Sports
URC teams: Internationals back for Leinster and Ulster
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Sam Prendergast will start at out-half for Leinster, as Leo Cullen’s side get the defence of their BKT United Rugby Championship title under way on Friday against the Stormers in Cape Town.
While the province can’t avail of their British and Irish Lions contingent yet, Prendergast is one of nine players in the matchday squad who featured for Ireland in their summer wins over Georgia and Portugal.
The out-half is joined in the half-backs by Luke McGrath, who captains the team for the season opener.
Robbie Henshaw also starts, having missed Ireland’s summer tour due to injury, playing at outside centre, with Ciarán Frawley in the 12 shirt.
Jimmy O’Brien is named at full-back, and could make the shirt his own in the next few months with Hugo Keenan injured, while Jordan Larmour and Tommy O’Brien are named on the wings.
Cullen has been able to lean on experience in the front row, where Rabah Slimani is named at tighthead, while Ireland internationals Gus McCarthy and Jack Boyle pack down alongside him.
Diarmuid Mangan and Brian Deeny team up in the second row, while James Culhane will start the season at number 8, with Ryan Baird and Scott Penny on the flanks.
On the bench, there is a debut for academy tighthead prop Andrew Sparrow, while Harry Byrne is also included among the replacements having spent the second half of last season on loan at Bristol Bears.
Leinster: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Ciarán Frawley, Jordan Larmour; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath (capt); Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani; Diarmuid Mangan, Brian Deeny; Ryan Baird, Scott Penny, James Culhane
Replacements: John McKee, Paddy McCarthy, Andrew Sparrow, Max Deegan, Will Connors, Fintan Gunne, Harry Byrne, Hugh Cooney
New signing Juarno Augustus (above) will make his debut for Ulster as the province begin their campaign against the Dragons in Belfast.
The South African, who joined from Northampton Saints in the summer, is named among the replacements, and is set to feature off the bench.
Head coach Richie Murphy has named a strong starting team, all of whom are Irish-qualified, with Iain Henderson captaining the team from the second row.
Jacob Stockdale, who suffered a shoulder injury on Ireland’s summer tour starts on the left wing, and there are nine Ireland internationals in the first XV.
Rob Herring starts at hooker, packing down between props Callum Reid and Tom O’Toole.
Henderson, who sat out Ireland’s summer games, is partnered by Harry Sheridan at lock.
Cormac Izuchukwu is named at blindside flanker, with Nick Timoney on the openside, while David McCann gets the start at number eight.
Nathan Doak starts as expected at scrum-half, the 23-year-old now the indisputed first choice following the departure of John Cooney. Jack Murphy partners him in the half-backs.
Stuart McCloskey is at inside centre, with James Hume alongside him. Hume will make his 100th appearance for the province.
Zac Ward, player of the match in their pre-season win against Edinburgh, is on the right wing with Stockdale on the left, and Mike Lowry completes the side at full-back.
Ulster: Michael Lowry; Zac Ward, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Callum Reid, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole; Iain Henderson (capt), Harry Sheridan; Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, David McCann
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Sam Crean, Scott Wilson, Matthew Dalton, Juarno Augustus, Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, Ben Carson
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Republic of Ireland teenage goalkeeper Katie Keane served notice of her huge promise as she starred in Sheffield United’s penalty shootout win against Durham in the League Cup on Wednesday night.
Keane, 19, joined Women’s Super League outfit Leicester City from Shamrock Rovers in the summer.
On Wednesday afternoon she completed a seven-day emergency loan move to Championship side Sheffield United, who were short in the goalkeeping department after losing both Sian Rogers and Charlotte Parker-Smith to injury.
Keane went straight into the team for the cup clash and made an instant impact.
Joy Ralph – who left Shamrock Rovers for the Blades around the same time Keane joined Leicester – put the visitors ahead at Maiden Castle Sports Park with a good finish in the 18th minute.
Durham equalised just before half-time, but they couldn’t be separated after that, with the game going to a shootout.
