Leinster

Image source, Inpho

Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan will miss Leinster's United Rugby Championship semi-final against Glasgow on Saturday (14:45 BST).

Keenan, who was named in the British and Irish Lions squad last month, is not included in Leo Cullen's matchday squad for the Aviva Stadium contest with the holders after picking up a calf injury.

The 28-year-old, who produced a player-of-the-match display in last week's quarter-final win over Scarlets, is replaced by Jimmy O'Brien in the 15 shirt.

With Jimmy O'Brien switching to full-back, Tommy O'Brien replaces his him on the right wing after missing the Scarlets game through injury.

Dan Sheehan returns at hooker, with Ronan Kelleher dropping to the bench, while Scott Penny replaces the injured Josh van der Flier at open-side flanker.

In addition to Van der Flier, Garry Ringrose and Tadhg Furlong are also unavailable.

Glasgow make two changes from their quarter-final win over the Stormers, with Fin Richardson replacing Murphy Walker at tight-head prop.

Adam Hastings starts at fly-half with Tom Jordan moving to inside centre and Stafford McDowall dropping to the bench.

Glasgow are without Huw Jones, Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey and Zander Fagerson.

Leinster, who finished the regular season top of the table, are chasing a first URC title since 2021. The sides have met twice already this season, with Leinster winning 52-0 in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals and 13-5 in the URC.

The winners will face the Bulls or Sharks in the final on 14 June.

Line-ups

Leinster: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (capt)

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Ciaran Frawley

Glasgow: Josh McKay; Kyle Steyn (capt), Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe; Adam Hastings, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, George Hiddleston, Fin Richardson, Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings, Euan Ferrie, Rory Darge, Henco Venter

Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakai, Max Williamson, Jack Mann, Macenzzie Duncan, Stafford McDowall, Jamie Dobie

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy​​)

Image source, Getty Images

Leinster second row RG Snyman has been named the 2024-25 United Rugby Championship's Players' Player of the Season.

The 30-year-old South African lock has made a significant impact in his first campaign at Leinster after moving from Irish rivals Munster, helping Leo Cullen's side reach the URC semi-finals.

The award is voted for by the captain and vice-captains of the 16 URC teams and has previously been won by Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan and Munster fly-half Jack Crowley.

Meanwhile, Zebre's Massimo Brunello was named coach of the season - as voted for by the league's other coaches - after leading the Italians to five wins, including rare away victories over Ulster and Edinburgh.

Scarlets fly-half Ioan Lloyd won the golden boot and Cardiff's Harri Millard finished as top try scorer, while Munster's Tom Farrell was named playmaker of the season.

Snyman was one of two Leinster players included in the 'Elite XV' team along with Jamie Osborne, while three Munster players were selected - Farrell, Craig Casey and Tadhg Beirne.

URC awards winners 2024-25

Golden Boot: Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets)

Top try-scorer: Harri Millard (Cardiff)

Tackle machine: Ruben van Heerden (Stormers)

Ironman: Cam Winnett (Cardiff)

Playmaker: Tom Farrell (Munster)

Next-Gen player of the season: Cameron Hanekom (Bulls)

Innovation award: Sharks

Try of the season: Deon Fourie (Stormers)

South African URC player of the season: Sacha Feinburg-Mngomezulu (Stormers)

Coach of the season: Massimo Brunello (Zebre)

Players' player of the season: RG Snyman (Leinster)

Elite XV: Jamie Osborne (Leinster); Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Tom Farrell (Munster), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Blair Murray (Scarlets); Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Craig Casey (Munster); Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Wilco Louw (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Rory Darge (Glasgow), Cameron Hanekom (Bulls)

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

For much of the Leinster squad, the past month has stirred a broad spectrum of emotions.

There was the agony of an Investec Champions Cup semi-final loss at home to Northampton, denying the province a shot at redemption after a hat-trick of final defeats in the previous three seasons.

Just a few days later, the bulk of the squad were confronted with the whirlwind that is British and Irish Lions squad announcement day.

For most of them, it was good news, but for those who missed out it was another bitter pill so soon after their Champions Cup demise.

