girls.<br />
“We know from the feedback we receive<br />
that the kids really enjoy meeting the<br />
players and we look forward to having<br />
them back this summer.”<br />
As well as learning to play the <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
way, making new friends and having lots<br />
of fun, each child will also receive a pack<br />
including a rugby training t-shirt, a Rhino<br />
rugby ball and a boot bag.<br />
They will also get one free ticket to a<br />
selected <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> game.<br />
The cost of attending the camp will be<br />
€90 per child.<br />
For more information, and to book<br />
your place before it’s too late, visit<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><strong>Rugby</strong>.ie<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 57
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TO LEINSTER RUGBY<br />
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or email: info@bdo.ie<br />
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GETTING<br />
We check social media<br />
for the latest views<br />
and thoughts across<br />
SOCIAL<br />
the 12 counties<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 61
WHERE<br />
ARE THEY<br />
NOW?<br />
KELVIN BY DES BERRY<br />
LEAHY<br />
THEN - Kelvin<br />
played for<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> between<br />
1989 and 1995.<br />
NOW - The Head<br />
of 5th year at St<br />
Michael’s College<br />
and his wife<br />
Deirdre live<br />
in Glenageary.<br />
They have<br />
three children<br />
Jennifer (30),<br />
Kelvin (28) and<br />
Bobby (24).<br />
62 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Munster<br />
by birth.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> by<br />
the grace<br />
of God.<br />
Kelvin Leahy was born in Cork<br />
and was educated at Crescent<br />
College Comprehensive in Limerick<br />
where he was captain of the<br />
1983 Munster Schools Senior Cup<br />
triumph.<br />
In fact, the 57-year-old made his way to<br />
Kilkee, in West Clare, recently to attend<br />
the 40-year commemoration of that<br />
glorious day.<br />
“It was such a joy. Everyone is still fit and<br />
well,” he said.<br />
A Munster man through and through. So<br />
you would think.<br />
In 1984, Kelvin came to the capital city<br />
to join his brother at Wanderers and the<br />
attraction was as good as immediate.<br />
In September of the same year, the first<br />
experience of senior rugby for Wanderers<br />
came alongside Ireland internationals<br />
Robbie McGrath, Mick Fitzpatrick, Ian<br />
Burns and Jerry Holland against English<br />
club Waterloo in Lansdowne Road.<br />
“Really, straight off, I felt Dublin was the<br />
place for me and <strong>Leinster</strong> would be my<br />
preferred choice rather than travelling up<br />
and down long-term.”<br />
In 1984, Kelvin was invited to join the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> U19s and U20s in the same year<br />
by coaches Eddie Wigglesworth and<br />
Johnny Molony, also captaining the U20<br />
Combined Provinces, now known as the<br />
Ireland U20s, for two years in 1984 and<br />
1985.<br />
“I loved it from the get-go at <strong>Leinster</strong>. But,<br />
I went through a couple of years of injury<br />
issues with my shoulder and knee, which<br />
meant I missed out.”<br />
The entry into provincial rugby was<br />
delayed until 1989 which wasn’t unusual<br />
in the amateur era, especially for a<br />
forward.<br />
“After the injuries, I wasn’t sure whether<br />
I would be able to continue playing<br />
because they were both joint problems.<br />
They were giving me a lot of recurring<br />
problems. Then, they started to settle<br />
down.<br />
“<strong>Leinster</strong> were not the force they are now<br />
at the time and I suspect they sent out<br />
selectors to have a look for new players.<br />
I think the coach Roly Meates rang me<br />
and asked me to come to training. And<br />
that was it.”<br />
By the time he made the step up, Kelvin<br />
had already been playing with Ireland<br />
internationals Ronan Kearney, Paddy<br />
Kenny and Phil Matthews at Wanderers.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 63
“It was a brilliant environment for<br />
learning,” he says.<br />
“My first game for <strong>Leinster</strong> was in late<br />
1989 against Connacht. I knew it was<br />
a way to impress for the match against<br />
New Zealand later that month.<br />
“It worked out for me. I stayed in to play<br />
against the All Blacks. That was the first<br />
taste of ‘big boys’ rugby.”<br />
It came just one week before Willie<br />
Anderson’s infamous march of his Ireland<br />
teammates to the halfway line during the<br />
Haka.<br />
The Whetton brothers Gary and Alan,<br />
Zinzan Brooke and future British & Irish<br />
Lions coach Warren Gatland were all<br />
playing against <strong>Leinster</strong>.<br />
“In 1989, we played New Zealand when<br />
they were world champions and, in 1992,<br />
we played Australia when they were<br />
world champions.<br />
“That was my chance to play against<br />
the Wallaby loose forward Willie<br />
Ofahengaue and out-half Michael<br />
Lynagh. I mean you were playing against<br />
your heroes.<br />
“It is such a shame that those types of<br />
games are gone in the professional era.<br />
Now, they may come back because of<br />
the experience of Ireland playing the<br />
Maori in New Zealand last summer.<br />
“I also played for Ireland against the All<br />
Blacks in 1992, unfortunately breaking<br />
my fibula in the middle of an epic test<br />
match, losing 24-21 in Carisbrook.<br />
“Those were amazing experiences,” he<br />
adds.<br />
“I suppose what you noticed were the<br />
speed of the game, the sensation of the<br />
sheer weight of the hits and their body<br />
height.”<br />
It is those high-profile tour tests that<br />
stick in the memory rather than the<br />
interprovincial matches.<br />
“In terms of <strong>Leinster</strong>, the experience at<br />
the time was fantastic, playing against<br />
the world champions in 1989 and 1992<br />
as well as going up against Ulster, the<br />
dominant province back then during the<br />
80s and early 90s.”<br />
In 1991, Kelvin was captain of <strong>Leinster</strong> for<br />
most of the season, following on from a<br />
stint in the role for Wanderers.<br />
“I had captained every team all the way<br />
up along, bar the Irish Schools, including<br />
captaining Ireland for the midweek<br />
games in New Zealand.”<br />
It was in the blood. His father Mick Leahy<br />
was capped by Ireland in 1964 and<br />
captained Highfield when they last won<br />
the Munster Senior Cup in 1968.<br />
“He would have had a big influence<br />
over my captaincy. He passed on the<br />
importance of preparation.<br />
“A captain needs to prepare for the<br />
dressing room, words on the field and<br />
tactically. He instilled in me that you<br />
