Croke Park to stage URC final if Leinster progress
Leo Cullen's side face Glasgow Warriors in the semi-finals this Saturday, 7 June, at Aviva Stadium [KO 2.45pm, live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sports 1].
Victory there would see them progress to the showpiece for the first time since 2021, and again enjoy home advantage due to rankings. Croke Park has been confirmed to The 42 as the venue of choice.
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Leinster have used Lansdowne Road and Croke Park for their home games over the last two seasons as the RDS undergoes redevelopment works.
They last played at GAA HQ in April's Champions Cup last-16 win against Harlequins, while they also faced Munster there in the URC last October.
Croke Park's capacity is over 82,000, while the Aviva holds almost 52,000. Just 12,879 fans attended Saturday's 33-21 quarter-final win over Scarlets.
If defending champions Glasgow progress ahead of Leinster, the URC final will take place in South Africa. The Bulls host the Sharks in Pretoria in this weekend's other semi-final.
Josh van der Flier and Jordan Larmour (file photo). Juan Gasparini / INPHO Juan Gasparini / INPHO / INPHO
Meanwhile, Leinster have issued a mixed injury update. Jordan Larmour is available for selection on Saturday, having returned to full training after recovering from an injury.
Josh van der Flier will be further assessed this week for a hamstring injury before a final decision will be made on his availability. The Lions-bound flanker was replaced before the half-hour mark of Saturday's quarter-final.
Garry Ringrose (calf) and Tommy O'Brien (foot) will also undergo further assessment this week: neither featured last time out.
No further updates were available on Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw, Will Connors and Brian Deeny.
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The 42
40 minutes ago
- The 42
'They're quality players' - Lions defend their latest call-ups
THE 2017 LIONS tour had the 'Geography Six' and this 2025 tour of Australia now has six late arrivals of its own. An original 38-man squad will become 44 by Sunday. The Lions have said that each of Jamie Osborne, Jamie George, Thomas Clarkson, Darcy Graham, Rory Sutherland, and Ewan Ashman are coming in as what they term 'cover' for the main squad. Osborne joined the Lions over the weekend, Graham arrives in Brisbane today, George and Clarkson will land on Tuesday, while Sutherland and Ashman will link up with the tourists in Melbourne on Sunday. Versatile outside back Osborne was called up after injuries to fullback Blair Kinghorn and centre Garry Ringrose last Wednesday, while hooker George was summoned when Luke Cowan-Dickie suffered a head injury on Saturday in Adelaide. However, the Lions insist that Clarkson, Graham, Sutherland, and Ashman are not coming in to specifically cover any fresh injuries. The Lions say that blindside/lock Ollie Chessum, who trained separately from the main squad at one stage in Adelaide, is fit. And they have yet to rule Kinghorn out of the first Test against the Wallabies this weekend, saying they're taking that one day by day. Rory Sutherland will arrive on Sunday. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO The fact that Ringrose and Cowan-Dickie both have to complete 12-day returns to play after concussion, meaning no contact initially, has added to the challenge for head coach Andy Farrell and his assistants. There is also the matter of the final midweek game against the First Nations & Pasifika XV on Tuesday week. Farrell doesn't want to risk his Test 23 in that match in Melbourne. The Lions coaching staff don't buy into the suggestion that they are devaluing the tourists' history by adding additional players at this point. 'No, I think naturally at this stage of the tour that the games that are more intense,' said assistant coach John Dalziel in Brisbane today. 