But the rugby season is relentless and Leinster can still end the season on a high note. Winning the United Rugby Championship title would both prevent a fourth successive season without silverware and soothe some of the lingering European pain.

However, the challenge of fending off exhaustion while chasing trophies has seemingly weighed heavily on the players in recent weeks, labouring to a 33-21 URC quarter-final win over Scarlets at Aviva Stadium last weekend despite having raced into a 12-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes.

Next up is a last-four encounter with holders Glasgow on Saturday (14:45 BST). Leinster have beaten Glasgow twice this season: a whopping Champions Cup quarter-final shutout and a less convincing URC win, both in the past seven weeks.

And while the prepare for a trilogy at the end of an enervating campaign, Jacques Nienaber - under whom the team's defence has thrived - does not sense depleted levels of energy or focus within the group.

"No, not at all," said the 52-year-old South African.

"We're cracking on. It's a privilege for any team to be involved in the knock-out stages.

"It's a privilege for us definitely to be testing ourselves against Glasgow this weekend, the reigning champions, who obviously understand how to play knock-out games if you look at what they did last year. It's a privilege to test ourselves against a quality side like that."

Image source, Getty Images

If Leinster beat Glasgow, they will welcome the Bulls or Sharks to Croke Park in the final on 14 June, just six days before the Lions face Argentina at Aviva Stadium in their pre-tour warm-up fixture (although Leinster's Lions contingent will not be involved in the Argentina game if they contest the URC decider).

Pressed on the difficulty of focusing on closing out the URC campaign in such close proximity to the Lions series, Nienaber said: "I'm not a mental expert or a mental coach. That's not my expertise at all.

"I just must make sure that they are prepared for the challenges from an attacking point of view that Glasgow will throw at us, which is multiple. That's all I focus on, the other stuff is for other people."

Leinster and Glasgow are well acquainted at this stage. So, too, are Nienaber and Glasgow's South African head coach Franco Smith, who first met in the 1990s, long before Smith they emerged as two of their country's most respected coaches.

"I was his physiotherapist way back in 1998," recalled Nienaber.

"We didn't go to school together but we were in rival schools so I know him and his family quite well. I actually coached with him with the Cheetahs in 2006 and 2007 before he went to Italy.

"He was their attack coach while I was dipping my toes in defence. Franco is an incredible human, a good person and you can see how he is leading Glasgow and the quality they have produced in the past couple of seasons under his guidance and leadership.

"He is a wily character, he understands the game and gets the team to gel so it'll be a nice challenge for us."

Image source, Getty Images

Josh van der Flier, Garry Ringrose and Tommy O'Brien are injury doubts for Leinster's United Rugby Championship semi-final against Glasgow on Saturday (14:45 BST).

Van der Flier was forced off with a hamstring issue during the Irish province's quarter-final win over Scarlets, while Ringrose (calf) and O'Brien (foot) both missed the game.

All three will be monitored during the week before Leinster boss Leo Cullen names his team on Friday.

Leinster, chasing a first URC title since 2021, are already without Will Connors, Brian Deeny, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw, but Cullen is set to welcome back Jordan Larmour.

The Irish international winger is available for selection having overcome a hamstring injury that has kept him out since December.

Leinster have beaten Glasgow in both meetings this season; 52-0 in the Champions Cup quarter-final in April and 13-5 in their URC fixture last month.

On Monday, it was also confirmed that Croke Park will host the URC final on 14 June if Leinster qualify.

With the RDS - Leinster's home ground - undergoing redevelopment since last year, the club have used the GAA's headquarters twice this season; against Munster in the URC and Harlequins in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Image source, Getty Images

Leinster captain Jack Conan itted there were "frustrating bits" to his side's performance after they beat Scarlets 33-21 to reach the United Rugby Championship semi-finals.

The Irish province, top seeds in the play-offs, scored tries through James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Jamie Osborne and Hugo Keenan to set up a last-four match with holders Glasgow at home next week.

However, Leinster allowed Scarlets back into the game at times, with Conan conceding his side tried to force the issue.

"[We were] good in parts," said the British and Irish Lion back row.

"Our discipline killed us, we gave them a lot of soft penalties. To be fair to Scarlets they stuck at it and battled hard, they're a team with a lot of ion and they pushed us at times.

