Ciarán Frawley is set to wear the Leinster number 10 jersey for their marquee BKT URC fixture against Munster at Croke Park next Saturday (5.45pm kick-off).
Leinster’s choice at outhalf for this game was always likely to be one of the most significant selections in the first month of the season given the four-way contest for that position.
If Frawley is named at outhalf when the line-ups are unveiled at midday on Friday, it would clearly suggest that his stock has risen with Leinster as well as Ireland since landing the two late drop goals which secured a series-levelling second Test win over the Springboks last July in Durban. In the Champions Cup final Frawley just missed a drop goal to beat Toulouse before the game went to extra-time.
Although Frawley has played 90 times for Leinster, his seasonal return in last Saturday’s 35-5 win over Benetton in Treviso was only his 13th start at outhalf for the province.
His two starts at number 10 last season were in the pool stages of the Champions Cup against Sale and Stade Francais when both Ross Byrne and Harry Byrne were injured. A reshuffle after the 37th-minute departure of Jimmy O’Brien last weekend in Treviso saw Frawley move to centre, so perhaps that has also prompted Leo Cullen and the Leinster management to see more of him in the role.
With over 75,000 tickets sold, were Frawley to perform well in such a big fixture he would seemingly be the man in possession, although Sam Prendergast, currently on the Emerging Ireland tour, could likely start next week away to Connacht.
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