Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
35 - 18
FT
Investec Champions CupLeinsterToulouse

Leinster hit by several injuries ahead of crucial Toulouse test

Ireland and Leinster outhalf Johnny Sexton (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Leinster have been dealt a blow with several of their front line players absent for their crunch Heineken Champions Cup clash with Toulouse.

ADVERTISEMENT

The defending champions must secure a win to give them a chance of finishing top of pool 1. They currently trail the French club by two points.

But Leinster will have to do without their talismanic outhalf Johnny Sexton, with Ross Bryne slotting in at 10.

The backline has also been shorn of Ireland duo Robbie Henshaw and Rob Kearney. In the pack second row Devin Toner also misses out.

Jordan Larmour starts in the number 15 jersey with Adam Byrne on the right wing and Dave Kearney on the left.

Rory O’Loughlin and Garry Ringrose are again the centre partnership having played together in the Munster game over Christmas.

In the half backs Luke McGrath is partnered with Ross Byrne.

ADVERTISEMENT

Continue reading below…
In other news: Here’s some rugby news you may have missed

Video Spacer

The front row sees Cian Healy, Seán Cronin and Tadhg Furlong scrum down with Scott Fardy and James Ryan behind in the engine room.

The back row features captain Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan at No. 8.

On the bench Conor O’Brien is in line to make his European debut having impressed over the last few months in the Guinness PRO14.

ADVERTISEMENT

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Jordan Larmour (31)
14. Adam Byrne (46)
13. Garry Ringrose (58)
12. Rory O’Loughlin (52)
11. Dave Kearney (128)
10. Ross Byrne (60)
9. Luke McGrath (105)
1. Cian Healy (200)
2. Sean Cronin (164)
3. Tadhg Furlong (94)
4. Scott Fardy (33)
5. James Ryan (24)
6. Rhys Ruddock (153) CAPTAIN
7. Josh van der Flier (69)
8. Jack Conan (83)

16. James Tracy (81)
17. Ed Byrne (34)
18. Andrew Porter (43)
19. Ross Molony (76)
20. Max Deegan (No 8)
21. Jamison Gibson-Park (63)
22. Noel Reid (111)
23. Conor O’Brien (10)

Watch: Rugby World Cup Japan city guide – Fukuoka

Video Spacer

ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Saitama Wild Knights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 6 | Le Crunch

The Unexpected Journey to USA 7s Glory | Aaron Cummings | Sevens Wonders

USA vs Japan | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

1

Alex Sanderson discloses the 4 Sale players he expects to become Lions

2

Lions call-up would come with family benefits: Fin Smith

3

Newcastle hoping for a Hollywood ending to cash problems

4

Why former All Black believes the Wallabies will beat the B&I Lions

5

'Devastating': Stephen Donald weighs in on the next All Black 10

6

Bok Ben-Jason Dixon is having a weird stand-off with the Stormers

7

Lions flanker Ruhan Straeuli suffers career ending injury

8

5 Leinster players whose Lions stock dropped after Champions Cup exit

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

LONG READ

'Love him or hate him, Henry Pollock has got the rugby world talking.'

The Northampton and England backrow's confidence, verve and raw ability have raised eyebrows around the globe

LONG READ

‘Rising force’ Proctor gives All Blacks Ioane dilemma

The form of Hurricanes 'facilitator' Billy Proctor could see Scott Robertson break up his established centre pairing.

LONG READ

Brendan Fanning: 'Leinster have the best-resourced squad in these islands but can’t make it pay.'

Leadership and clarity escaped Leinster at a crucial time as their dream of a fifth Champions Cup star went up in smoke, again

Comments on RugbyPass

C
Carlos 13 minutes ago
Why ‘the curse of the Bambino’ is still stronger than ever at Leinster

Five meters from the goal line. One minute to go. Leinster has 15 players, Saints only 13. They get that penalty.

They tried the trick play after using it twice successfully.


Why not a BLOODY scrum? 15 to13, FFS! Five meters to go, two extra backs!?


🤦‍♂️


The horror of not using your brain and not THINKING!

163 Go to comments
C
Cantab 24 minutes ago
We all know the Chiefs are the best team in Super Rugby

Not really .Chiefs didn’t win either and look where the Blues are this year. Past history goes back over several seasons and Crusaders are usually at the forefront. Can be forgiven for an occasional aberration.

