Ireland can learn from Leinster

Leinster's gameness in defeat is something that Ireland will hope to draw from when they face Australia in the Schools' international at Temple Hill in Cork today.

The Interprovincial champions led the tourists 22-9 with eight minutes plus injury time remaining of Tuesday's game at Donnybrook only to concede three converted tries as the Australians showed great character and tenacity.

Leinster provide 10 players in the Ireland side, nine of whom played on Tuesday, along with Blackrock outhalf Conor Sharpe who is expected to recover from a shoulder injury in time.

Gonzaga's Kevin McLoughlin switches from second row where he played for Leinster to blindside flanker.

Ireland have never beaten the Australians in this country despite winning twice (1996 and 2000) in the Southern Hemisphere.

A partial explanation can be gleaned from that fact that whichever country tours, they enjoy a six-month age advantage.

The physical disparity was evident on Tuesday night and the Australians will be favoured to win today. When in trouble they brought on some of the heavy hitters in the squad to navigate a path to victory.

The Aussies have lost only one match on their tour of Japan, Scotland, Wales and now Ireland: the Scotland FIRA Under-19 side beat them 3-0.

Irish Schools coach Bobby Byrne will be hoping that Leinster's example can be sustained over the 70 minutes.

IRELAND SCHOOLS: S McCarron (Gonzaga); T O'Leary (CBC Cork), J Hearty (Blackrock), K Copeland (Blackrock), R Conway (Coleraine AI); C Sharpe (Blackrock, capt), D Connellan (Clongowes); C O'Byrne (St Mary's), D Fogarty (Rockwell), J Mackessy (Rockwell); L Stevenson (Ballyclare), A Houlihan (Clongowes); K McLoughlin (Gonzaga), J Rockett (St Michael's), D O'Brien (Belvedere).

Replacements: D Gavin (St Michaels'), N Conlon (RBAI), K Doyle (CBC Monkstown), E Griffin (Crescent), S Auld (RS Armagh), G Steenson (RS Armagh), C McNaughton (Rockwell), M Jenkinson (RS Dungannon).