'Geographically, we're getting people here if they do need to play. I think it's the right time to do it with the right players. We're not giving away opportunities lightly. Advertisement 'It's quality players like Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland, an ex-Lions international. These are players who will come in and add value to the group. 'Darcy Graham, in a lot of people's eyes he was very, very close to selection. He's a fantastic player, a lad that would probably be, rightfully, a bit disappointed not making it originally.' The 'Geography Six' episode in 2017 was highly controversial. Joe Marler later revealed that he refused to come off in one of the Lions' games when he was supposed to be replaced by Allan Dell, one of the Geography Six. There were other reports of unhappiness within the original 2017 squad at the time. Allan Dell [right] was one of the Geography Six in 2017. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO But Farrell and his staff aren't worried about anything like that happening. 'I didn't hear those stories, but I'd like to think our lads would be above that,' said Dalziel. He also pointed out that the Lions could have made things easier if they had selected solely on geography. 'Look at Jamie George, he had two 14-hour flights to get here. It's not an easy choice to get him in. 'We looked at it properly, it was a process with Jamie being part of the set-up at the start.' The Lions forwards coach did reveal that some of these late call-ups could leave Lions camp after the First Nations & Pasifika XV clash. That means Sutherland and Ashman could potentially arrive in Melbourne on Sunday, be involved in the game on Tuesday, then leave the Lions camp after that match. 'It'll be on an individual basis, based on what's going to happen through the week and Saturday again as well,' said Dalziel on that front. 'We'll assess after that. But we'll make that decision after that.' Graham arriving today in Brisbane, despite Sutherland and Ashman staying with Scotland in New Zealand for their game against Samoa on Saturday, has raised some eyebrows. Darcy Graham has flown in from New Zealand. Dave Winter / INPHO Dave Winter / INPHO / INPHO Dalziel was asked if there had been an injury to right wing Mack Hansen, who played in Adelaide on Saturday, but he said that wasn't the case. 'He [Hansen] is fine and he's doing the walkthrough today.' Clarkson will become the third Irish tighthead prop on this tour along with Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham, something that has drawn criticism in the other Lions nations. Clarkson is the 18th Irish player called up but again, Dalziel said the Leinster man was picked because the coaches feel he was the best available player. 'We've seen his form at the end of the season so he was hugely on the radar and now in Test weeks, it just takes an injury in training or at the weekend and in specialist positions, you're a bit light. 'Obviously, Zander Fagerson's injury as well. He's a lad who's been playing probably the best rugby he's been playing through the last six months. 'You look at that, with everyone available and him playing well, he was still in the mix. It's the right time. We feel he's the next cab off the rank. He'll come and be able to do a job here and hopefully push.' As with the final midweek game in 2017 against the Hurricanes, which was also in between the first and second Tests, it is clear that the Lions coaches feel they need to have additional players onboard for their clash with the First Nations & Pasifika XV. It was put to Dalziel that this final midweek fixture has become an inconvenience. 'Not really an inconvenience,' said the Scottish coach. 'There's going to be lads that are desperate, who won't make selection on the weekend, who will want to go out, put their best foot forward and push for the second Test. 'Also, it does help the lads in terms of their preparation. It's a good opportunity for the lads to wear a Lions jersey and I'm pleased for them.'