criticised the group, never the individual.”<br />
In 1995, Kelvin was called back up by<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> for one match after a few years in<br />
the wilderness, losing out to Connacht at<br />
The Sportsground.<br />
“I needed to be as fit and strong as<br />
possible. I wasn’t the most talented player<br />
in the world. I didn’t have the best skills.<br />
When I wasn’t, I struggled a little bit.<br />
“I was delighted to play because my<br />
brothers Colin and Shane were playing<br />
for Connacht. But, at that point in my<br />
career, the injuries had taken a toll on my<br />
strength and fitness.<br />
“It was my one and only experience as a<br />
professional. I distinctly remember getting<br />
a cheque sometime after the match for<br />
500 pounds.”<br />
It is the characters that live as long in the<br />
memory as the matches when it comes to<br />
recalling those days in blue.<br />
“It was serious and it was fun. Gary<br />
Halpin was just so much fun. He was the<br />
64 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
I suppose what you<br />
noticed were the<br />
speed of the game,<br />
the sensation of the<br />
sheer weight of the<br />
hits and their body<br />
height.<br />
life and soul in a very positive way. Nick<br />
Popplewell was a great person. Peter<br />
Purcell from Lansdowne was another.”<br />
In the early 2000s, Kelvin made the lifechanging<br />
decision to switch careers to<br />
satisfy a long-time interest.<br />
He left fund management to pursue a<br />
Higher Diploma at Trinity and secured a<br />
job in St Michael’s College where he has<br />
been for 15 years and is currently Head<br />
of 5th Year.<br />
In 2012, Kelvin was head coach, assisted<br />
by Bernard Jackman and Shane Hunt,<br />
when St Michael’s won the Senior Cup<br />
for the second time with future Ireland<br />
internationals Dan Leavy, Ross Byrne,<br />
Ross Molony, Josh Murphy, Cian Kelleher<br />
and Rory O’Loughlin.<br />
“I became a teacher at the ripe old age<br />
of 42,” he shares.<br />
Why? “I had always thought about it. It<br />
is the ability to work with young people,<br />
to have the privilege to guide them, push<br />
them, encourage them, to be a role model<br />
for them.<br />
“I love it, absolutely love it. It is a great<br />
joy.”<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 65
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Referees<br />
Corner<br />
BY DAN WALLACE<br />
A warm welcome to another issue of<br />
Referees Corner. We’re looking forward<br />
to a great encounter this evening<br />
between <strong>Leinster</strong> and <strong>Leicester</strong>.<br />
Today’s match referee is Nika<br />
Amashukeli from Georgia. This is<br />
his second time refereeing <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
having refereed <strong>Leinster</strong> v Cell C<br />
Sharks in the URC last year.<br />
Nika is no stranger to Ireland. In 2013,<br />
the Georgian <strong>Rugby</strong> Union started<br />
a program aimed at improving the<br />
standard of Georgian referees; a new<br />
relationship with IRFU was started.<br />
This included Irish referees regularly<br />
officiating Georgian domestic league<br />
matches, Georgian referees officiating<br />
All-Ireland League matches and<br />
attending IRFU workshops. Nika was<br />
among the first young referees recruited<br />
through this program in 2013. His first<br />
match in Ireland was between Old<br />
Christians and St Mary’s in the Munster<br />
Junior League.<br />
Amashukeli made his test debut as a<br />
referee in the Montenegro v Estonia in<br />
the European Nations Cup Third Division<br />
match on 11 April 2015. In 2021,<br />
Nika had a successful debut in July<br />
internationals, having officiated on Wales<br />
v Canada match, the first ever Georgian<br />
to do ta Tier 1 nations game.<br />
As of February 2023, Nika Amashukeli<br />
was included in World <strong>Rugby</strong>’s list of<br />
candidates to be a referee at the 2023<br />
<strong>Rugby</strong> World Cup. We wish him well.<br />
He is assisted by Pierre Brousset and<br />
Tual Trainini of France. The TMO is Eric<br />
Gauzins, also of France.<br />
68 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Want to get<br />
involved?<br />
Feel free to make contact with<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> Referees at<br />
hayley.whyte@leinsterrugby.ie<br />
If you are interested in becoming<br />
a referee get in contact with<br />
us through our Facebook, our<br />
website<br />
www.leinsterrugbyreferees.ie<br />
or through twitter<br />
@leinsterreferee.<br />
The <strong>Leinster</strong> Schools Junior<br />
Challenge Cup final took place<br />
on 27 March between Blackrock<br />
College and St Michael’s College<br />
in Energia Park. Well done to<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> Referees<br />
officiating team of Paul O’Connor<br />
(Referee), SImon Owens and<br />
Jonathon Hollywood (Touch<br />
Judges), James Fegan and Keith<br />
Spendlove (4th and 5th Official).<br />
In a well-refereed and tightly<br />
contested game a late try by<br />
Conall Power secured a 53rd<br />
Bank of Ireland <strong>Leinster</strong> Schools<br />
Junior Cup title for Blackrock in<br />
dramatic fashion.<br />
Well done to Brian MacNeice who was<br />
TMO for Saracens v Ospreys in the<br />
Heineken Champions Cup last weekend<br />
and Paul Haycock who was AR2 for<br />
Stade Francais v Lyon in the European<br />
Challenge Cup. Paul O’Conor and<br />
Colm Roche were on the line for the<br />
meeting of Italy U18 and Ireland<br />
Schools. We’ve plenty of referees in<br />
action over the coming weeks as the<br />
All-Ireland League, All-Ireland U20s<br />
and many cup competitions come to a<br />
conclusion.<br />
Have you just finished playing<br />
and find yourself wondering how<br />
you can stay involved in rugby<br />
or planning on retiring at the<br />
end of this season? Then perhaps<br />
refereeing is the next step for<br />
you. Increasingly, more and more<br />
players who have decided to<br />
hang up the boots are continuing<br />
their rugby journey by taking up<br />
the whistle.<br />
Why? Refereeing is an excellent way<br />
to maintain your fitness level after you<br />
retire. You are still getting out on the<br />
pitch and enjoying the game from the<br />
best seat in the house. Your playing<br />
experience will certainly also stand to<br />
you in terms of your ability to read the<br />
game and in understanding what the<br />
players are trying to achieve.<br />
All the provincial associations/societies<br />
have members who are former players,<br />
and they referee at all levels from<br />
age-grade right up to the All Ireland<br />
League. Some have even progressed<br />
into High Performance and officiate at<br />
the highest level. Andrew Brace, Frank<br />
Murphy and Joy Neville all enjoyed<br />
distinguished playing careers before<br />
