Seven Kildare men set for European rugby action this weekend
Sam and Cian Prendergast. Photo: INPHO/Billy Stickland
There will be seven Kildare men involved in European rugby action this weekend, with Leinster and Munster both lining out in the Champions Cup while Connacht and Ulster (the only Irish province without a Kildare player) are out in the Challenge Cup.
One of the premier rivalries in club rugby over the past five years has been Leo Cullen's Leinster and Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle.
It all began when La Rochelle beat Leinster in the 2021 semi-finals before following that up with back-to-back victories of the Irish province in the 2022 and 2023 finals.
Leinster, however, have won the past two meetings between the sides, winning in the 2024 quarter-finals and again last year in the group stage.
Cullen has named an incredibly strong side for tomorrow's game, with 14 internationals in the starting lineup including Suncroft native Sam Prendergast at fly half.
Prendergast had a sensational outing last week in the win over Connacht and this game provides a major opportunity for him to nail down the Irish number 10 shirt heading into the 6 Nations.
Among the replacements are a pair of Kildare 22-year-olds, with Sallins native Diarmuid Mangan and Naas man Andrew Osborne both keeping their place in the 23 following on from the Connacht game.
Mangan covers the second row and the back row while Osborne, in a similar role to that often filled by his brother Jamie, is the utility back on the bench, covering centre, wing and full back.
Leinster sit second in Pool 3 with two wins from two and know that a win here would see them all but guaranteed a home game in the Last 16.
La Rochelle won one and lost the other in their opening games and defeat at the Aviva would make life very difficult for the French side.
Eadestown's Tadhg Beirne will lead his team out this weekend, as Munster face the daunting challenge of a trip to the south of France to take on Toulon.
These are two of the giants of the Champions Cup, with Toulon the only team ever to win three in a row (2013, '14 and '15) while two-time winners Munster are as synonymous with the competition as any team in the continent.
Beirne will line out in the back row for Clayton McMillan's side, while Athy's Jeremy Loughman returns to the starting front row where he will go up against England and Lions tight head Kyle Sinckler.
That will be one of several key battles in a crucial game in Pool 2, with both sides on 5 points after one win and one defeat in their opening two games.
Suncroft back row Cian Prendergast will captain his side once again as Stuart Lancaster's Connacht also travel to the south of France.
Prendergast has been playing extremely well for Connacht since his impressive performances for Ireland in November and will need to continue that form if he is to hold onto his place un the squad for the 6 Nations, with the back row being a huge area of strength for the national team.
The western province have not been going well as a unit, however, and have won just one of their previous five games.
That victory came in this pool over Georgia's Black Lion, but Connacht narrowly lost out to Ospreys in the first round and will need a massive game if they are to take anything at all off a Montpellier side who sit top of Pool 1.
Also in the starting XV for Connacht is former Newbridge College star, Billy Bohan.
The Kildare man represented the Ireland 20's during 2025 and has been making an impression in the academy at Connacht, so much so that Lancaster has selected him as the starting tight head prop for the game in Montpellier.
