Leinster make dramatic change for South Africa tour after costly lesson last season
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Big guns.
Leinster have taken a very different approach to their early-season trip to South Africa, with Leo Cullen naming a strong 41-man travelling squad for the opening two rounds of the URC.
The defending champions endured a difficult visit last season when a heavily depleted squad returned from games against the Stormers and Bulls with just a single league point.
Getting points on the board early in the URC will be important for Leinster to compete on both fronts, as they look to conquer Europe.
Leinster have regularly travelled to South Africa without a number of their frontline internationals in recent seasons, but there will be considerably more experience on the plane this time around.
Tadhg Furlong, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw and Hugo Keenan are among a host of established Ireland internationals selected for the trip.
Sam Prendergast, Joe McCarthy, Rónan Kelleher, Ryan Baird and Jamie Osborne are also included as Cullen opts to go considerably stronger from the outset of the new campaign.
There is also a place for returning out-half Joey Carbery, while injured captain Caelan Doris and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park are among the notable names not travelling.
Leinster open their season against the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday, September 26, before travelling to Durban to face the Sharks at Kings Park a week later.
They will then return to Dublin for their first home fixture of the campaign against Cardiff on October 10.
Leinster travelling squad
Forwards
Ryan Baird
Thomas Clarkson
Jack Conan
Max Deegan
Brian Deeny
Peter Dooley
Josh Ericson
Tadhg Furlong
Rónan Kelleher
Gus McCarthy
Joe McCarthy
Dylan McNeice
Conor O’Tighearnaigh
Scott Penny
Andrew Porter
James Ryan
Dan Sheehan
Niall Smyth
Stephen Smyth
Alan Spicer
Alex Usanov
Josh van der Flier
Backs
Tadhg Brophy
Harry Byrne
Joey Carbery
Oliver Coffey
Hugh Cooney
Caspar Gabriel
Fintan Gunne
Robbie Henshaw
Hugo Keenan
Todd Lawlor
Ciarán Mangan
Hugo McLaughlin
Jimmy O’Brien
Tommy O’Brien
Andrew Osborne
Jamie Osborne
Sam Prendergast
Garry Ringrose
Charlie Tector
