Leinster prop McCarthy out for remainder of seasonpublished at 21:42 BST 26 May
21:42 BST 26 May
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Paddy McCarthy came off injured during Leinster's loss to Bordeaux Begles
Leinster have confirmed Ireland prop Paddy McCarthy has been ruled out for the remainder of their season after sustaining a foot injury in last weekend's Champions Cup final defeat by Bordeaux Begles in Bilbao.
McCarthy will be absent for Saturday's United Rugby Championship play-off quarter-final against the Lions at the Aviva Stadium (20:00 BST), as well as any semi-final or final that the Irish province may contest in the competition.
The 22-year-old could also be a doubt for Ireland's Nations Championship campaign this summer, with their opening fixture against Australia in Sydney scheduled for 4 July, just two weeks after the URC final.
The loose-head was forced to retire hurt just six minutes after being introduced as a replacement in the European showpiece and was seen on crutches after the game.
The Ireland forward was making his first appearance since January, having just returned from an unrelated injury to his other foot. McCarthy also missed the entirety of this year's Six Nations.
A squad update published by Leinster on Tuesday indicated Joshua Kenny and Brian Deeny have returned to full training and are available for selection this weekend.
No further updates were provided on the fitness of Ryan Baird, Jack Boyle, Will Connors, Hugh Cooney, RG Snyman and Charlie Tector.
'No surprise' McNamara has thrived in Bordeauxpublished at 16:02 BST 20 May
16:02 BST 20 May
David Mohan BBC Sport NI journalist
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Garry Ringrose regards Noel McNamara as an "exceptional coach"
Leinster centre Garry Ringrose feels it is "no surprise" former academy head Noel McNamara has enjoyed success at Bordeaux-Begles.
The County Clare native took up the role of attack coach with the Top 14 outfit in 2023, helping deliver last year's Investec Champions Cup and two runner-up finishes in domestic competition.
McNamara coached Ireland's Under-20s between 2018 and 2020, delivering a Six Nations title in 2019, before moving to Leinster and then on to South African club Sharks in 2021.
Although Ringrose did not directly play under McNamara - who has extended his stay in France until 2029 - the 31-year-old Ireland international believes his past involvement at Leinster is still felt to this day as they prepare to take on the defending champions in Saturday's Champions Cup final in Bilbao (14:45 BST).
"He definitely had a really big impact on the players he dealt with here at Leinster and it comes as no surprise he's having success with Bordeaux and getting the most out of the whole team, but certainly the backs," Ringrose said.
"He is an exceptional coach and away from not being a really good person, so I think the players play for him on two fronts, for him being a good guy and then also an exceptional coach.
"He was in charge of some of the Leinster and Ireland, age grade stuff that I just missed out on, but I got to work or rub shoulders with him more closely then once I came in the building here in UCD.
"Then also from being close with the guys that were specifically under him and coached by him, understanding what made him tick and the value he was provided to them."
Ringrose has been a regular for club and country over the past decade and while Leinster's high number of representatives in Andy Farrell's squad may suggest both sides have a degree of symmetry, the 2025 British and Irish Lion insists it's not quite the case.
"In terms of identity, it can be similar personnel, but there's also lots of differences as well," he countered.
"There's things that the coaches demand of us and ask of us in here that differ slightly in Ireland and vice versa. So as a player, we're only ever trying to just deliver and do our job as best we can."
Leinster make 13 changes for Ospreys clash published at 14:04 BST 15 May
14:04 BST 15 May
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Jimmy O'Brien is one of two starting survivors from last week's win over the Lions
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made 13 changes for Saturday's United Rugby Championship [URC] clash against the Ospreys at Aviva Stadium [17:15 BST].
Jack Conan will captain the side from blindside flanker with Josh van der Flier on the opposite side with James Culhane - one of two survivors from last week's win over the Lions - at number eight.
In the front row, hooker Gus McCarthy is flanked by Jerry Cahir and Rabah Slimani with Joe McCarthy and Diarmuid Mangan in the second row.
