Leinster should edge Connaught in interprovincial derby
Connaught will face Leinster in the Magners League on Saturday 22 October at the Sportsground in Galway in a clash between two Irish sides.
Leinster return to the Magners League after two impressive displays in the Heineken Cup, while Connaught overcame Bayonne in the Amlin Challenge Cup last weekend.
Leinster have had a poor start to the season by their high standards. They are currently in eighth position in the Magners League having only taken 10 points from five games.
However, new coach Joe Schmidt has seemed to turn the Irish province’s fortunes around in recent weeks.
Leinster were in sensational form in the Heineken Cup and convincingly beat French league leader’s Racing Metro by 38-22. They followed this up with a vital away 25-23 win against Premiership side Saracens
to put them in control over their group.
The Irish side also beat arch rivals Munster 13-9 in the Magners League prior to the Heineken Cup matches.
This weekend’s Magners League will be a tricky encounter for Leinster. The club failed to win against Connaught last season at the Sportsground and Leinster will be missing a number of key players for
the visit.
Brian O’Driscoll and Luke Fitzgerald will not be risked ahead of the autumn internationals. O’Driscoll picked up a hamstring injury against Racing Metro, while Fitzgerald injured his hip in the same game.
Centre Gordon D’Arcy and scrum-half Eoin Reddan will be rested before they link up with the Irish squad meaning an unlikely centre pairing of Eoin O’Malley and Fergus McFadden will start in place Irish
internationals O’Driscoll and D’Arcy.
Isaac Boss will fill in for Reddan, but Schmidt has chosen a strong team to face Connaught. Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan and Johnny Sexton all play.
Up front the Leinster coach has only made one change from the side that beat Saracens. Leo Cullen replaces Scottish international Nathan Hines.
Connaught coach Eric Elwood has the luxury of fielding an unchanged side from the one that beat Bayonne 16-13.
The only change to the Connaught panel is among the substitutes where Ezra Taylor replaces Andrew Browne.
The Irish province have been in great form so far this season and are one place above Leinster in seventh position.
Connaught’s league position is slightly misleading as they have lost a number of tight games, but Elwood will be pleased with his side’s start to the league and will hope that they can put in another good
performance against Leinster.
A number of Connaught’s Irish internationals were not included in Irish coach Declan Kidney’s 34 man panel and Fionn Carr, Ian Keatley and Jamie Hagan will be keen to prove that they deserved a spot in
the Ireland squad.
Leinster will be up against a Connaught side at home that are playing well and have a few points to prove.
Yet Schmidt has fielded a strong side to face what has been a bogey team for Leinster. The forwards include six Irish internationals and they should edge the encounter up front.
Even without world class backs like O’Driscoll, Fitzgerald and D’Arcy Leinster can still field a very strong back-line that should score tries if the opportunity presents itself.
Leinster will go into the game as favourites, but this will be a test for Schmidt and his team.
Prediction: Connaught 18 Leinster 25
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