5 Go to comments
B
BC 28 minutes ago
Sophie de Goede: Returning from injury with 'edge and physicality'

Excellent player and hope she gets back for the WC, but it sounds as if she will be seriously undercooked in terms of playing time. It’s taken quite a while for some other world class players to get properly up to speed recently after serious injuries.

1 Go to comments
B
BA 32 minutes ago
‘Rising force’ Proctor gives All Blacks Ioane dilemma

Canes gotta make finals Proctor plays well in the big games he might get the nod but he has old story big match cut down errors make tackles

6 Go to comments
L
LW 33 minutes ago
‘Rising force’ Proctor gives All Blacks Ioane dilemma

What reiko wants is less important than what the coaches want from him

6 Go to comments
A
Andrew Nichols 1 hour ago
‘Rising force’ Proctor gives All Blacks Ioane dilemma

There is no dilemma. The awful indulgence of Ioane is over.

6 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
‘Rising force’ Proctor gives All Blacks Ioane dilemma

It’s time for a change. Rieko has gotta go.

6 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
We all know the Chiefs are the best team in Super Rugby

Shame about last year then aye

5 Go to comments
A
Andrew Nichols 1 hour ago
Fitter, stronger Wallaroos confident maiden Black Ferns scalp is on horizon

Oh Bless them..love their enthusiasm. Irrepressible optimism of Australian rugby.

3 Go to comments
A
Andrew Nichols 1 hour ago
Crusaders settle on new starting 10 for Chiefs showdown

Sadly..Saders by 15.

5 Go to comments
G
GP 1 hour ago
Crusaders settle on new starting 10 for Chiefs showdown

Well said. The Chiefs may have more international caps on bench.But I think we have the better one . Ioane Moananu, Corey Kellow, JamesO’Connor, Jamie Hannah, Kyle Preston , Dallas McLeod, George Bower. etc , all in cracking form. They bring some different to the table from the ones that start.

5 Go to comments
D
DM 1 hour ago
‘Rising force’ Proctor gives All Blacks Ioane dilemma

Proctor is superior to Ioane in every facet of the game, including defence. Rieko had one of the lowest tackle percentages in international rugby last year (for centres) at just 73.44%, which is 31st out of 33 centres that played a min of 240 minutes.


In Super Rugby this year his tackle percentage is better at 81.01%, putting him 14th out of 16 kiwi centres (min 180 minutes). Proctor is on 100%, albeit with a smaller sample size.


Proctor is also a better distributor and kicker (Ioane hasn’t kicked once this year). Rieko has passed the ball 3.9 times per game compared to Proctor’s 11.6. Billy dominates in almost all attacking stats this year.


Rieko’s gotta go.

6 Go to comments
M
Michael Rogers 2 hours ago
Sevens flyer moves to fullback as Australia U20 make mass changes

My daughter had warned me multiple times about the risks of crypto scams, but I never imagined I would fall victim to one. It all started when I came across an ad on YouTube for an “Ethereum mining pool” that promised high returns with minimal effort. Passive income was too tempting, and I didn’t think twice. Unfortunately, what I believed was a legitimate investment opportunity was a sophisticated scam. I lost 18 ETH, my entire retirement savings. The regret and despair I felt were overwhelming. It wasn’t just the money, but the fear of how I would secure my future. I did not know how to get it back or where to start. That's when a friend recommended Tech Cyber Force Recovery. At first, I was skeptical. After all, I had already lost so much, and I had no idea who could help me now. However, after contacting them, I was surprised at how understanding and patient they were with my situation. They assured me they had the tools and expertise to trace my lost funds, and I decided to give them a chance. Tech Cyber Force Recovery did exactly what they promised. Not only did they track down the funds, but they also uncovered the full scope of the scam operation. It was a complex network, involving multiple players across borders. The team worked tirelessly, collaborating with international exchanges and law enforcement to identify the culprits and retrieve as much of my money as possible. In the end, they recovered 17 ETH, 94% of what I had lost. What truly impressed me was their professionalism and compassion. They didn’t just treat me like another case; they treated me like a person. When they learned I was a retiree, they even waived part of their fee, which was an incredibly kind gesture. I was beyond grateful for their support and expertise throughout the process. If you’ve fallen victim to a crypto scam, don’t give up hope. Tech Cyber Force Recovery is a miracle worker with a heart of gold. I highly recommend them to anyone facing a similar situation.    Telegram   (@)techcyberforc    mail   Techcybersforcerecovery(@)cyberservices(.)com

