Devin Toner and Joe McCarthy start for Leinster tonight. Image: Ben Brady/INPHO Devin Toner and Joe McCarthy start for Leinster tonight. Image: Ben Brady/INPHO THIS TIME OF year is always a good indicator of Leinster’s strength in depth.
Among the young guns is one man set for his Leinster debut in 20-year-old second row Joe McCarthy, who lines up alongside the very experienced Devin Toner. Ross Molony is on the Leinster bench this evening and has been impressive in recent seasons, calling lineouts, bringing consistent physicality, and showcasing sharp handling skills too. He was surely in the mix for a place in the Ireland squad for this Six Nations.Leinster haven’t yet announced their contract renewals so it’s unclear if 35-year-old Toner will still be with the province next season.
Of course, Leinster are set to sign Jason Jenkins from Munster next summer, with the once-capped Springbok offering them a different profile among their lock options. The 26-year-old is a big, heavy, powerful presence. When Leinster got IRFU sign-off to recruit a non-Irish-qualified second row, there had been an expectation that the new addition would be a high-profile, proven world-class player but evidently the market was short of that marquee figure.