taking up the whistle. They all referee in<br />
the professional game now.<br />
If you are thinking about giving<br />
refereeing a try, contact the Referee<br />
Development Manager in <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong>.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 69
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> help train<br />
the Irish Defence Forces<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong>’s<br />
dedicated<br />
Coach<br />
Development<br />
Staff provide<br />
a range of<br />
coaching<br />
courses for<br />
the Childrens,<br />
Youth and<br />
Adult game<br />
throughout<br />
the season.<br />
Our coaching courses are<br />
delivered through a blended<br />
learning approach using<br />
online methods and we deliver<br />
professional on-site coaching<br />
workshops and clinics throughout<br />
the province, tailored to the<br />
coaches needs in both our clubs<br />
and schools.<br />
Recently, our Coach Development staff<br />
delivered a coaching course to the Irish<br />
Defence Forces in the Defence Forces<br />
Training Centre in the Curragh camp.<br />
The Defence Forces have a Senior Men’s<br />
and Women’s rugby teams who have<br />
competed against the likes of An Garda<br />
Síochána, French Armed Forces, The<br />
Royal Air Force and The Royal Navy.<br />
Both sides have had a number of<br />
personnel who have represented both<br />
their Provinces and Ireland over the years,<br />
the Women’s XV are due to play the<br />
French Armed Forces later this year with<br />
a combined An Gardai Siochana and<br />
Defence Forces Team.<br />
The Men’s XV have been invited to play<br />
in the fourth Military <strong>Rugby</strong> World Cup in<br />
France in August where they have been<br />
drawn in a group with New Zealand, Fiji<br />
and Uzbekistan. The other teams that<br />
will compete are France, UK, Australia,<br />
Japan, Spain, Netherlands, South Africa<br />
and Georgia.<br />
The Defence Forces are looking to<br />
increase the number of personnel<br />
involved in rugby within the Barracks or<br />
Military Locations throughout the country.<br />
There were 17 Personnel taking part in<br />
the course, both men and women, from<br />
the four Provinces. Going forward, theses<br />
coaches will deliver training sessions in<br />
the different barracks across the country<br />
and to develop the Unit <strong>Rugby</strong> teams<br />
for the annual Defence Forces Hooker<br />
Regan 7-a-side competition and Inter-<br />
Unit 15-a-side competition in addition to<br />
increasing the participation of personnel<br />
in both the Men’s and Women’s Senior<br />
sides.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 71
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moment in time<br />
74 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile<br />
9 April 2011<br />
It’s 12 years since <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
and <strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> last<br />
met in Dublin on 9 April<br />
2011. Isa Nacewa scored<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>’s only try in a<br />
17-10 win in the Heineken<br />
Cup quarter-final.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 75
COUNTRY ENGLAND HOME GROUND MATTIOLI WOODS WELFORD ROAD CAPACITY: 25,800<br />
last time out<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> 16<br />
Edinburgh <strong>Rugby</strong> 6<br />
FRIDAY 31 MARCH 2023 | HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP · ROUND OF 16 | WELFORD ROAD | REFEREE: MATHIEU RAYNAL<br />
LEICESTER TIGERS: Freddie Steward,<br />
Anthony Watson, Guy Porter, Jimmy<br />
Gopperth, Harry Potter, Handré Pollard,<br />
Jack van Poortvliet; James Cronin,<br />
Julian Montoya (captain), Dan Cole,<br />
George Martin, Cameron Henderson,<br />
Hanro Liebenberg, Tommy Reffell, Olly<br />
Cracknell.<br />
REPLACEMENTS: Charlie Clare, Tom<br />
West, Joe Heyes, Eli Snyman, Jasper<br />
Wiese, Sam Wolstenholme, Charlie<br />
Atkinson, Dan Kelly.<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> battle<br />
past Edinburgh<br />
EDINBURGH: Emiliano Boffelli, Darcy<br />
Graham, Mark Bennett, James Lang,<br />
Duhan van der Merwe, Blair Kinghorn,<br />
Henry Pyrgos; Pierre Schoeman, Stuart<br />
McInally, WP Nel, Sam Skinner (cocaptain),<br />
Grant Gilchrist (co-captain),<br />
Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Viliame<br />
Mata.<br />
REPLACEMENTS: David Cherry, Boan<br />
Venter, Luan de Bruin, Marshall Sykes,<br />
Luke Crosbie, Ben Vellacott, Cameron<br />
Hutchison, Damien Hoyland.<br />
REFEREE: Mathieu Raynal (France)<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> qualified for the<br />
quarter-finals of the Heineken<br />
Champions Cup after defeating<br />
Edinburgh <strong>Rugby</strong> 16-6 at Mattioli<br />
Woods Welford Road, last Friday<br />
night.<br />
Handré Pollard finished with 11 points<br />
from the tee, after landing three penaltygoals<br />
and one conversion, while Jasper<br />
Wiese was the lone try-scorer.<br />
It took just five minutes for the first points<br />
of the night when Handré Pollard put the<br />
home side ahead 3-0 when Edinburgh<br />
were penalised within range for the<br />
<strong>Leicester</strong> fly-half.<br />
Both sides traded blows in a physical<br />
first quarter before Pollard had another<br />
chance to add three, which went wide,<br />
in the 19th minute meaning the lead was<br />
just 3-0 at half-time.<br />
Wigglesworth went to his bench during<br />
the break when he brought Jasper<br />
Wiese on in place of Olly Cracknell<br />
in the back-row and the No.8 had an<br />
76 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
immediate impact, which resulted in<br />
him receiving the Heineken Star of the<br />
Match award in just 40 minutes.<br />
The scores were level after just three<br />
minutes of second-half action when<br />
Edinburgh were gifted a chance for<br />
three points in front of the posts and<br />
Emiliano Boffellin sent his first attempt<br />
successfully over the crossbar.<br />
Edinburgh’s full-back took his side<br />
into the lead, 3-6, with half an hour<br />
remaining before Wiese, with some<br />
fancy footwork and a memorable<br />
finish in the corner, crossed in the 51st<br />
minute before Pollard added the extras<br />
with a sideline conversion to make it<br />
10-6.<br />
The Scottish side missed a chance to<br />
make it a one-point game in the 55th<br />
minute when a penalty-goal attempt<br />
hit the posts and Pollard, in the 60th<br />
and 70th minutes, secured the 10-point<br />
victory with his final two penalty-goals.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 77
Thank you<br />
to all the rugby volunteers<br />
& behind-the-scenes heroes.<br />
You make the<br />
game we love possible.<br />
Think of the Possibilities
Richard<br />
Wigglesworth<br />
Head Coach<br />
Wigglesworth became <strong>Leicester</strong><br />
<strong>Tigers</strong>’ Interim Head Coach after<br />
