[tag=image]data:image/jpeg;base64,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[/tag][tag=content]Dress it up any way you want, no game between Leinster and Ulster is just a friendly.
Snipe I think mirrors my belief of friendlies – they are training sessions against other teams. However, throw our southern cousins into the mix a week before the season begins with a handful of international players back in the fold, if you ask me there’s a little more on the line than just impressing Les Kiss with a decent individual performance.
Throw in an unfamiliar stage in the Tallaght Stadium – which I assume will be the first time most of us will have ventured relatively close to the home of Shamrock Rovers – and Saturday could prove to be very intriguing. Don’t forget either that neither we nor Leinster have won a pre-season friendly yet, so barring a draw one of us will head into the Pro12 opener without a win to our names.
Of course, as I said, that really doesn’t matter, nor should it affect our mind-set heading to the Scarlets next Saturday should we lose. Nevertheless I don’t think anyone would mind putting a few points on the boys in blue tomorrow, give them a taste of what we’re still able to do regardless of what we’ve lost over our turbulent summer.
Easier said than done obviously, Leinster need no introduction as to what they are capable of on the field, we have had enough first-hand experience over the last three seasons, especially in crucial knock-out matches. Our luck hasn’t exactly been great down in Dublin (nor has our play to be perfectly honest) but that’s taking nothing away from Leinster themselves as it is very clear that they simply know how to win games even when they’re up against it.
People were concerned over how Leinster would react after losing Joe Schmidt and Jonny Sexton in one season, but in winning the Pro12 they proved that they are still definitely the team to beat and it seems under Matt O’Connor they are continuing to flourish. And therefore, this will be a superb test for our side a week before we get underway competitively.
Indeed, much like our friendly at Welford Road last season this is in some ways a dress rehearsal for the Scarlets. You saw how Exeter came to the Kingspan last week and played a normal game, taking the points on offer, while we went to the corner on every occasion to try out our moves. This week you may see more of an Exeter approach to our play as we try to get into the competitive groove.
Of course, look how the result at Welford Road went…
But still, we should head to Tallaght in relative confidence. We may have lost against Exeter but whenever you consider the strength of the side they brought over and the fact that we led that game for most of it then it suddenly becomes a very good result, not to mention some of the impressive individual performances we saw from the likes of Rory Scholes, Louis Ludik and Franco van der Merwe.
However, I now find myself at something of a personal quandary as at this point I usually do my bit on how we will win the match and how this is an important game – y’know, the usual rubbish I’m hired to write! – but in that way I would be contradicting myself as I do firmly believe that tomorrow’s result is of little to zero significance. Bragging rights do not apply for a friendly either, and anybody trying to claim the winners have a “mental advantage” over their opposition is deluded.
And so instead all I can say is hopefully there will be some exciting rugby for those of you travelling down to the game, be that by your own accord or in the unrivalled company of Knocknagoney Mike on the URSC bus, hopefully there are many stand out performances from our players and if the result goes our way then that is a bonus.
Sure it’s just the week before the real thing anyway.
Leinster Rugby vs. Ulster Rugby
Saturday 30th August, 16:00
Tallaght Stadium, Dublin
Friendly
LEINSTER RUGBY
15. Zane Kirchner, 14. Fergus McFadden, 13. Brendan Macken, 12. Noel Reid, 11. Darragh Fanning, 10. Jimmy Gopperth, 9. Luke McGrath; 1. Cian Healy, 2. Bryan Byrne, 3. Mike Ross, 4. Kevin McLaughlin, 5. Mike McCarthy, 6. Jack Conan, 7. Shane Jennings, 8. Sean O'Brien (c).
Replacements: (tba)
ULSTER RUGBY
15. Louis Ludik, 14. Michael Allen, 13. Jared Payne, 12. Stuart Olding, 11. Craig Gilroy, 10. Ian Humphreys, 9. Paul Marshall; 1. Andrew Warwick, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Wiehahn Herbst, 4. Dan Tuohy, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 6. Robbie Diack, 7. Sean Reidy, 8. Roger Wilson (c).
Replacements: Ruaidhri Murphy, John Andrew, Declan Fitzpatrick, Alan O'Connor, Neil McComb, Conor Joyce, Clive Ross, Nick Williams, Kyle McCall, Callum Black, Bronson Ross, Lewis Stevenson, Mike McComish, Michael Heaney, Dave Shanahan, Sean O'Hagan, Jacob Stockdale, Ross Adair, Rory Scholes, Ricky Andrew.[/tag]
Match Preview: Leinster Rugby vs. Ulster Rugby
Moderator: Moderators