LEINSTER HAVE lost Irish under-20 internationals Rhys Ruddock and Andrew Conway ahead of the Thursday night Magners League fixture against the Glasgow Warriors. It means promotions for winger David Kearney and flanker Paul Ryan, while secondrow Eoin Sheriff is another to be brought through from the academy ranks.
Conway started on the right wing in last week’s victory in Cardiff – a win that put Leinster top of the league with two games in hand on Edinburgh who are level on 33 points – but remains in the underage ranks ahead of the visit of Scotland to Athlone on Friday.
Sherriff, Ryan and Kearney all featured in the British and Irish Cup this season but Leinster did not make the knockout stages of that competition so this fixture represents the last opportunity for Michael Cheika to look at fringe players before the senior internationals return.
“We were pleased with our performance against Cardiff and the boys put their shoulders to the wheel,” said defence coach Kurt McQuilkin. “Under spells of intense pressure they stuck to their task last time out and some of the fringe players really stepped up to the mark.
“To have players like Eoin O’Malley and Fergus McFadden taking their chances is pleasing and there are others, like Stephen Keogh in the pack who have really impressed.”
LEINSTER (Squad): J Fogarty, T Hogan, B Jackman (capt), S Keogh, R McCormack, K McLaughlin, M OKelly, M Ross, P Ryan, E Sheriff, R Strauss, D Toner, CJ van der Linde, S Wright, S Berne, G Dempsey, S Horgan, C Keane, D Kearney, S Keogh, I Madigan, F McFadden, I Nacewa, P ODonohoe, E OMalley.