Steve Borthwick left the club<br />
earlier this season to take charge<br />
of England.<br />
The former scrum-half was part of<br />
Borthwick’s coaching staff, while still<br />
playing. He retired earlier this season,<br />
once Borthwick left the clib.<br />
Wigglesworth had a storied playing<br />
career, featuring in two <strong>Rugby</strong> World<br />
Cups for England, along with winning<br />
seven Premiership titles and three<br />
Champions Cups as a player.<br />
Hanro<br />
Liebenberg and<br />
Julián Montoya<br />
Captains<br />
Liebenberg is club captain, with<br />
Montoya recently taking on the<br />
role of matchday captain.<br />
In 2019, Liebenberg joined <strong>Leicester</strong>, after<br />
spells with the Bulls in his native South<br />
Africa, and Stade Francais.<br />
Montoya is Argentina’s captain, and<br />
joined the club in 2021, and was part of<br />
the team that won the Premiership last<br />
season.<br />
leicester squad<br />
CHRIS ASHTON<br />
WING<br />
CHARLIE ATKINSON<br />
OUTSIDE HALF/FULL BACK<br />
MIKE BROWN<br />
FULL BACK<br />
JOE BROWNING<br />
WING<br />
ROBERT CARMICHAEL<br />
LOCK<br />
FINN CARNDUFF<br />
BACK ROW<br />
LEWIS CHESSUM<br />
BACK ROW/LOCK<br />
OLLIE CHESSUM<br />
LOCK<br />
CHARLIE CLARE<br />
HOOKER<br />
PHIL COKANASIGA<br />
CENTRE<br />
DAN COLE<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
OLLY CRACKNELL<br />
BACK ROW<br />
OLLIE CRANE<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
JAMES CRONIN<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
JACOB CUSICK<br />
CENTRE/WING<br />
GEORGE DANIELS<br />
OUTSIDE HALF<br />
NIC DOLLY<br />
HOOKER<br />
SAM EDWARDS<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
JIMMY GOPPERTH<br />
OUTSIDE HALF<br />
CALUM GREEN<br />
LOCK<br />
CAMERON HENDERSON<br />
LOCK<br />
JOE HEYES<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
TIM HOYT<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
WILL HURD<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
EMEKA ILIONE<br />
BACK ROW<br />
SEAN JANSEN<br />
BACK ROW<br />
DAN KELLY<br />
CENTRE<br />
SIMON KOROIYADI<br />
BACK ROW<br />
HANRO LIEBENBERG<br />
NO 8<br />
GEORGE LOOSE<br />
WING<br />
JOSH MANZ<br />
BACK ROW<br />
TOM MANZ<br />
LOCK<br />
GEORGE MARTIN<br />
LOCK<br />
MORGAN MEREDITH<br />
CENTRE<br />
CAMERON MIELL<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
JULIAN MONTOYA<br />
HOOKER<br />
KINI MURIMURIVALU<br />
FULL BACK/WING<br />
CHESTER OWEN<br />
BACK ROW<br />
HANDRÉ POLLARD<br />
OUTSIDE HALF<br />
GUY PORTER<br />
CENTRE<br />
HARRY POTTER<br />
CENTRE/WING<br />
TOMMY REFFELL<br />
FLANKER<br />
DAN RICHARDSON<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
HOSEA SAUMAKI<br />
WING<br />
MATT SCOTT<br />
CENTRE<br />
HARRY SIMMONS<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
SEB SMITH<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
ELI SNYMAN<br />
LOCK<br />
FREDDIE STEWARD<br />
FULL BACK<br />
JOE TAUFETE’E<br />
HOOKER<br />
JACK VAN POORTVLIET<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
FRANCOIS VAN WYK<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
ARCHIE VANES<br />
HOOKER<br />
JED MAX WALSH<br />
OUTSIDE HALF<br />
ANTHONY WATSON<br />
FULL BACK<br />
HARRY WELLS<br />
BACK ROW/LOCK<br />
TOM WEST<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
JAMES WHITCOMBE<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
TOM WHITELEY<br />
OUTSIDE HALF/SCRUM HALF<br />
JASPER WIESE<br />
BACK ROW<br />
RILEY WILLIAMS<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
SAM WOLSTENHOLME<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
JOE WOODWARD<br />
CENTRE<br />
BEN YOUNGS<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 79
Club in<br />
Focus<br />
BY DES BERRY<br />
BOYNE rfc<br />
Mahon Ronan<br />
had just been<br />
confirmed in<br />
the Ireland<br />
Schools squad<br />
for the U18<br />
Six Nations<br />
the day before<br />
our call went<br />
out to Shane<br />
Hickey, the<br />
Honorary<br />
Secretary.<br />
The achievement of Mahon is the<br />
achievement of Boyne <strong>Rugby</strong> Club<br />
where the towering second row’s<br />
love for the game was nurtured<br />
and developed by his own people.<br />
“We are a community club. That is really<br />
what we are about,” says Shane.<br />
“It is a great achievement for Mahon. His<br />
family are Boyne through and through.<br />
The club is very proud of him. Not only is<br />
he a good player, but he is also a really<br />
good young man off the field.<br />
“He represents everything rugby is about<br />
and our club is about. He comes out of a<br />
group at the club that is very close. They<br />
are a great bunch of guys.<br />
Mahon Ronan<br />
“If a child coming up through the youths<br />
has the ambition to progress, we will help<br />
them as much as we can.<br />
“But, our whole ethos is about having fun,<br />
generating fun around rugby and putting<br />
the club in the centre of our community.”<br />
It may be something of an<br />
understatement to suggest the production<br />
line for Boyne is working quite nicely.<br />
There were no less than ten Boyne boys<br />
on the North-East’s Shane Horgan Cup<br />
team in 2021/2022, namely Lochlainn<br />
Harris, Luke Carley, Jamie Byrne, Tadgh<br />
Duff, Morgan O’Reilly, Mahon Ronan,<br />
Lincoln Dé Year, Jude Woods, Orama<br />
Dauramanzi and Alex Hermitage.<br />
It is also worth noting that this<br />
representative competition is named<br />
after another product of the Boyne<br />
production line.<br />
By the time coach Damien McCabe had<br />
screened and scanned everyone for the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> U18 Clubs squad last summer,<br />
Ronan, de Year, Dauramanzi and Duff<br />
made the cut.<br />
Three of the four started in the<br />
Interprovincial Series last August and<br />
September, Ronan earning a cap<br />
at second row for the Ireland Clubs<br />
international against Italy in November.<br />
It is a high-profile reward for so many<br />
people, men and women, who gladly give<br />
their time to benefit the children of Boyne.<br />
80 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
“It is not just this year’s Youths. If you look<br />
at the Interprovincial representation from<br />
Boyne over the last number of years,<br />
Oscar King, Stefan Bors, Dylan Lynch<br />
and Oisin Lynch all played for <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Clubs in 2019/2020.”<br />
Oisin Lynch also played for Ireland clubs,<br />
while fellow international Karl Martin<br />
also played for the <strong>Leinster</strong> Youths, the<br />
Ireland U18 Clubs and the Ireland U18<br />
Schools before moving on to currently<br />
play professionally with Montpellier.<br />
“Our whole aim as a club is to increase<br />
participation in rugby in the Drogheda<br />
area,” shares Shane.<br />
“We don’t focus on the elite players in<br />
the club. We focus on everyone being<br />
