Leinster return to the 'D4tress' this weekend after what Will Connors has described via Instagram as "Some day on the Bay of Biscay." It was a huge day for the province in so many ways, not least avenging last season's final defeat but also the coming of age for a new regime in Dublin 4.
Leinster's victory over the European Champions, in biblical weather conditions, was mightily impressive and the coverage over this past weekend has largely been focused around the game at the Stade Marcel Deflandre. However, this weekend they have the Premiership league leaders in Sale Sharks coming to town, off the back of a clinical, 28-5 victory against a strong Stade Francais team.
When is Leinster v Sale Sharks?
Leinster v Sale Sharks kicks off at 17:30 on Saturday 16th of December at the RDS Arena.
How to Watch
Leinster v Sale Sharks is available on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) with coverage beginning after the conclusion of Bordeaux-Bègles v Bristol Bears. It will also be available on RTÉ2 with coverage starting at 17:00.
Sale Sharks Team News
Sale are a team riding high in the Gallagher Premiership and they carried that form in to their home opener at the AJ Bell last week. While they are sitting top of their domestic league, it has not been plain sailing for the Sharks this year. When they have lost, it's been a blow out.
Their first loss of the year came away to Exeter when they were demolished 43-0, during a game in which they barely represented a constituent part. The other loss came away to Harlequins at the Stoop on December 1st as they were cut apart by Marcus Smith and company in a 36-3 loss.
Stade Francais are another team in France being rejuvenated by a sparkling young cast of French backs but they were undone by a cut-throat performance from the Sharks. George Ford encapsulates everything that has been good about Sale in the last 12 months.
His clinical orchestration of their attack provides an identity to this team. That identity is predicated around their physicality. In a week where head coach Alex Sanderson said of Manu Tuilagi, "he's got a few more years left in him," he put in a more than solid shift in his first game back since the World Cup.
It begs the question, why send a team to the RDS that isn't at full strength? Sale have made 11 changes to the starting XV that won last week against Stade Francais, including the omission of England stars, George Ford and Manu Tuilagi, from the matchday squad entirely. While this would never have been an easy task for Sale to come to the RDS and get the win, it feels reminiscent of Gloucester last year, a game in which the cherry and whites also sent over a weakened side as Leinster ran out 57-0 winners.
𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | ☘️ v 🦈
The Emerald Isle awaits...
Here are #YourSharks travelling to Dublin to take on Leinster Rugby in the second @ChampionsCup test 🔥
📲 Read more via the link below 👇#SALvLEI | #SharkTime— Sale Sharks 🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) December 15, 2023
Leinster Team News
Leinster's depth was on show last week. Will Connors was outstanding in his 50 minutes while Jason Jenkins, Josh Van Der Flier, Charles Ngatai and Ciaran Frawley made an enormous impact off the bench and sealed the win for their side. It was an outstanding performance in what felt like a trying time for Leinster who hadn't been at their best so far this year.
Leinster make three changes to the starting pack for their first European game at the RDS this season. Thomas Clarkson gets the start after Michael Ala'atoa's 80 minute shift last week with Tadhg Furlong not involved in the wake of his father's passing earlier this week.
Jason Jenkins gets the start in the second row, in a week where reports have circled that RG Snyman is to sign with Leinster as his replacement. The ever impressive James Ryan was particularly brilliant last week alongside Joe McCarthy who moves to the bench. Former World Rugby Player of the Year, Josh Van Der Flier, returns to the 7 jersey with Will Connors omitted entirely from the matchday squad in favour of Jack Conan.
Leinster's form man this season, Ciaran Frawley, is set to make his first start at 10 in the Champions Cup. Two of his best performances of the season (Munster and La Rochelle) have now come in replacing an injured Byrne at fly half with many pundits declaring Frawley now the obvious choice to take the starting role. It has also brought a young Sam Prendergast in to the fold as he awaits the call from the bench for what would be his first taste of European rugby.
Frawley and Prendergast are the only alterations across the backs in the match day squad after an outstanding performance from some of Ireland's finest last weekend. Leinster will be hoping for slightly more favourable conditions in Dublin 4 on Saturday afternoon.
📥 | 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲!
Here is the #LeinsterRugby team to face @SaleSharksRugby tomorrow evening in the @ChampionsCup#LEIvSAL #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/qjVzazdApi— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) December 15, 2023
Jacques Nienaber has laid his stamp on this team early in to his tenure. Leinster looked a different beast in defence and the question will now be how much does the new head coach and Leo Cullen change, if anything, ahead of a visit from Sale. Ryan Baird, Will Connors and Caelan Doris were absolute stand-outs for Leinster in a performance built on defence and work rate. With still no update on James Lowe, the question of alterations will largely be around the pack and fly half position.
