Osbornes to become third set of Leinster brothers
JAMIE and Andrew Osborne are set to become the third set of brothers to line out for Leinster this season as the URC leaders look to consolidate their place at the summit of the standings with an away victory against Zebre this evening.
Osborne (right), a product of Naas RFC and a recent Ireland U20 representative, is the younger brother of Leinster regular Jamie, and will make his senior debut on the left wing.
The pair will become the third set of brothers to play together for Leinster this season, following in the footsteps of Ross and Harry Byrne, and Joe and Paddy McCarthy. They start in a potent team featuring Ciaran Frawley, fresh from his maiden Six Nations start, at fullback, while Scott Penny leads a strong pack featuring Jason Jenkins, Will Connors and Max Deegan. Academy forward Diarmuid Mangan is also poised to make his debut from the bench. Meanwhile, head coach Pete Wilkins has made five changes to Connacht’s pack ahead of today’s meeting with the Lions at Dexcom Stadium.
Prop Denis Buckley, hooker Tadhg McElroy, lock Joe Joyce, flanker Conor Oliver and No8 Seán O’Brien are all drafted into a pack which will be spearheaded by Cian Prendergast on the blindside flank.
JJ Hanrahan and Caolin Blade continue at half-back, while Cathal Forde gets another chance to impress at centre, with the promising young centre continuing to win rave reviews.
Elsewhere, Iain Henderson has returned from injury to captain Ulster on the first leg of their South Africa tour, with the province facing Sharks in Durban today.
In his first game since succeeding Dan McFarland has head coach, former Ireland U20 boss Richie Murphy has included Irish internationals Stuart McCloskey, Tom O’Toole and Nick Timoney in his first matchday selection. LEINSTER (v Zebre): C Frawley; R Russell, L Turner, J Osborne, A Osborne; R Byrne, L McGrath; E Byrne, L Barron, T Clarkson; R Molony, J Jenkins; W Connors, S Penny (capt), M Deegan. Reps: J McKee, M Milne, M Ala’alatoa, B Deeny, D Mangan, F Gunne, S Prendergast, H McErlean. CONNACHT (v Lions): T O’Halloran; B Ralston, D Hawkshaw, C Forde, A Smith; JJ Hanrahan, C Blade (capt); D Buckley, T McElroy, J Aungier; N Murray, J Joyce; C Prendergast, C Oliver, S O’Brien. Reps: D Heffernan, J Duggan, S Illo, D Murray, S Hurley-Langton, C Reilly, J Carty, P Boyle. ULSTER (v Sharks): W Addison; E McIlroy, J Hume, S McCloskey, M Lowry; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, T Stewart, T O’Toole; K Treadwell, I Henderson (capt); H Sheridan, D McCann, N Timoney. Reps: J Andrew, A Warwick, S Wilson, C Izuchuckwu, M Rea, N Doak, J Postlethwaite, S Reffell.