Irish Daily Star
43 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Star
British and Irish Lions betting: Predicting First Test XV could be a big earner for just €1
Take it as a certainty Andy Farrell has pored over Lions selection for the First Test against Australia on Saturday. He will have talked and talked for months and behind closed doors with such as Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman, John Fogarty, David O'Siochan, Vinny Hammond, Aled Walters from his closed 'Irish' coaching circle on this Tour Yet he will still be very much his own man - and hard to predict. Indeed the bookies are quite certain neither the rugby experts nor the man in the street can guess his starting XV and they are quite literally willing to bet on it, player by player. Stop for a second and jot down your team; we have the prices down below so you can work out your combined odds and how impossible it is that you could be correct. While we have also put together some famous names and their predictions. There are those such as Brian O'Driscoll (his selection comes out as 328/1) and (ROG 240/1 against his XV) who, if you believe they are right, have tasty prices. A 'safe' team guess could net between 25/1 and 40/1 depending on, say, whether the preference is for Josh van der Flier or Jack Morgan or Tom Curry for no7 and whether it's Hugo Keenan or Blair Kinghorn no15. There is more than one player at a tasty price who has a sneaking chance and one of those, at 12/1 is good value, and could send your bet into very high numbers. Do remember there can often be injuries at training. Keep in mind that the Lions, so far this tour, have preferred to keep schtum about some of them (Ringrose's concussion, Keenan's illness...) On that subject Ringrose, who must go through the concussion protocols, is ruled out of the First Test and therefore not in the betting. "You don't mess around with those things, he is 12 days out but back in the midweek game before the Second Test," said Andy Farrell. Ringrose had started twice (Force, Brumbies) and came on as a sub once to here (Reds) scoring a try on each occasion while his absence will have scuppered a lot of ante-post bets. He would have been circa 1/2 to start and brought Bundee Aki to circa 10/11 with Huw Jones and Sione Tuipolutu more like 6/4 and 7/4 respectively. Owen Farrell, by the way, has to be taken into account here. He was parachuted into the squad for Elliot Daly who is a full-back, a winger and a second-centre but the replacement is not a like-for-like. Given the coach's choice for the first-centre shirt was, when they set off for Oz, between Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu. Lion's Owen Farrell - can he make the XV (Image: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan) And given Ringrose's injury and that the Scotland captain is not needed as captain here, was poor against Argentina, decent against Force and Waratahs and has yet to score, Andy may be thinking Owen could do a job... Putting the conspiracy theories aside for the minutes and notwithstanding Tuipulotu-Jones is a proven Six Nations combination and would be playing outside their Scotland no10 Finn Russell, Farrell is a meaty 12/1 to start. Watch too the way the second-row and the back-row has been laid out below. That's because Tadhg Beirne and Ollie Chessum could play in either of the rows if needed. There is a not unreasonable theory that Farrell wants Beirne in the side but he may have had that thought downgraded as Joe McCarty and Chessum threw down specific markers. Working from the high numbers down, Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan were most likely level in the pecking order in the run up to the squad assembling. But Kinghorn's late arrival and spraining his knee against Brumbies, coupled with Keenan's strong showing coming back from illness against AUNZ last Saturday has swung this in the Irish player's favour. "Blair didn't look great against the Brumbies and it was the right call to take him off,' says Simon Easterby of this. 'But the scan showed up far better than we feared. "We're hopeful he'll be back in training by Tuesday(48 hours before team selection). Then it becomes a bit of a waiting game. We'll see how he responds and give him every chance to be available for that first Test. 