With the final day of the Pro14 regular season upon us, today provides two captivating InterPro derbies as Connacht face Leinster while Munster take on Ulster.
Connacht will bid farewell to an icon of the province as John Muldoon lines out for the final time for his only professional team. Ulster still have a chance at automatic qualification for the Champions Cup but have it all to do against a much-changed Munster team at Thomond Park.
The IRFU’s approach to player recruitment has ignited numerous debates. The blocking of transfers, use of the three-year residency rule and contract negotiations overseen by performance director David Nucifora and Joe Schmidt has seen a very definite structure unfold tailored to the benefit of the Irish game. Rather incredibly, the fruit of that work is evident today with every single player togging out for the four provinces today Irish or potentially eligible to play for Ireland under the residency rule.
Leinster and Munster have rested several of their big guns after last week's European exertions.
Munster: Stephen Fitzgerald; Calvin Nash, Sammy Arnold, Dan Goggin, Darren Sweetnam; JJ Hanrahan, Duncan Williams; James Cronin, Mike Sherry (C), Brian Scott; Gerbrandt Grobler, Darren O’Shea; Dave O’Callaghan, Conor Oliver, Robin Copeland.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Jeremy Loughman, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Jack O’Donoghue, James Hart, Bill Johnston, Shane Daly.
Grobler has not played for South Africa and technically could qualify eventually under the residency rule, although his contract will expire at the end of the season and with Tadhg Beirne set to arrive an extension is highly unlikely. South African lock Jean Kleyn has publically declared his interest in representing Ireland once he is eligible (September 2019.) Nash, Arnold, Goggin, Oliver, Johnston, Daly are all recent academy products under 23.
Ulster: L Ludik; C Gilroy, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, J McPhillips, D Shanahan;
C Black, R Best (captain), R Kane, A O'Connor, I Henderson, C Ross, S Reidy, N Timoney;
Replacements: R Herring, A Warwick, T O'Toole, K Treadwell, C Henry, P Marshall, A Curtis, T Bowe.
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran, Niyi Adeolokun, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy, Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion, Denis Buckley, Shane Delahunt, Finlay Bealham, Gavin Thornbury, Quinn Roux, Eoin McKeon, Jarrad Butler, John Muldoon (Capt).
Replacements: Tom McCartney, Peter McCabe, Conor Carey, Ultan Dillane, Eoghan Masterson, Caolin Blade, Craig Ronaldson, Darragh Leader.
Leinster: Joey Carbery; Barry Daly; Tom Daly; Noel Reid; James Lowe; Ross Byrne; Nick McCarthy
Jack McGrath; James Tracy; Andrew Porter; Ross Molony; Mick Kearney; Max Deegan; Peadar Timmins; Jack Conan.
Replacements: Seán Cronin, Cian Healy; Michael Bent, Devin Toner, Caelan Doris, Jamison Gibson-Park, Jordan Larmour, Adam Byrne.
Gibson-Park would actually be eligible for Ireland in June 2019. James Lowe spoke to balls.ie about the possibility of representing Ireland.
There is of course little chance that several players listed will play for Ireland or that they have any desire to, but what the number of home-grown talents and promising youngster mark encouraging signs for Irish rugby. A system that sees 92 Irish or project players line out can only be to the benefit of the national team.
Connacht play Leinster at 3.05pm, while Munster play Ulster at 5.30pm. Both games are on TG4.