able to create a link to the club, building<br />
up a culture that means the kids love<br />
coming down to play rugby and to feel a<br />
part of something that is theirs.”<br />
So true. Afterall, it is the club players that<br />
stay and play, who can hold Boyne at the<br />
centre of their lives for decades to come.<br />
“We are really pushing and promoting<br />
rugby among our minis and youths. We<br />
have over 400 kids relatively evenly<br />
split between minis and youths which is<br />
great for a Junior club, particularly in the<br />
North-East,” says Shane.<br />
“We have boys’ youth teams at U13,<br />
U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18. We have<br />
recently set up an U20s team, designed<br />
to provide the perfect step up from youths<br />
into adult rugby.<br />
“This has proved to be an important<br />
pathway for the club, with over ten<br />
players who played u20 rugby last year<br />
progressing onto the first and second<br />
team this year.”<br />
It begins with the dedication of the<br />
coaches across those two areas and<br />
the graft of a very active CCRO (Club<br />
Community <strong>Rugby</strong> Officer) Kieran<br />
O’Sullivan, who engages with schools in<br />
the area, not just in Drogheda town, but<br />
in East Meath and in South Louth.<br />
Realistically, this gives Kieran, and by<br />
extension Boyne, access to somewhere<br />
between 12,000-15,000 boys and girls<br />
around Drogheda, recognised as the<br />
biggest town in Ireland.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 81
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CCRO Kieran O’Sullivan<br />
Indeed, Kieran has coached upwards<br />
of 2,500 children this year through<br />
engagement with the schools, split<br />
equally between boys and girls.<br />
“The catchment area Kieran covers is<br />
vast, taking in 32 primary schools and<br />
nine secondary schools,” Shane says.<br />
“He visits quite a number of schools, not<br />
only to give rugby coaching but to do<br />
presentations and explanations around<br />
the game to generate the interest for kids<br />
to come down and try it out.<br />
“He has also set up a number of blitzes<br />
for the secondary and primary schools<br />
and girls-only blitzes, which is fantastic.”<br />
Boyne does not yet have a women’s<br />
senior or youths’ team. It is in the<br />
embryonic phase of a long-term plan to<br />
increase the participation of girls.<br />
“At the moment, we are starting from<br />
scratch. We’ve got quite a number of<br />
girls in the minis set-up.<br />
“It is worth noting we are one of the clubs<br />
running the ‘Give It A Try’ Programme for<br />
girls from mid-April to mid-June.<br />
“Kieran is doing all he can to attract<br />
girls to the club and we’ve got a fairly<br />
enthusiastic bunch of U10 girls, who have<br />
been involved in blitzes. We hope they<br />
will stick together.”<br />
The club has worked hard on developing<br />
positive relationships with the schools.<br />
For instance, St Mary’s Diocesan School,<br />
Drogheda Grammar and St Joseph’s CBS<br />
use the grounds at Shamrock Lodge to<br />
play matches.<br />
A host of primary schools avail of the<br />
facilities too, while St Ita’s, a coeducational<br />
school for children with mild<br />
learning needs, and Praxis Care Centre<br />
support people with mental health, autism<br />
and learning difficulties.<br />
This is proof positive of the club’s genuine<br />
care and attention to the needs of the<br />
community, giving these children a place<br />
Shane Hickey<br />
to learn and, due to the extensive space<br />
and facilities, a place to play.<br />
Boyne completed a 4G training area at<br />
the start of the season, allowing sessions<br />
to take place for seniors, youths and<br />
minis all year round.<br />
There are plans afoot to develop the<br />
grounds further, creating a venue where<br />
the changing facilities and the pitches will<br />
be top-notch.<br />
Certainly, these are exciting times at<br />
Shamrock Lodge where the generosity of<br />
volunteers and<br />
the gathering of young players is creating<br />
a community culture for all.<br />
“Regardless of the journey that our minis<br />
and youths go on in life, they will always<br />
be part of the Boyne family,” states<br />
Shane.<br />
“That is really important to us.”<br />
Lincoln de Year<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 83
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86 | www.leinsterrugby.ie<br />
r
ob<br />
ussell<br />
THE ACADEMY<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
BY PAUL CAHILL<br />
The biggest roar<br />
heard at the RDS<br />
this season didn’t<br />
come after a try<br />
or a kick.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 87
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It came after a 95 metre chase<br />
back against the DHL Stormers<br />
which resulted in a <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
penalty that stopped a certain try<br />
for the reigning URC champions.<br />
South African international, Steven<br />
Kitschoff stole a line-out on his own five<br />
metre line before popping it to Hacjivah<br />
Dayimani who had nothing but grass in<br />
front of him.<br />
Rhys Ruddock gave absolutely everything<br />
in chasing him down. Liam Turner and<br />
Ciarán Frawley put in vital tackles in the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> 22.<br />
Academy winger, Rob Russell, who was<br />
on the opposite wing, sprinted from the<br />
far corner of the pitch to get over the<br />
tackled Stormers player and went in for<br />
the poach.<br />
With Rhys Ruddock firmly latched onto<br />
him, the referee awarded <strong>Leinster</strong> the<br />
penalty and sent the RDS crowd wild.<br />
Russell admits that it was a better outcome<br />
than he had initially hoped for.<br />
“When I was chasing back, I didn’t really<br />
think we were going to catch him. I was<br />
hoping that I could stop him going under<br />
the posts and make the conversion a bit<br />
harder.<br />
“But, Rhys Ruddock and Liam Turner did<br />
great to stop him and Ciarán Frawley<br />
made the follow up tackle before I went<br />
in for the poach.<br />
“It was probably the first time I’ve ever<br />
gone for a poach to be honest. Rhys<br />
latched onto me so we weren’t going<br />
anywhere.<br />
“I was delighted to get the penalty and<br />
not get hit too hard.”<br />
With the game into the second half and<br />
with <strong>Leinster</strong> trailing the Stormers by<br />
seven, the RDS crowd were on their feet<br />
in appreciation. That act most certainly<br />
kept <strong>Leinster</strong> in the contest.<br />
It’s a roar Russell won’t forget in a hurry.<br />
“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like<br />
that before so it was a bit different. It was<br />
almost like scoring a try. It felt like we got<br />
a huge lift from the roar of the crowd.”<br />