'These things are often touch and go, we'll take it day by day. And if it doesn't work out, we've got strong depth and guys who are ready to step in.' Some got a little over excited about Mack Hansen's cameo from the bench in that AUNZ game but England's Tommy Freeman was one of the first players to nail down a spot once the games began. Whatever about metres-made, scurrying, tackling and other things Hansen does well, he is not a patch on Freeman when Northampton winger, helped by his 6'3" frame, is superb in the air. James Lowe is central to a lot of Farrell's thinking around defensive exit plays, hasn't put a foot wrong and is miles ahead of the left-wing contender Duhan van der Merwe who is having an error-strewn tour. Finn Russell and Jamison Gibson-Park will comprise the half-backs, to such an extent they may be about to go down in history as one of the Lions best ever half-back combinations - certainly the best mixed-nation half-back combination ever. The Andrew-Porter-Ellis Genge call is much tighter than the betting suggests, with Porter available at 9/4 to start and Genge 1/3. If Farrell picked this team four/five/six months ago, Porter was the guy in form at the 2025 Six Nations while Genge hit the ground running on Tour. This is an interesting two cents from Ronan O'Gara here (see 'ROG's XV' below) who suggests the Lions would be best served by flipping some of the front-row and using them as 'finishers'. He wants Ronan Kelleher to start for instance. Notwithstanding that logic, Dan Sheehan is favourite to start not least as his early captaincy established his leadership credentials - Farrell, the 'Man of Steel, loves leaders. Tadhg Furlong looked to have done enough last time out, Will Stuart's stock has gone backwards since they have been in-country, he has looked nervous, hesitant. Finlay Bealham might even make the bench here. Itoje is a certainty bar catching 'flu or closing a door on his nose this week while, as mentioned, messines, enthusiasm and willingness to put himself about has McCarthy sticking his big oar in. The in-form Chessum is being considered for no6 on the back of his size and line-out work. There is a three-way spat for the no7 jersey between Morgan, Curry and Van der Flier. Morgan has been making a late surge for the shirt, the English media have been over-hyping Curry and, if the team was picked some months back there isn't any direct evidence either should be ahead of van der Flier. Jack Conan has been used sparingly, a sub against Force on first arrival, starting against Reds and clocking up astonishing attacking and defensive numbers against Brumbies. He is the only natural no8 in the squad and started each of the three Tests four years back. He holds all the aces over Ben Earl. FIRST TEST vs Australia PLAYER BY PLAYER BETTING BACK-THREE - Tommy Freeman 1/8, James Lowe 1/8, Hugo Keenan 8/11, Blair Kinghorn 1/1, Mack Hansen 11/4, Duhan van der Merwe 5/1 CENTRES - Huw Jones 1/8, Sione Tuipulotu 1/8, Bundee Aki 7/4, Owen Farrell 12/1 HALF BACKS - Finn Russell 1/10, Jamison Gibson-Park 1/8, Alex Mitchell 5/1, Fin Smith 11/2, Marcus Smith 6/1, Ben White 12/1 READ MORE: British and Irish Lions vs Brumbies player Ratings: The good, the average, and you won't be making the Test Team mate READ MORE: Calling for a 'leader' mid-Lions Tour highlights pre-Tour selection absurdity - There is Only One F in Foley FRONT-ROW Ellis Genge 1/3, Andrew Porter 9/4, Pierre Schoman 11/1 Dan Sheehan 1/33, Ronan Kelleher 9/1, Jamie George 12/1 Tadhg Furlong 2/5, Will Stuart 5/2, Finlay Bealham 4/1 BACK-FIVE Maro Itoje 1/50, Joe McCarty 1/3, James Ryan 12/1, Scott Cummins 16/1 Tadhg Beirne 8/11, Ollie Chessum 1/4 Jack Conan 1/4, Jac Morgan 5/6, Tom Curry 10/11, Josh van der Flier 11/10, Henry Pollock 5/2, Ben Earl 5/2 So who would pick who, O'Gara, O'Driscoll, McGeechan, Woodward have all nailed their colours to the mast - who have they chosen and how big a bet would that be? First up, Ronan O'Gara says he would keep Porter-Sheehan-Furlong back as 'finishers' to overwhelm Australia at the close. ROG's XV: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Kelleher, Stuart, McCarthy, Itoje (capt), Beirne, Van der Flier, Conan . Pays a potential €240 for a €1 bet Brian Driscoll had Garry Ringrose in initially but we have substituted Huw Jones in there for him. This line up came without a nailed on tighthead so we have left the position vacant, it's a XIV! Brian O'Driscoll's XV: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Tuipulotu, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, AN Other, Beirne, Itoje (capt), Curry, Van der Flier, Pollock. Pays €328/2 for a €1 bet Lions legend Ian McGeechan has nine Irish players, selects Bundee Aki because of the way he 'carries the ball over the gain-line' but leaves Tadhg Beirne out as he wants 'big' at No6. Ian McGeechan's XV: Keenan; Freeman, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Furlong, McCarthy, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Morgan, Conan . Pays €66 for a €1 bet Former World Cup winning and Lions coach Clive Woodward is most worried about the composition of the back-row. Jack Conan, he says, is the only specialist