Keane made saves to deny Beth Hepple and Becky Salicki to swing it for the Blade. Afterwards she reflected on a whirlwind 24 hours.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Keane told Sheffield United club media.
“It’s some debut. To think that I haven’t actually been a Sheffield player until about four hours ago, that’s just the fun of it you know?
“The penos, thank God I saved them. The game was really, really good and I’m really proud of all the girls and the youngsters who came on and put in a really good shift.”
Keane, who first broke through at Athlone Town, will be hoping her performance caught the attention of Republic of Ireland boss Carla Ward ahead of next month’s Nations League play-off against Belgium.
She was included in Eileen Gleeson’s senior squad for last year’s Euro 2025 play-off semi-final against Georgia, but has not been called up since.
[embedded content]
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Read the full article on post.
Republic of Ireland teenage goalkeeper Katie Keane served notice of her huge promise as she starred in Sheffield United’s penalty shootout win against Durham in the League Cup on Wednesday night.
Keane, 19, joined Women’s Super League outfit Leicester City from Shamrock Rovers in the summer.
On Wednesday afternoon she completed a seven-day emergency loan move to Championship side Sheffield United, who were short in the goalkeeping department after losing both Sian Rogers and Charlotte Parker-Smith to injury.
Keane went straight into the team for the cup clash and made an instant impact.
Joy Ralph – who left Shamrock Rovers for the Blades around the same time Keane joined Leicester – put the visitors ahead at Maiden Castle Sports Park with a good finish in the 18th minute.
Durham equalised just before half-time, but they couldn’t be separated after that, with the game going to a shootout.
Keane made saves to deny Beth Hepple and Becky Salicki to swing it for the Blade. Afterwards she reflected on a whirlwind 24 hours.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Keane told Sheffield United club media.
“It’s some debut. To think that I haven’t actually been a Sheffield player until about four hours ago, that’s just the fun of it you know?
“The penos, thank God I saved them. The game was really, really good and I’m really proud of all the girls and the youngsters who came on and put in a really good shift.”
Keane, who first broke through at Athlone Town, will be hoping her performance caught the attention of Republic of Ireland boss Carla Ward ahead of next month’s Nations League play-off against Belgium.
She was included in Eileen Gleeson’s senior squad for last year’s Euro 2025 play-off semi-final against Georgia, but has not been called up since.
[embedded content]
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Read the full article on post.
Republic of Ireland teenage goalkeeper Katie Keane served notice of her huge promise as she starred in Sheffield United’s penalty shootout win against Durham in the League Cup on Wednesday night.
Keane, 19, joined Women’s Super League outfit Leicester City from Shamrock Rovers in the summer.
On Wednesday afternoon she completed a seven-day emergency loan move to Championship side Sheffield United, who were short in the goalkeeping department after losing both Sian Rogers and Charlotte Parker-Smith to injury.
Keane went straight into the team for the cup clash and made an instant impact.
Joy Ralph – who left Shamrock Rovers for the Blades around the same time Keane joined Leicester – put the visitors ahead at Maiden Castle Sports Park with a good finish in the 18th minute.
Durham equalised just before half-time, but they couldn’t be separated after that, with the game going to a shootout.
Keane made saves to deny Beth Hepple and Becky Salicki to swing it for the Blade. Afterwards she reflected on a whirlwind 24 hours.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Keane told Sheffield United club media.
“It’s some debut. To think that I haven’t actually been a Sheffield player until about four hours ago, that’s just the fun of it you know?
“The penos, thank God I saved them. The game was really, really good and I’m really proud of all the girls and the youngsters who came on and put in a really good shift.”
Keane, who first broke through at Athlone Town, will be hoping her performance caught the attention of Republic of Ireland boss Carla Ward ahead of next month’s Nations League play-off against Belgium.
She was included in Eileen Gleeson’s senior squad for last year’s Euro 2025 play-off semi-final against Georgia, but has not been called up since.
[embedded content]
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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