Head Coach: Matt O’Connor
Captain: Jamie Heaslip
Pro 12 Position 2013/2014: 1st
Stadium: RDS Arena
Leinster Rugby Season Preview:
This will be the first time in 15 years that a Leinster team will not contain the name Brian O’Driscoll. Much has been written about O’Driscoll’s retirement and the candidates to replace him in the Irish team.
A much more pressing question for Matt O’Connor is: who is going to replace O’Driscoll in Leinster blue? At the moment Luke Fitzgerald and soon to arrive from Rugby League, Ben Te’o are the front runners.
Kane Douglas has also come into the squad from the Waratahs. Leinster will be looking at Douglas to fill the void that Leo Cullen’s retirement has created. There is no doubt that Douglas is but whether he has the same attributes as Cullen is doubtful at this stage.
The loss of Cullen and O’Driscoll will have a major impact on Leinster this season. O’Driscoll is Leinster’s greatest ever player and despite the quality of player that Matt O’Connor has at his disposal. He is irreplaceable.
Jamie Heaslip has now taken over the captain’s role full time and this could be a make or break season for him. He has had the number eight position basically to himself for province and country for the last four years and has been lucky in many people’s eyes to keep his place.
I think Heaslip has enough ability and heart to prove his critics wrong but he will need to do more with ball in hand to go with his unnoticed at times hard work.
Leinster will be delighted to have Sean O’Brien back to full fitness and the ‘Tullow Tank’ will be itching for a return to action. He is one of the most destructive players in world rugby on his day and his team has missed him badly.
Another selection conundrum for the Guinness Pro 12 Champions of last season is at out half. Jimmy Gopperth was seen as the starting number 10 last season. This was down to the fact that he was seen to be more consistent than his out half rival Ian Madigan.
Madigan is a gifted rugby player but has to show a more rounded game to show his Provincial Coach and International Coach that he can be trusted. With Jonny Sexton’s return on the horizon in 2015, this really is a make or break season for Madigan.
A playoff place is a guarantee for Leinster but without O’Driscoll we do not know how good they are. The first few months of the season will tell us a lot. If they are able to cope with his loss it could be a great season. If not, Matt O’Connor may be under severe pressure.
Players In:
Tadhg Furlong (Prop) from Academy
Sean McCarthy (Prop) from Jersey
James Tracy (Hooker) from Academy
Kane Douglas (Second Row) from Waratahs
Jack Conan (Back Row) from Academy
Luke McGrath (Scrum Half) from Academy
Collie O’Shea (Centre) from Academy
Ben Te’o (Centre) from South Sydney Rabbitohs (Rugby League)
Sam Coghlan Murray (Wing) from Academy
Players Out:
Jack O’Connell (Prop) to Bristol
Quinn Roux (Second Row) to Connacht (loan)
Leo Auva’a (Back Row) to Treviso
Conor Gilsenan (Back Row) to London Irish
John Cooney (Scrum Half) to Connacht (loan)
Darren Hudson (Wing) to Bristol
Andrew Goodman (Centre) Released
Andrew Boyle (Wing) Released
Leo Cullen Retired
Brian O’Driscoll Retired
“Main Photo:”
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