Seven Kildare players set for European action this weekend
Jamie Osborne (left) and Jimmy O'Brien (centre) have both been selected to start for Leinster this weekend, but Sam Prendergast has missed out entirely on a place in the 23. Photo: INPHO/Ben Brady.
European rugby returns all across the continent this weekend, with a total of seven Kildare players named for Connacht, Munster and Leinster.
Stuart Lancaster has named Cian Prendergast and Billy Bohan in his starting pack for tonight's visit of the Sharks to Galway, with Prendergast captaining the side from number eight, while Bohan gets another run out in the number one jersey.
Connacht have won their last five games on the trot, a run that has seen them climb to ninth in the URC, just one place outside the playoff spots.
The Sharks are six points behind the western province in the URC table, but have hit form themselves in recent weeks with back-to-back wins. The South Africans have named an incredibly strong side, including seasoned Springboks such as Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche and Makazole Mapimpi.
Clayton McMillan has selected all three of his Kildare players to start in Saturday's Last 16 clash away to English side, Exeter Chiefs.
Fresh from starring in Ireland’s Triple Crown-winning Six Nations campaign, Tadhg Beirne and Jeremy Loughman are back in Munster red, with Beirne captaining the side from the second row and Loughman resuming his front-row duties.
Having missed the province's recent URC trip to South Africa, Kildare winger Diarmuid Kilgallen is also recalled to the Munster side.
Defeats to the Sharks and the Bulls have seen two-time winners, Munster, fall to seventh in the URC, while Exeter have won their past two games in the English Premiership and are up to fourth as a result.
Athy flanker Martin Moloney joined Exeter from Leinster in 2024, but has not been selected in Rob Baxter's squad for Saturday's clash.
Leo Cullen has nine Kildare players at his disposal, but only two have found their way into the squad for Sunday's visit of Edinburgh to the Aviva.
The return of Hugo Keenan has seen Jamie Osborne switch from Ireland full back to Leinster inside centre, with the Naas man set to partner All Black, Rieko Ioane, in the midfield.
Jimmy O'Brien has gotten the nod on the wing, preferred to rising star Joshua Kenny in the absence of the injured James Lowe.
Sam Prendergast has been completely overlooked, with Harry Byrne starting at ten while the versatile Ciaran Frawley is selected as fly-half cover on the bench.
Leinster are absolutely desperate to add a fifth star to their shirt, but the province's form this season suggests they are further away than they have been at any stage over the past decade.
Edinburgh are languishing in 13th place in the URC, however, and have been given very little chance of an upset in Dublin, with Leinster currently 24-point favourites with the bookies.
