Rugby

Leinster v Edinburgh: Leo Cullen welcomes Dave Kearney return

Leinster boss happy to add experience to a young backthree in top of the table URC clash

Dave Kearney makes his seasonal bow on the wing for Leinster. Photograph: Brian Reilly-Troy/Inpho

Fri Feb 11 2022 - 06:00

United Rugby Championship: Leinster v Edinburgh, RDS, Friday February 11th (kick-off 6pm - Live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sports).

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has expressed his delight at Dave Kearney’s return to the fold as his side welcome Edinburgh to the RDS for a rescheduled United Rugby Championship clash on Friday evening.

Following a productive 2020/21 campaign that saw him scoring 10 tries in 20 first team appearances for the Blues, the Louth native has cut a frustrated figure for much of the current campaign. Problems with his ankle and back had kept the 19-times capped Irish international on the sideline until now, but he will make his seasonal comeback to the Leinster ranks on the left wing tonight.

“Dave missed the early part of the season and then picked up that back injury in the ‘A’ game [against Ulster] during November and he missed that block. The only positive from his point of view is that we didn’t play that many games during that period. It’s great to have someone of Dave’s experience back in the team,” Cullen remarked ahead of the game.

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“Dave had been going very, very well last year. Hopefully he can pick off from where he left off at that point. I know it has been a while, but he has looked sharp training wise over the last couple of weeks.”

Making his 170th club appearance, Kearney will be the most experienced player in the Leinster backthree by some distance. Jamie Osborne and Tommy O’Brien have just 24 provincial caps between them, while replacement Rob Russell has featured just twice for the Blues in the URC.

Elsewhere, Nick McCarthy will make his first start since returning from Munster last summer alongside Ross Byrne at halfback. Despite the presence of 16 players in Ireland’s Six Nations squad, the match day 23 selected by Cullen includes no fewer than 12 full internationals.

Leinster: J Osborne; T O'Brien, R O'Loughlin, C Frawley, D Kearney; R Byrne, N McCarthy; E Byrne, J Tracy, M Ala'alatoa; R Molony, J Murphy; R Ruddock, S Penny, M Deegan.

Replacements: S Cronin, P Dooley, V Abdaladze, D Toner, M Moloney, L McGrath, H Byrne, R Russell.

Edinburgh: H Immelman; R Moyano, M Currie, J Lang, E Boffelli; C Savala, H Pyrgos; B Venter, A McBurney, L-R Atalifo; M Sykes, G Young; B Muncaster, C Boyle, M Kunavula.

Replacements: D Cherry, S Grahamslaw, J Armstrong, P Phillips, K van Niekirk, C Shiel, J van der Walt, C Hutchison.

Referee: Adam Jones (Wales).

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