A strong half-back line will see a partnership of Harry Byrne at fly-half and Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half.
Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose for the partnership at centre, with Jordan Larmour and Tommy O'Brien on the wings, while Jimmy O'Brien reverts to full-back this week.
Leinster sit third in the URC standings heading into this weekend's final round of regular season games, two points off leaders Glasgow.
Leinster: J O'Brien, T O'Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Larmour, Byrne, Gibson-Park; Cahir, G McCarthy, Slimani, J McCarthy, Mangan, Conan (capt.), Van der Flier, Culhane.
Leinster players nearing return for silverware pushpublished at 16:32 BST 11 May
16:32 BST 11 May
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Jack Conan, Paddy McCarthy and Tommy O'Brien will all train this week
Leinster's bid for silverware is set to be boosted by the return of several players as the province builds up to the Investec Champions Cup final and United Rugby Championship play-offs.
Ireland loose-head prop Paddy McCarthy has returned to training after a four-month spell on the sidelines with a foot injury.
While 22-year-old McCarthy is not part of the European squad, a decision will be made later this week on his availability for Saturday's URC game against Ospreys.
Jordan Larmour and Tommy O'Brien are available for selection this weekend, while Jack Conan has returned to training after hobbling off in the Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulon on 2 May.
Tadhg Furlong, James Lowe and Alex Usanov are all training, while Josh van der Flier and Robbie Henshaw are continuing to follow graduated return to play protocols.
Lock Brian Deeny is set to be assessed on an injury he sustained in Saturday's bonus-point win over the Lions which virtually assured Leinster of a home URC quarter-final.
Joshua Kenny, who withdrew from the line-up before kick-off, also requires further assessment, while Connacht-bound back row Will Connors is ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up an injury on Saturday.
Leinster host Ospreys on Saturday before travelling to Bilbao for the Champions Cup decider against holders Bordeaux on 23 May.
Leinster boosted their hopes of securing home advantage in the United Rugby Championship play-offs with a bonus-point victory the Lions at Aviva Stadium.
Jamie Osborne and Thomas Clarkson crossed for the hosts before Lions captain Francke Horn halved the deficit before half-time.
Having soaked up plenty of pressure from the visitors in the third quarter, Leinster stretched the lead through replacement back Hugo Keenan.
Rieko Ioane clinched the bonus-point score before Jimmy O'Brien added gloss to the scoreline in the final minute.
The result ends the Lions' six-game winning run and moves Leinster from fifth to third in the URC table, with the top four after next weekend's final round of regular-season games enjoying home advantage in the play-offs.
The Lions move down to fifth, a point off the Bulls.
After his frontline stars beat Toulon last week to seal a return to the Champions Cup final, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen made 12 changes, with Ireland utility back Osborne making an immediate mark after being drafted in when he chased down his own kick to get the hosts up and running in the second minute.
And after the Lions lost flanker Ruan Venter to injury, Leinster thought they had scored a second try when Prendergast touched down in the corner, but it was ruled out after Jimmy O'Brien strayed offside in the build-up.
The Lions also had a try disallowed for offside with Erich Cronje deemed offside when he challenged Luke McGrath at the ruck before back rower Sibabalwe Mahashe surged clear and produced a superb solo finish.
And while Leinster got their second through prop Thomas Clarkson, Horn darted through a gap in the home defence to leave seven points in it at the interval.
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Leinster are chasing a URC and Champions Cup double
After Cullen introduced experienced front rowers Andrew Porter, Rabah Slimani and Dan Sheehan, Leinster were pinned back in the early stages of the second half before a momentum-shifting intercept from Diarmuid Mangan.
And having had their patience tested, Leinster finally got their third when Keenan - who replaced Prendergast - sprinted through a tiring Lions defence to score after good work from Jamie Osborne and Ioane.
With the Lions fading, Ioane clinched the bonus score before O'Brien wrapped up proceedings with the home side's fifth try.