"We were inaccurate and forced things a little bit. It's good to have another week but there were some frustrating bits there.

"Lads want to have big moments They want to feel like they're doing well, but sometimes there's a bit of over-eagerness and over-zealousness.

"You force things a little bit and get away with things although I thought Hollie [Davidson] was on the money today. I don't think it's anything other than lads trying a bit too hard."

Leinster must now prepare for a third game against Glasgow in the space of seven weeks after beating the Scots in the Champions Cup and URC.

"It's strange when you've played a team twice in the past six weeks so it helps with the prep because you know what they're going to do to a degree," added Conan.

"But it's a little bit different every time you come up against a team. I don't think we were great the last time we played them, we had a good win in Europe, but they had lads coming back in so it'll be a tough test for us."

Image source, Getty Images

Jordie Barrett and Jamie Osborne will form the centre partnership in Leinster's United Rugby Championship quarter-final against Scarlets at Aviva Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Robbie Henshaw, who lined up alongside New Zealand international Barrett in Leinster's last game against Glasgow, was ruled out earlier this week.

British and Irish Lions squad member Garry Ringrose is not included in the Leinster 23 as he is managing a calf problem.

James Lowe returns to start on the left wing with Jimmy O'Brien set to make his 100th appearance for the province on the opposite side.

Jamison Gibson-Park partners Sam Prendergast in the half-backs with Jack Conan again captaining the team from number eight in Caelan Doris' absence.

With Ronan Kelleher named to start at hooker, Dan Sheehan is included on a strong-looking bench alongside Rabah Slimani and RG Snyman.

In addition to Henshaw and Ringrose, Leinster boss Leo Cullen is without Lions prop Tadhg Furlong, with Thomas Clarkson picked at tight-head.

Leinster: Keenan; J O'Brien, Osborne, Barrett, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Clarkson; McCarthy, Ryan; Baird, Van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: Sheehan, Boyle, Slimani, Snyman, Deegan, Penny, McGrath, Frawley.

Image source, Getty Images

Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw have been ruled out of Leinster's United Rugby Championship quarter-final against Scarlets at Aviva Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Leinster said tight-head prop Furlong is unavailable after picking up a "minor calf injury" while centre Henshaw has sustained a knee problem which could keep him out for four weeks.

In more positive news, Jordan Larmour is in contention to feature after being sidelined for five months with a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old wing, who has 32 Ireland caps, has been restricted to just five appearances this season, the last of which came against Munster on 27 December.

Furlong has also endured an injury-plagued campaign. The 32-year-old has only managed eight games for Leinster while calf and hamstring issues restricted him to just one substitute appearance in Ireland's Six Nations campaign.

Despite his lack of game time, he was named in Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad earlier this month.

Furlong started all three Tests in the 2017 and 2021 Lions series in New Zealand and South Africa.

Leinster are top seeds in the URC play-offs after finishing the regular season top of the standings, but fell to a shock 35-22 loss to Scarlets in Llanelli last month.

Image source, Getty Images

The quarter-finals of the 2024-25 United Rugby Championship season have yet to be played, but already the fixtures for the 2025-26 campaign have been released.

The Irish provinces learnt their URC schedule for the new term on Wednesday.

The opening round of fixtures will take place on the final weekend of September, with eight-time league winners Leinster taking on DHL Stormers on the opening evening of games on Friday 26 September.

Ulster will host the Dragons on the same day, with Munster travelling to play the Scarlets on Saturday 27 September and Connacht at home to Benetton on the same day.

The second round of matches will include Edinburgh v Ulster on Friday 3 October and Bulls v Leinster, Munster v Cardiff and Connacht v Scarlets on Saturday 4 October.

The festive derby games will see Leinster face Ulster on the run-up to Christmas on Friday 19 December, then on Saturday 27 December Connacht are at home to Ulster and Munster host Leinster.

On Friday 2 January, Ulster face Munster, while Leinster are at home to Connacht the next day.

The competition will follow the same format as recent years, with the top eight teams contesting the quarter-finals on the final weekend of May, followed by semi-finals on Saturday 6 June and the final on Saturday 20 June.

You can view a full list of the fixtures here, external.