It’s a roar he is getting used to.<br />
Rob Russell has played 11 times for<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> this season and has scored<br />
nine tries. That’s a strike rate any player in<br />
World <strong>Rugby</strong> would be happy with.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 89
It kind of felt like<br />
once I scored my<br />
first try and had<br />
that off my back, the<br />
opportunities came<br />
my way more often.<br />
Rob Russell made five appearances for<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> last season, but says that it was a<br />
key learning period.<br />
“Looking back at the first few games I<br />
played, I just remember how nervous I<br />
was.<br />
“Towards the end of the season, I was<br />
a lot more comfortable, but I was still<br />
finding my feet a little bit.”<br />
Russell finished the season strongly with a<br />
two week tour of South Africa as well as<br />
playing in our win over Munster at Aviva<br />
Stadium.<br />
“That tour to South Africa was one of the<br />
best experiences I ever had. Those two<br />
weeks were really tough playing against<br />
the Stormers and the Sharks.<br />
“It was so much fun as well. We went to<br />
Robben Island when we were in Cape<br />
Town and went fishing in Durban.<br />
“The fishing wasn’t the best actually. I<br />
didn’t catch anything and a few us were<br />
fairly sick on the boat.<br />
“I wasn’t feeling great but Jamie Osborne<br />
was worse than me. It was still a great<br />
experience and it’s funny looking back<br />
on it now.”<br />
The former St Michael’s College student<br />
has kicked on this season in some style.<br />
His first RDS start was against the Cell C<br />
Sharks. It was in this game in front of a<br />
big home crowd that Russell would score<br />
his first ever <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> try.<br />
90 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
“That was probably the biggest game I<br />
had played in. There were a few injuries<br />
in the squad so it was my first opportunity<br />
to play with some of the senior lads for<br />
the first time like Johnny Sexton and<br />
Garry Ringrose.<br />
“It was definitely a different experience<br />
to what I was used to last year. The<br />
atmosphere was amazing that day too.<br />
“Cormac Foley gave me a good pass for<br />
my first try. I was a little bit disappointed<br />
not to score in my five appearances last<br />
year, so I was kind of relieved when I<br />
scored that.”<br />
Rob Russell quickly became a regular<br />
name on the team sheet. It was a run of<br />
games that the Academy player relished.<br />
“After the Sharks game, it was brilliant to<br />
get a lot of game time. I think I played five<br />
games in a row and then I got another<br />
good run after Christmas.<br />
“I played five times last year, but it’s been<br />
great this year being consistently involved<br />
in matchday squads.<br />
“It feels like you can build on<br />
performances and you also feel like you<br />
have a bigger role within the team.<br />
“It’s been great and I’m just happy to<br />
keep pushing now.”<br />
Getting picked is one thing, but to score<br />
the number of tries that Russell has is<br />
another altogether.<br />
Russell scored six tries in four consecutive<br />
games against Munster at Aviva Stadium,<br />
Scarlets, Glasgow Warriors and<br />
Connacht.<br />
“It kind of felt like once I scored my<br />
first try and had that off my back, the<br />
opportunities came my way more often.<br />
“There is a bit of luck involved but you<br />
also have to put yourself in the right place<br />
at the right time. Sometimes it’s an easy<br />
finish, but if you’re not there you don’t<br />
score.<br />
“Scoring tries is enjoyable so hopefully it<br />
keeps on happening.”<br />
The standout game came against<br />
Glasgow Warriors at the RDS in<br />
November where Russell finished with<br />
three tries.<br />
An incredible achievement, but Rob<br />
is quick to highlight the efforts of his<br />
teammates.<br />
“The first one was when Charlie Ngatai<br />
popped it to me in the corner.<br />
“I was getting ready to ruck over but<br />
Charlie managed to get a hand free and<br />
I wasn’t expecting it. I just had to touch it<br />
down really.<br />
“I got two more that day but sometimes<br />
I feel like you can get too much credit<br />
when it’s the end of a team move. It’s still<br />
nice to score though.”<br />
His fine form has continued with tries<br />
against the Dragons and the DHL<br />
Stormers.<br />
Scoring tries is a sure fire way to keep<br />
yourself in contention. But, moments like<br />
his incredible steal a few weeks back<br />
against the Stormers are the types of<br />
moments that will never be forgotten.<br />
For a young player trying to make his<br />
mark, he is certainly doing all of the right<br />
things.<br />
“I just want to make myself available and<br />
if there’s an opportunity, hopefully I can<br />
take it.<br />
It’s really exciting to be around the group<br />
at the moment. Every game is a huge<br />
game. It’s exactly where you want to be.”<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 91
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Academy<br />
Year<br />
Three:<br />
92 | www.leinsterrugby.ie<br />
Marcus Hanan (4) #1295<br />
DOB 3 July 2000<br />
FROM Clane, Co Kildare<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 112kg (17st 9 lbs)<br />
POSITION Loosehead prop<br />
SCHOOL Salesian College, Celbridge<br />
CLUB Clane RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (2 caps)<br />
John McKee (16) #1307<br />
DOB 15 February 2000<br />
FROM Belfast<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m ( 6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 108kg (17st 0lbs)<br />
POSITION Hooker<br />
SCHOOL Campbell College<br />
CLUB Terenure College RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (10 caps)<br />
Seán O’Brien (3) #1297<br />
DOB 31 July 2000<br />
FROM Pittsburgh, PA, USA<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m ( 6 ’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 106kg ( 16st 10lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Row<br />
SCHOOL Blackrock College<br />
CLUB UCD RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (3 caps)<br />
Max O’Reilly (11) #1291<br />
DOB 26 February 2000<br />
FROM Long Island, USA<br />
HEIGHT 1.86m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 90kg (14st 2lbs)<br />
POSITION Full-back<br />
SCHOOL St Gerard’s School<br />
CLUB DUFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (3 caps)<br />
Andrew Smith (2) #1292<br />
DOB 21 July 2000<br />
FROM Dublin<br />
HEIGHT 1.8 m (5’ 11”)<br />
WEIGHT 93kg (14st 9lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Three<br />
SCHOOL St Michael’s College<br />
CLUB Clontarf FC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (3 caps)<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Academy<br />
