IRELAND’S decision to go on tour during the United Rugby Championship campaign could lead to the Dragons facing an even stronger Leinster side, believes boss Dai Flanagan.
The URC is under way yet the Irish Rugby Football Union – shareholders in the championship – have opted to arrange international development fixtures.
It should be noted that the Welsh Rugby Union have also been guilty of this when slotting in extra autumn internationals that deprive the professional clubs of their international players, something that isn’t happening this November.
Nonetheless, Emerging Ireland fly out to South Africa on Saturday to face Super Rugby side Western Force in between clashes with the Pumas and Cheetahs, who play in the Currie Cup.
The fixtures will rule the squad members out of three rounds of action and that could well lead to Ireland’s seniors coming in for provincial action.
Leinster’s ‘second string’ is notoriously strong – and they have frequently enjoyed success against the Dragons home and away – but Flanagan expects more household names to be in the home line-up at Aviva Stadium on Friday night (kick-off 7.35pm).
“We know what’s coming with Leinster. It’s at the Aviva and Ireland have a development tour so I would expect a lot of their senior internationals in the XV,” said the head coach.
“We went to Bath in pre-season to mirror what is coming this week. Bath were full of internationals and I am sure Leinster will be.
“The one thing that we will look after is ourselves and we are a pretty decent team who are building an identity to be proud of.”
Leinster have 11 players in the Emerging Ireland squad - forwards James Culhane, Gus McCarthy, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Stephen Smyth and Alex Soroka and backs Hugh Cooney, Cormac Foley, Andrew Osborne, Sam Predergast, Rob Russell and Charlie Tector.
Tector was drafted in to replace teammate Tommy O’Brien, who suffered an injury in the URC win against Edinburgh in Scotland last Friday.
Of the 11 who will fly out to Bloemfontein, five featured in the 33-31 success over the Scottish side.
Leinster’s XV in Edinburgh featured Jamison Gibson-Park, Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, James Ryan, Max Deegan and Jack Conan while Cian Healy, Luke McGrath and France prop Rabah Slimani came off the bench.
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