no8, Jac Morgan get there by a nose following his superb Reds and AUNZ performances Clive Woodward's XV: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Stuart, McCarthy, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Morgan, Conan. Pays €64 for a €1 bet AI has looked at the tighthead slot and feels Finlay Bealham deserves a start which is an outlier of note. It also favours Tadhg Beirne at no6. AI, via and ChatGPT, has a go XV: Kinghorn; Freeman, Jones, Tuipulotu, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Bealham, McCarthy, Itoje (capt), Beirne, Morgan, Conan. €Pays 145/1 for a €1 bet Some believe this side was selected a good way in advance, that's the Andy Farrell way. Thus Keenan over Kinghorn, JVDF over Morgan, Conan over only player to have played himself in is Ollie Chessum. There is Only One F in Foley XV: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Tuipulotu, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Furlong, McCarthy, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Van der Flier, Conan. Pays €29 for a €1 bet Sneaky One F bet (same team as directly above but with Owen Farrell as no12 instead of Bundee Aki... Pays €339 for a €1 bet Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Lions call up Scottish trio to cover First Nations & Pasifika tie
The British and Irish Lions have called up Scotland trio Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham ahead of their series against Australia. The Lions' squad has swelled to 44 players with the latest additions, who are being brought in to provide cover that will prevent key Test personnel from backing up in next Tuesday's match against a First Nations & Pasifika XV. The eighth match on tour takes place before the second Test against the Wallabies in Melbourne on 26 July. Prop Sutherland, hooker Ashman and wing Graham have all been summoned from Scotland's tour of New Zealand. Graham will link up with the Lions in Brisbane on Monday while Sutherland and Ashman will arrive in Melbourne on Sunday with Scotland facing Samoa in Auckland the previous day. Sutherland made two Test appearances for the Lions in South Africa four years ago. Head coach Andy Farrell named a 38-man squad in May but since arriving in Australia full-back Jamie Osborne, hooker Jamie George and prop Tom Clarkson have been added. Meanwhile, Australia centre Joseph Suaalii has brushed aside talk of a spicy reunion with Sione Tuipulotu in the series after the pair's heated exchange at Murrayfield in November. Australia-born Tuipulotu was instrumental in the Scots' 27-13 win over the Wallabies, shaking off an attempted Suaalii tackle for the hosts' first try. Rugby league convert Suaalii later got his man with a bone-crunching tackle (above) near the Wallabies try-line but injured his wrist in the contact and had to come off the field at the half-hour mark. Before he exited, Tuipulotu fired a few choice words at the young midfielder, who shot back a few of his own, including: "See you next time." Asked about the prospect of renewing hostilities in the series opener in Brisbane on Saturday, Suaalii played the rivalry down. "(It was) just footy. Once you do things on the footy field, you keep them on the footy field," he told reporters in Brisbane on Monday. "I'm ready to go, ready to play. Not too much to say about that. "I always focus on myself first before I put my energy into someone else. "Obviously, there are fans who want to see a rivalry and all that but, at the end of the day, it's a team sport." Suaalii will be closely watched in the series, not least because of the reported €2.8million deal he signed to defect from the 13-man game. The tall and athletic 21-year-old impressed in his first Tests on the Wallabies' season-ending tour of the Northern Hemisphere and is already seen as a marketing success for Rugby Australia. Many home fans remember rugby league convert Israel Folau's famous Wallabies debut in the first test of the 2013 Lions tour, when he scored two tries in a losing cause at Lang Park, and went on to score 37 tries in 73 appearances. They will hope Suaalii can have a similar impact in his first Lions outing at the same venue on Saturday. "He's someone I admire for the person he is and the way he plays the game," Suaalii said. "He did kill it in that 2013 series. "It was a dream of mine to play the Lions because of watching him, Kurtley Beale, all these different players do their thing in the game. And it kind of sparked something in myself." Suaalii was joined by big lock Will Skelton at the Wallabies' press conference but drew most of the media's attention. Skelton, who missed the Wallabies' last-gasp win over Fiji with a calf strain, confirmed he was fit and available to play at Lang Park.
