Nine of Saturday’s starting XV and 14 of the match-day 23 figured that day, with Caelan Doris, Joe McCarthy and Jack Conan all playing their first game for Leinster since that defeat. The Leinster captain admitted as much, although he stressed did not think of it in a negative way. “I think it’s there, not in a burden sort of way that weighs you back, but you want it to give you a little bit of edge. “That’s my first game for Leinster since Northampton, so of course it was on my mind a little bit this week. And I was just delighted to be back in blue today.”Doris admitted that Leinster’s performance had been “a little bit sloppy” and pointed to their ill-discipline after a bright start.

Source: The Irish Times December 08, 2025 12:01 UTC