LEINSTER-SCARLETS HEAD-TO-HEAD

ROB KEARNEY 8

IRELAND full-back Kearney has been steady at the back for club and country this season - acting as a wise head at the back. Halfpenny’s first season in west Wales has

JORDAN LARMOUR 6

THE young Larmour is an exciting prospect who can step his way out of a phone box, but has looked a little isolated out on the wing recently. Evans, however, gets

GARRY RINGROSE 8

HAVING been unfairly earmarked as the ‘next Brian O’Driscoll’ early on in his career, Ringrose has quietly gone about his business since returning from injury.

ISA NACEWA 8

AFTER four European titles and countless other honours, Fijian Nacewa hangs up his boots with the freedom of Dublin practically his if the long-time

JAMES LOWE 8

VVHADLEIGH PARKES 8 JOHNNY MCNICHOLL 8

LOWE is the sort of player that the opposition hates but would secretly love to have on their team. He’s brash, fond of exuberantly celebrating scrum penalties with his forwards but, as Simon Zebo found out last week,

JOHNNY SEXTON 9

SCARLETS coach Wayne Pivac compared the two fly-halves earlier in the week. The Wales playmaker was described as developing, while Sexton, unsurprisingly,

LUKE MCGRATH 8

MCGRATH has been lively for Leinster this season, with his box-kicking and quick service vital to the province’s style of play. Wales scrum-half Davies has had a strong

CIAN HEALY 8

HEALY gets the nod over Jack McGrath, with the British and Irish Lions prop playing his best rugby since 2013. Wales prop Lee has enjoyed a good season, playing fans off their seats, looking to get involved at every opportunity. Even in defeat last month, he still kept making inroads to the very end.

VWilliams will make his 136th and final appearance for Scarlets this weekend before heading to the Ospreys and will be looking to end his time in Llanelli on a high. servant so wished. Parkes has taken his error-free game to new heights this season and will be key to the Scarlets getting some momentum going forward. he’s as likely to go through you as round you. McNicholl returned from a supposedly season-ending injury last week like nothing had happened – ripping Glasgow apart with his broken-field running and offloads.

VSEAN CRONIN 8

CRONIN offers much more than most hookers, with his deceptive pace marking him a threat out in the wider channels. Nobody gives more to the Scarlets cause than

SCOTT WILLIAMS 7 RHYS PATCHELL 8

was called “world class” by the Kiwi. If Patchell gets a platform, he can cause problems. Sexton will cause the Scarlets issues, whether or not he gets a platform.

GARETH DAVIES 8

season, being nominated for European player of the year for his try-scoring exploits – although question marks still remain over his game management.

SAMSON LEE 7

consistently alongside his fellow Scarlets front-row for his region and for Wales. skipper Owens and he will be desperate to get some revenge for their European mauling last month.

TADHG FURLONG 9

AN intriguing battle between two of the best props in European rugby. Furlong, the Lions cornerstone in New Zealand last summer, is now out in front as the leading

DEVIN TONER 7

AT 6ft 10in, Toner has long been a towering line-out presence for the three-time winners, but also has some deft hands for a big man. Rawlings has been another

JAMES RYAN 9

VVVLEIGH HALFPENNY 8 STEVEN CUMMINS 6

22 wins. Zero defeats. Leinster and Ireland lock Ryan has yet to taste defeat in his professional career – winning man of the match in the Champions Cup final against gone pretty well – with the Wales full-back offering his usual defensive and kicking brilliance while showing signs of more attacking flair at times.

VVKEN OWENS 7

VSTEFF EVANS 8 ROB EVANS 8

tight-head in the world game. Evans has had a strong year for club and country – and was one of the few who impressed in Dublin last month.

LEWIS RAWLINGS 6

unheralded cog in this Scarlets team – with some even tipping him as an outsider to tour Argentina this summer before the Wales squad was announced. Racing 92. Cummins has been another solid overseas signing by Pivac, but the gangly former Australia U20s lock will have his work cut out against Ryan.

RHYS RUDDOCK 7 V AARON SHINGLER 8

RUDDOCK, the son of former Wales coach Mike, has kept his place in the back-row ahead of Wallabies star Scott Fardy. Scarlets back-row Shingler has arguably been the Welsh player of the year – with the flanker breaking back into the Wales team with some stunning performances

DAN LEAVY 9 V JAMES DAVIES 8

IT says a lot about Leavy that Leinster have barely missed Sean O’Brien this season. The openside has been a revelation. Up against him is the inimitable

JACK CONAN 7

CONAN starts at No. 8, with Leo Cullen resisting the urge to play the versatile Jordi Murphy. What can be said about Beirne that hasn’t been said already? He Cubby Boi. The younger brother of Jonathan ‘Fox’ Davies has had another stellar season, making his long-awaited Wales debut in this year’s Six Nations.

TADHG BEIRNE 9

arrived two years ago from Leinster a virtual nobody. He leaves a Scarlets icon and future Irish international.

LEINSTER .................. 119 SCARLETS ...................... 114