Leinster host Ospreys next weekend while the Lions take on Munster.
Leinster: Frawley; A Osborne, Ioane, J Osborne, J O'Brien; Prendergast, McGrath; E Byrne, McKee, Clarkson, Deeny, Ryan (capt), Deegan, Connors, Culhane.
Lions: Q Horn; Cronje, Van Wyk, Kriel, A Davids; Smith, Van den Berg; Kotze, Botha, Ntlabakanye, Oosthuizen, Nothnagel, Mahashe, Venter, F Horn (capt).
Replacements: Marais, E Davids, Lombard, Landsberg, Hlekani, Pretorius, Steyn, Mpeku.
Leinster ring the changes for Lions clash published at 12:26 BST 8 May
12:26 BST 8 May
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Ryan will captain Leinster on Saturday
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has rung the changes for Saturday's United Rugby Championship [URC] against the Lions at Aviva Stadium [17:30 BST].
Cullen has retained just three players whom started last week's European Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulon with one of those, James Ryan, captaining the side in Dublin tomorrow.
Ryan is joined by Brian Deeny in the second row, while Thomas Clarkson is called upon again at tighthead prop, while Ed Byrne comes in at loosehead and John McKee is named at hooker.
In the back row, Max Deegan and Will Connors come in along with James Culhane at number eight.
A changed half-back partnership will see Sam Prendergast start at out-half with Luke McGrath at scrum-half.
In the backs, Rieko Ioane is named once again, but switches from the wing to centre where he will start alongside Jamie Osborne, while Joshua Kenny and Jimmy O'Brien have been named on the wings with Ciarán Frawley at full-back.
Keenan signs two-year extension with Leinsterpublished at 13:34 BST 5 May
13:34 BST 5 May
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Image caption,
Keenan made his Leinster debut in 2016
Hugo Keenan will remain with Leinster until the end of the 2027-28 season having signed a two-year extension to his Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) central contract.
The 29-year-old, who has won 46 caps since making his international debut in October 2020, scored the series-clinching try for the British and Irish Lions against Australia last summer.
Keenan has also made 81 appearances for Leinster since his debut against Zebre in November 2016, helping the club win five URC titles.
"Hugo is a top-class performer and I am really pleased that he is continuing his journey in Ireland," said Ireland head coach, Andy Farrell.
"He has been a model of consistency since his debut in 2020 and I believe that the best is yet to come as he continues to set the highest standards on and off the field of play."
IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys expressed his delight the Dubliner has committed his future to Ireland.
"Hugo has established himself as one of the leading full-backs in the world game and we are excited that he has committed his future to Irish Rugby," Humphreys said.
"A talented and committed athlete, Hugo has proven himself consistently for club and country for many years and I have no doubt that he will continue to progress in the seasons to come."
Leinster's Henshaw ruled out of Lions URC gamepublished at 15:36 BST 4 May
15:36 BST 4 May
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Leinster centre Robbie Henshaw has been ruled out of Saturday's United Rugby Championship game against the Lions.
The Ireland international has entered graduated return to play protocols after being stretchered off following a collision with Mikheil Shioshvili in Saturday's Investec Champions Cup win over Toulon.
Henshaw's Test team-mates Tommy O'Brien, Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier are also doubts for the Aviva Stadium game (17:30 BST). O'Brien and Conan both picked up unspecified injuries while Van der Flier may be available despite entering graduated return to play protocols.
In more positive news, prop Tadhg Furlong and wing James Lowe are pushing for selection after returning to training. Furlong missed the Toulon game while Lowe has been out since the Six Nations with a groin injury.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is still without Ryan Baird, Jack Boyle, Paddy McCarthy, RG Snyman, Charlie Tector and Alex Usanov.
The Irish province sit fourth in the URC table, level on points with the third-placed Lions.
After facing the South African side in Dublin on Saturday, Leinster will host Ospreys on 16 May before taking on Bordeaux-Begles in the Champions Cup final in Bilbao on 23 May.
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