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Just three Ireland World Cup quarter-final players from a possible 20 selected for Munster-Leinster derby

Leinster's Robbie Henshaw (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

A bumper attendance of around 26,000 is expected in Limerick on Saturday but those attending the sold-out Munster versus Leinster Guinness PRO14 match will be feeling very short-changed following Friday’s respective underwhelming team announcements.

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Instead of getting to see a festive fixture showcasing the very best players on the circuit in Ireland, the stars of the Irish game will be in short supply. 

The two provinces provided 20 of the 23 players chosen by Joe Schmidt for the recent World Cup quarter-final loss to New Zealand, but just three of those players have been included for the very watered-down interprovincial at Thomond Park. 

Under new boss Andy Farrell, Ireland held a training camp in Dublin at the start of this week and all his front-line players have now been given the weekend off. 

Of the 20 Munster-Leinster players chosen in Schmidt’s 23 for the World Cup elimination match in Yokohama, props Dave Kilcoyne and Andrew Porter – who were on the Ireland bench – are the only ones to have starting roles in Limerick ten weeks later.

(Continue reading below…)

Munster versus Leinster will be streamed live on RugbyPass in some territories 

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The pair will pack down directly against each other, with Joey Carbery, another Ireland replacement from that humiliation at the hands of the All Blacks, chosen on the Munster bench. 

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Sean Cronin, who was at the finals in Japan before injury cut short his participation, has been chosen on the Leinster bench. 

The resting of so many big names for high profile interprovincial fixtures at this time of the year is a common occurrence in Ireland, but Saturday’s latest selections only further highlights how the IRFU only ever releases its star players for very select PRO14 matches unlike what happens in rival countries. 

For instance, relegation-threatened Leicester have included five of their six England World Cup squad contingent for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership trip to a sold-out Twickenham where they face Harlequins.    

In contrast, the teams that will be respectively captained at Thomond Park by Munster’s Billy Holland and Leinster’s Scott Fardy in a league that has no relegation bear little resemblance to what their full-strength XVs could potentially be.

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MUNSTER: 15. Mike Haley; 14. Dan Goggin, 13. Sammy Arnold, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Shane Daly; 10. JJ Hanrahan, 9. Nick McCarthy; 1. Dave Kilcoyne, 2. Kevin O’Byrne, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Fineen Wycherley, 5. Billy Holland (capt), 6. Tommy O’Donnell, 7. Chris Cloete, 8. Jack O’Donoghue. Reps: 16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Jeremy Loughman, 18. Keynan Knox, 19. Darren O’Shea, 20. Jack O’Sullivan, 21. Neil Cronin, 22. Joey Carbery, 23. Calvin Nash.

LEINSTER: 15. Hugo Keenan; 14. Adam Byrne, 13. Jimmy O’Brien, 12. Conor O’Brien, 11. James Lowe; 10. Ross Byrne; 9. Jamison Gibson-Park; 1. Ed Byrne, 2. James Tracy, 3. Andrew Porter, 4. Devin Toner, 5. Scott Fardy (capt), 6. Josh Murphy, 7. Will Connors, 8. Caelan Doris. Reps: 16. Sean Cronin, 17. Peter Dooley, 18. Jack Aungier, 19. Ross Molony, 20. Scott Penny, 21. Rowan Osborne, 22. Ciaran Frawley, 23. Tommy O’Brien. 

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PM 55 minutes ago
Report card: Ratings all 35 England players from the 2025 July Tests

George had a good tour to showed he is back to his best level.


Heyes did well but shame we didn’t test Fasogbon this tour.


Not sure ENG solved the confusion in the back row, as Underhill probably added to it. Curry, Curry, Pollock & Pepper are likely the go forward open-side options and they need to give games to Pollock & Pepper, so will see in the AI’s. Underhill is better than both but they also need games to develop. It’s 5 good players into 3 or 4 spots.


We need to find the 8 to replace Willis at 60 mins and would like to have seen CC-S used over Dombrandt but will also have Earl & Pollock back, who could fill that last 20 min need.


Will be interesting to see if SB tries Chessum/T Curry/ Willis or sticks with Curry/Curry/Willis with Pollock & Pepper coming off the bench. This feels like the short term future of our back row. Tough on Hill, never felt like he has been given a chance and too many wasted caps on Dombrandt at the expense of CC-S.


Not sure why Quirke was not selected, scrum half is still an issue and whilst Spencer did his best in an England shirt, JvP & Quirke have time on their side, whereas Spencer is not getting any younger. feels like a wasted opportunity at 9 and hard to see how we test them all when Mitchell returns as starter.


Atkinson was the big success, just hope they don’t pick Farrell at 12 and delay Atkinson’s development, he needs game time, which will be a challenge if Farrell returns.


Back 3 feels like Furbank, Freeman & IF-W but Carpenter, Roebuck & Hendy adds strength in depth to that back 3 and will be interesting to see how quickly Lee Blackett gets Arundell back to his best at Bath.


Some big selection decisions for Steve Borthwick, which he occasionally struggles making at this level (Mitchell, Willis etc). Interesting few months ahead but certainly heading in the right direction.

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