Year<br />
Two:<br />
Alex Soroka (7) #1296<br />
DOB 19 February 2001<br />
FROM Cork<br />
HEIGHT 1.95m (6’ 5”)<br />
WEIGHT 107kg (16st 12lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Row<br />
SCHOOL Belvedere College<br />
CLUB Clontarf FC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (8 caps)<br />
Jack Boyle (2) #1317<br />
DOB 10 March 2002<br />
FROM Dublin<br />
HEIGHT 1.86m (6’ 1”)<br />
WEIGHT 108kg (17st 0lbs)<br />
POSITION Loosehead prop<br />
SCHOOL St Michael’s College<br />
CLUB UCD RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (9 caps)<br />
Lee Barron (5) #1308<br />
DOB 15 February 2001<br />
FROM Dublin<br />
HEIGHT 1.93m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 107kg (16st 12 lbs)<br />
POSITION Hooker<br />
SCHOOL St Michael’s College<br />
CLUB DUFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (2 caps)<br />
Chris Cosgrave (5) #1305<br />
DOB 24 July 2001<br />
FROM Dublin<br />
HEIGHT 1.85m (6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 86kg (13st 7lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Three<br />
SCHOOL St Michael’s College<br />
CLUB UCD RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (3 caps)<br />
Temi Lasisi (1) #1304<br />
DOB 9 May 2001<br />
FROM Enniscorthy, Co Wexford<br />
HEIGHT 1.83m (6’ 0 “)<br />
WEIGHT 116.5kg (18st 5lbs)<br />
POSITION Tighthead prop<br />
SCHOOL CBS Enniscorthy<br />
CLUB Lansdowne FC/Enniscorthy RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (3 caps)<br />
(3) = <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> Senior caps
Ben Murphy (1) #1309<br />
DOB 23 April 2001<br />
FROM Bray<br />
HEIGHT 1.76m (5’ 8”)<br />
WEIGHT 80kg (12st 8lbs)<br />
POSITION Scrum-half<br />
SCHOOL Presentation College, Bray<br />
CLUB Clontarf FC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (3 caps)<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Academy<br />
Year<br />
One:<br />
Rob Russell (16) #1302<br />
DOB 13 January 1999<br />
FROM Dublin<br />
HEIGHT 1.83m (6’ 0”)<br />
WEIGHT 91kg (14st 5lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Three<br />
SCHOOL St Michael’s College<br />
CLUB DUFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (5 caps)<br />
Ben Brownlee (2) #1313<br />
DOB 28 September 2002<br />
FROM Dublin<br />
HEIGHT 1.87m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 100kg (15st 11lbs)<br />
POSITION Centre<br />
SCHOOL Blackrock College<br />
CLUB UCD RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (3 caps)<br />
James Culhane (1) #1315<br />
DOB 22 October 2002<br />
FROM Enniskerry, Co Wicklow<br />
HEIGHT 1.94m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 110kg (17st 5lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Row<br />
SCHOOL Blackrock College<br />
CLUB UCD RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (5 caps)<br />
Aitzol Arenzana-King<br />
(1) #1316<br />
DOB 15 June 2002<br />
FROM Gormanston, Co Meath<br />
HEIGHT 1.91m (6’ 3”)<br />
WEIGHT 97.5kg (15st 5lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Three<br />
SCHOOL Gormanston College/CUS<br />
CLUB Clontarf FC/Balbriggan RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (8 caps)<br />
Diarmuid Mangan<br />
DOB 6 March 2003<br />
FROM Kildare<br />
HEIGHT 1.93 m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 106kg (16st 10lbs)<br />
POSITION Back Row<br />
SCHOOL Newbridge College<br />
CLUB UCD RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (11 caps)<br />
Rory McGuire<br />
DOB 26 August 2002<br />
FROM Dublin<br />
HEIGHT 1.93m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 118kg (18st 8lbs)<br />
POSITION Tightead prop<br />
SCHOOL Blackrock College<br />
CLUB UCD RFC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (5 caps)<br />
Sam Prendergast<br />
DOB 12 February 2003<br />
FROM Kildare<br />
HEIGHT 1.94m (6’ 4”)<br />
WEIGHT 91kg (14st 5lbs)<br />
POSITION Out-half<br />
SCHOOL Newbridge College<br />
CLUB Lansdowne FC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (9 caps)<br />
Charlie Tector (5) #1314<br />
DOB 28 March 2002<br />
FROM Wexford<br />
HEIGHT 1.89 m (6’ 2”)<br />
WEIGHT 94kg (14st 11lbs)<br />
POSITION Out-half<br />
SCHOOL Kilkenny College<br />
CLUB Lansdowne FC<br />
HONOURS Ireland U-20 (5 caps)<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 93
fixtures and<br />
results 2022/23<br />
Date<br />
17/09<br />
23/09<br />
30/09<br />
08/10<br />
14/10<br />
22/10<br />
28/10<br />
26/11<br />
03/12<br />
10/12<br />
16/12<br />
26/12<br />
01/01<br />
07/01<br />
14/01<br />
KO/<br />
Result<br />
Opposiotion Venue 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 1 2<br />
W<br />
29-33 URC ZEBRE Stadio Sergio<br />
Lanfranchi<br />
O’REILLY RUSSELL OSBORNE NGATAI<br />
KEARNEY<br />
1T<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
C4<br />
W<br />
42-10 URC BENETTON RDS Arena J O’BRIEN LARMOUR RINGROSE HENSHAW KEARNEY FRAWLEY<br />
3C<br />
W<br />
13-20 URC ULSTER Kingspan<br />
Stadium<br />
W<br />
54-34<br />
URC<br />
CELL C<br />
SHARKS<br />
J O’BRIEN LARMOUR RINGROSE HENSHAW KEARNEY<br />
RDS Arena J O’BRIEN LARMOUR<br />
HENSHAW<br />
1T<br />
NGATAI<br />
RUSSELL<br />
1T<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
2C 2P<br />
SEXTON<br />
1T, 7C<br />
W<br />
0-10 URC CONNACHT Sportsground J O’BRIEN TURNER RINGROSE NGATAI RUSSELL R. BYRNE<br />
1C<br />
W<br />
27-13 URC MUNSTER Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
W<br />
5-35 URC SCARLETS Parc y<br />
Scarlets<br />
FRAWLEY J O’BRIEN RINGROSE HENSHAW OSBORNE<br />
COSGRAVE<br />
1T<br />
RUSSELL<br />
1T<br />
W<br />
40-5 URC GLASGOW RDS Arena OSBORNE RUSSELL<br />
3T<br />
TURNER NGATAI KEARNEY<br />
TURNER<br />
W<br />
38-29 URC ULSTER RDS Arena KEENAN O’BRIEN RINGROSE<br />
2T<br />
W<br />
10-42 HCC RACING 92 Stade<br />
Océane<br />
KEENAN<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
RINGROSE<br />
1T<br />
NGATAI<br />
OSBORNE<br />
NGATAI<br />
KEARNEY<br />
1T<br />
W<br />
57-0 HCC GLOUCESTER RDS Arena KEENAN J O’BRIEN RINGROSE NGATAI LOWE<br />
2T<br />
W<br />
19-20 URC MUNSTER Thomond<br />
Park<br />
W<br />
41-12 URC CONNACHT RDS Arena J O’BRIEN LARMOUR<br />
(2T)<br />
W<br />
19-24 URC OSPREYS Swansea.<br />
com Stadium<br />
LOWE<br />
1T<br />
LOWE<br />
KEENAN J O’BRIEN RINGROSE OSBORNE LOWE<br />
KEENAN<br />
(1T)<br />
W<br />
14-49 HCC GLOUCESTER Kingsholm KEENAN<br />
(1T)<br />
TURNER<br />
(1T)<br />
NGATAI<br />
LARMOUR OSBORNE NGATAI<br />
LARMOUR<br />
(1T)<br />
RINGROSE<br />
OSBORNE<br />
(1T)<br />
RUSSELL<br />
(1T)<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
(1T)<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
SEXTON<br />
2C, 1P<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
3C<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
4C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
5C, 1P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
4C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