1 Go to comments
M
Michael Rogers 2 hours ago
Conor Murray: French giants weigh up shock move for Ireland star

My daughter had warned me multiple times about the risks of crypto scams, but I never imagined I would fall victim to one. It all started when I came across an ad on YouTube for an “Ethereum mining pool” that promised high returns with minimal effort. Passive income was too tempting, and I didn’t think twice. Unfortunately, what I believed was a legitimate investment opportunity was a sophisticated scam. I lost 18 ETH, my entire retirement savings. The regret and despair I felt were overwhelming. It wasn’t just the money, but the fear of how I would secure my future. I did not know how to get it back or where to start. That's when a friend recommended Tech Cyber Force Recovery. At first, I was skeptical. After all, I had already lost so much, and I had no idea who could help me now. However, after contacting them, I was surprised at how understanding and patient they were with my situation. They assured me they had the tools and expertise to trace my lost funds, and I decided to give them a chance. Tech Cyber Force Recovery did exactly what they promised. Not only did they track down the funds, but they also uncovered the full scope of the scam operation. It was a complex network, involving multiple players across borders. The team worked tirelessly, collaborating with international exchanges and law enforcement to identify the culprits and retrieve as much of my money as possible. In the end, they recovered 17 ETH, 94% of what I had lost. What truly impressed me was their professionalism and compassion. They didn’t just treat me like another case; they treated me like a person. When they learned I was a retiree, they even waived part of their fee, which was an incredibly kind gesture. I was beyond grateful for their support and expertise throughout the process. If you’ve fallen victim to a crypto scam, don’t give up hope. Tech Cyber Force Recovery is a miracle worker with a heart of gold. I highly recommend them to anyone facing a similar situation.    Telegram   (@)techcyberforc    mail   Techcybersforcerecovery(@)cyberservices(.)com

8 Go to comments
t
tf 2 hours ago
Brendan Fanning: 'Leinster have the best-resourced squad in these islands but can’t make it pay.'

What is with slagging the ref. Cullen hasnt said it as the ref was right.


It wasnt a penalty try. VdF had placed the ball so couldnt place it again. So the play would have to have gone through a ruck and from that point you cannot assume a try would be scored!


Byrne played the ball off his feet when he touched down.


No try but penalty and yellow as it was so close to the line. If the ref had called it different would have been wrong.

5 Go to comments
K
Kendrick Oswald 3 hours ago
Sevens flyer moves to fullback as Australia U20 make mass changes

Testimony of Kendrick Oswald: My Journey into Online Relationships and Cryptocurrency Investment Hello, my name is Kendrick Oswald from New Zealand. I became involved in an online relationship with a lady from Australia who introduced me to a cryptocurrency investment platform. I invested $190,000, but when I tried to withdraw my funds, I realized I had been scammed. Desperate for help, I searched online and found Zenith Hackers Intelligent. Thanks to their assistance, I was able to recover some of my investment. This experience has taught me to be more cautious in my online dealings.WhatsApp:  +44 7552 486027Email:   Zenithintel@consultant.comWebsite: zenithhackers.com

1 Go to comments
f
frandinand 3 hours ago
‘Rising force’ Proctor gives All Blacks Ioane dilemma

This is a recurring problem. Players deciding in which position they wish to play in. Three current ABs BB,Dmac and Ioane have told the selectors this and its a problem here too.

The next step is they start saying how they want to play.

Player power is something that needs to be stamped on.

6 Go to comments
S
SM 3 hours ago
We all know the Chiefs are the best team in Super Rugby

The best team in super rugby hahaha, this is how we ended up with Foster and crew sports articles written by people who don't get the game. Having said that I do believe ALB is way better than poor old Reiko 😌

5 Go to comments
R
Rossiw 4 hours ago
'Devastating': Stephen Donald weighs in on the next All Black 10

crypto stolen from a wallet Santoshi Hackers Intelligence recovery for hire review.

11 Go to comments
N
NB 5 hours ago
Why ‘the curse of the Bambino’ is still stronger than ever at Leinster

Could you imagine if Ireland had played a weakended team and lost?

The bleating of arrogance you hear about Leinster now would pale into significance compared to that earthquake!

Who cares? They coudl have rested four or five essentials and still won.

163 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 5 Leinster players whose Lions stock dropped after Champions Cup exit Five Leinster Lions stock drops after Champions Cup exit
Search