Leinster is gearing up to deploy their heavy artillery as they welcome South Africa's Sharks to the Aviva Stadium this Saturday. Coming off a rough patch with consecutive losses to the Stormers and Bulls in South Africa, the reigning Vodacom URC champs are itching to reverse their fortunes in what will be their third consecutive showdown against a South African squad.
Currently languishing near the bottom of the standings, only a notch above the Sharks—who are also winless this season—the Dublin-based team managed to scrape together just one log point from their recent travels. With their backs against the wall, the return of some of Leinster's Lions, like winger James Lowe, couldn't come at a better time.
"There is a few of them available for selection; we’ll have a chat in the morning as coaches and see who is in and who is out,"
noted assistant coach Seán O’Brien, hinting at the strategic discussions underway.
"It would be nice to have a couple of them back involved and add that bit of experience to the group and try and take a step further this week than last week."
While O’Brien remained in Dublin to help integrate the returning Lions stars, the Sharks aren't without their own potential reinforcements. With the Springboks just off their Rugby Championship stint, there's a slight chance some of their big guns could join the Sharks before heading home.
John Plumtree's Sharks squad is coming off a mixed bag of results, having drawn with the Dragons and lost to the Glasgow Warriors. Regardless of who lines up for the Sharks, O’Brien's focus is clear:
"They can hurt you pretty badly when they’re on it,"
he acknowledged, emphasizing the need to focus on physicality and detail within the Leinster camp.
As Saturday's clash approaches, the stakes couldn't be higher for both teams, each desperate to claim their first win of the season and begin climbing out of the lower reaches of the league table. With Lions stars potentially roaring back into action at Aviva, this showdown is poised to be a defining moment in the early season for both storied franchises.
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Leinster is gearing up to deploy their heavy artillery as they welcome South Africa's Sharks to the Aviva Stadium this Saturday. Coming off a rough patch with consecutive losses to the Stormers and Bulls in South Africa, the reigning Vodacom URC champs are itching to reverse their fortunes in what will be their third consecutive showdown against a South African squad.
Currently languishing near the bottom of the standings, only a notch above the Sharks—who are also winless this season—the Dublin-based team managed to scrape together just one log point from their recent travels. With their backs against the wall, the return of some of Leinster's Lions, like winger James Lowe, couldn't come at a better time.
"There is a few of them available for selection; we’ll have a chat in the morning as coaches and see who is in and who is out,"
noted assistant coach Seán O’Brien, hinting at the strategic discussions underway."It would be nice to have a couple of them back involved and add that bit of experience to the group and try and take a step further this week than last week."
While O’Brien remained in Dublin to help integrate the returning Lions stars, the Sharks aren't without their own potential reinforcements. With the Springboks just off their Rugby Championship stint, there's a slight chance some of their big guns could join the Sharks before heading home.
John Plumtree's Sharks squad is coming off a mixed bag of results, having drawn with the Dragons and lost to the Glasgow Warriors. Regardless of who lines up for the Sharks, O’Brien's focus is clear:
"They can hurt you pretty badly when they’re on it,"
he acknowledged, emphasizing the need to focus on physicality and detail within the Leinster camp.As Saturday's clash approaches, the stakes couldn't be higher for both teams, each desperate to claim their first win of the season and begin climbing out of the lower reaches of the league table. With Lions stars potentially roaring back into action at Aviva, this showdown is poised to be a defining moment in the early season for both storied franchises.