5C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
2P, 2C<br />
SEXTON<br />
(2C)<br />
H. BYRNE<br />
(1P, 1C)<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
(5C)<br />
MCGRATH<br />
1T<br />
MCGRATH<br />
1T<br />
MCGRATH<br />
MCGRATH<br />
FOLEY<br />
1T<br />
MCGRATH<br />
1T<br />
E BYRNE<br />
PORTER<br />
PORTER<br />
PORTER<br />
1T<br />
KELLEHER<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
4T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
1T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
E. BYRNE SHEEHAN<br />
HEALY<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
1T<br />
MCGRATH E. BYRNE MCKEE<br />
MCGRATH E. BYRNE KELLEHER<br />
GIBSON- PARK<br />
GIBSON- PARK<br />
MCGRATH<br />
1T<br />
N MCCARTHY<br />
HEALY<br />
PORTER<br />
1T<br />
PORTER<br />
PORTER<br />
KELLEHER<br />
1T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
1T<br />
KELLEHER<br />
2T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
1T<br />
GIBSON- PARK MILNE KELLEHER<br />
FOLEY<br />
HEALY<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
(1T)<br />
GIBSON- PARK PORTER SHEEHAN<br />
21/01<br />
W<br />
36-10 HCC RACING 92 Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
KEENAN<br />
(2T)<br />
LARMOUR<br />
RINGROSE<br />
(1T)<br />
OSBORNE<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
(2T)<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
(2C)<br />
GIBSON- PARK PORTER KELLEHER<br />
28/01<br />
18/02<br />
04/03<br />
24/03<br />
01/04<br />
W<br />
28-14<br />
W<br />
43-14<br />
URC<br />
CARDIFF<br />
RUGBY<br />
URC<br />
DRAGONS<br />
RFC<br />
RDS Arena<br />
COSGRAVE<br />
RDS Arena J O’BRIEN<br />
W<br />
27-47 URC EDINBURGH DAM Health<br />
Stadium<br />
D DHL<br />
URC<br />
22-22 STORMERS<br />
RDS Arena<br />
W<br />
30-15 HCC ULSTER Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
07/05 20:00 HCC LEICESTER<br />
TIGERS<br />
15/04 14:00 URC EMIRATES<br />
LIONS<br />
22/04 16:05 URC VODACOM<br />
BULLS<br />
Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
Emirates<br />
Airline Park<br />
Loftus<br />
Versfeld<br />
O’REILLY<br />
(1T)<br />
LARMOUR<br />
(1T)<br />
TURNER<br />
(1T)<br />
BROWNLEE<br />
KEARNEY<br />
TURNER OSBORNE KEARNEY<br />
FRAWLEY LARMOUR TURNER OSBORNE<br />
LARMOUR<br />
RUSSELL<br />
(1T)<br />
KEARNEY<br />
(1T)<br />
TURNER FRAWLEY KEARNEY<br />
KEENAN LARMOUR J O’BRIEN HENSHAW LOWE<br />
H. BYRNE<br />
(3C)<br />
H BYRNE<br />
(2T, 3C)<br />
H BYRNE<br />
(6C)<br />
H BYRNE<br />
(1C)<br />
R BYRNE<br />
(3C, 3P)<br />
MCGRATH<br />
(2T)<br />
MCGRATH<br />
(1T)<br />
MCGRATH<br />
MCGRATH<br />
GIBSON-PARK<br />
(1T)<br />
MILNE<br />
MILNE<br />
MILNE<br />
(2T)<br />
MILNE<br />
(1T)<br />
PORTER<br />
(1T)<br />
MCKEE<br />
MCKEE<br />
MCKEE<br />
MCKEE<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
94 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
3 4 5 6 7 8 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
ALAALATOA<br />
MOLONY<br />
JENKINS<br />
1T<br />
RUDDOCK<br />
T2<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY JENKINS BAIRD<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY JENKINS<br />
ALAALATOA<br />
MOLONY<br />
JENKINS<br />
2T<br />
BAIRD<br />
1T<br />
PENNY DEEGAN MCKEE MILNE ABDALADZE DEENY SOROKA MCCARTHY FRAWLEY CONNORS<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
1T<br />
DORIS KELLEHER E. BYRNE HEALY MCCARTHY CONNORS FOLEY<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
3C<br />
NGATAI<br />
VAN DER FLIER CONAN MCKEE E. BYRNE ABDALADZE RYAN CONNORS MCCARTHY SEXTON NGATAI<br />
BAIRD CONNORS RUDDOCK<br />
MCKEE<br />
1T<br />
HEALY ABDALADZE RYAN MOLONEY FOLEY BYRNE<br />
FURLONG MOLONY RYAN DORIS VAN DER FLIER CONAN MCKEE PORTER ALAALATOA MCCARTHY MOLONEY MCCARTHY<br />
ALA’ALATOA JENKINS RYAN DEEGAN<br />
CLARKSON<br />
1T<br />
PENNY<br />
1T<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
1P<br />
DORRIS MCKEE PORTER CLARKSON MOLONY CONAN MCCARTHY R. BYRNE<br />
RINGROSE<br />
2T<br />
HENSHAW<br />
MOLONY JENKINS RUDDOCK PENNY DEEGAN MCELROY MILNE ABDALADZE DEENY MOLONEY MCCARTHY TECTOR BROWNLEE<br />
CLARKSON MOLONY MCCARTHY RUDDOCK PENNY DEEGAN<br />
MCKEE<br />
1T<br />
ALA’ALATOA RYAN JENKINS BAIRD VAN DER FLIER CONAN SHEEHAN<br />
ALA’ALATOA RYAN JENKINS BAIRD<br />
ALA’ALATOA<br />
MOLONY<br />
RYAN<br />
1T<br />
DORIS<br />
1T<br />
HEALY BAIRD J MCCARTHY RUDDOCK<br />
ALA’ALATOA<br />
DEENY<br />
(1T)<br />
RYAN<br />
BAIRD<br />
(1T)<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
2T<br />
VAN DE FLIER<br />
1T<br />
PENNY<br />
1T<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
(1T)<br />
DORIS<br />
KELLEHER<br />
MILNE<br />
1T<br />
PORTER<br />
1T<br />
E BYRNE<br />
1T<br />
ABDALADZE JENKINS BAIRD FOLEY<br />
H. BYRNE<br />
1C<br />
RUSSELL<br />
1T<br />
COSGRAVE<br />
FURLONG MOLONY DORIS MCCARTHY TECTOR TURNER<br />
HEALY MOLONY CONAN MCGRATH<br />
CONAN SHEEHAN E. BYRNE HEALY J MCCARTHY DEEGAN GIBSON- PARK<br />
H BYRNE<br />
2C<br />
SEXTON<br />
1C<br />
OSBORNE<br />
LARMOUR<br />
1T<br />
DEEGAN MCKEE MILNE ABDALADZE MOLONY CONAN MCGRATH H BYRNE TURNER<br />
DORIS MCKEE PORTER ABDALADZE SOROKA PENNY FOLEY<br />
ALA’ALATOA MOLONY DEENY RUDDOCK PENNY CONAN MCKEE MILNE ABDALADZE RYAN<br />
ALA’ALATOA<br />
(1T)<br />
MOLONY RYAN BAIRD<br />
ALA’ALATOA J MCCARTHY RYAN DORIS<br />
ALA’ALATOA<br />
MOLONY<br />
DEENY<br />
(1T)<br />
ALA’ALATOA MOLONY DEENY<br />
ALA’ALATOA<br />
(1T)<br />
RUDDOCK<br />
RUDDOCK<br />
(1T)<br />
JENKINS MOLONY RUDDOCK<br />
ALA’ALATOA MOLONY JENKINS RUDDOCK<br />
FURLONG MOLONY RYAN<br />
BAIRD<br />
(1T)<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
(1T)<br />
VAN DER<br />
FLIER<br />
(1T)<br />
PENNY<br />
DORIS<br />
(1T)<br />
KELLEHER<br />
(1T)<br />
VAN DER<br />
FLIER<br />
MCCARTHY<br />
MILNE HEALY DEENY CONAN MCCARTHY<br />
CONAN SHEEHAN MILNE HEALY MOLONY BAIRD MCGRATH<br />
DEEGAN<br />
(1T)<br />
MCELROY HANAN CLARKSON CULHANE CONNORS MCCARTHY<br />
PENNY DEEGAN BARRON BOYLE CLARKSON JENKINS CONNORS N MCCARTHY<br />
PENNY<br />
(2T)<br />
PENNY<br />
(1T)<br />
DEEGAN<br />
(1T)<br />
DEEGAN<br />
1T)<br />
H. BYRNE<br />
(1C)<br />
R. BYRNE<br />
(2C)<br />
H. BYRNE<br />
(2C)<br />
H BYRNE<br />
(1C)<br />
TECTOR<br />
(1C)<br />
TECTOR<br />
(1T, 1C)<br />
OSBORNE<br />
RUSSELL<br />
TURNER<br />
PENNY<br />
KING<br />
RUSSELL<br />
(1T)<br />
BARRON BOYLE CLARKSON DEENY CONNORS MCCARTHY N TECTOR RUSSELL<br />
BARRON E BYRNE ABDALADZE DEENY CONNORS MCCARTHY TECTOR RUSSELL<br />
VAN DER FLIER CONAN MCKEE HEALY ALA’ALATOA JENKINS PENNY MCGRATH H BYRNE FRAWLEY<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 95
Parting Shot<br />
1 April 2023<br />
Where do I look?<br />
Leo the Lion with<br />
supporters at the Heineken<br />
Champions Cup Round<br />
of 16 match between<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> and Ulster at Aviva<br />
Stadium in Dublin.<br />
96 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 97
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