Devin Toner to equal D’Arcy’s Leinster appearance record

Devin Toner is due to win his 261st cap for Leinster Rugby on Friday evening and in doing so he will equal fellow Lansdowne FC man Gordon D’Arcy’s all-time record for the Province. 

Scott Fardy will captain the side against the Ospreys with the former Wallaby returning in the back row while Max O’Reilly again starts at full back with Dave Kearney continuing on the left wing after his hat-trick of tries last weekend against Zebre.

Rory O’Loughlin moves to the right-wing this week with Cian Kelleher missing out through injury. It’s a new centre partnership this week for Cullen with Skerries RFC man Ciarán Frawley back from injury to partner Naas RFC’s Jamie Osborne. It will be Osborne’s second start for Leinster Rugby.

Rowan Osborne starts at scrum-half this week with Harry Byrne outside him in the number ten jersey. In the pack, Peter Dooley will win his 90th cap for Leinster Rugby when he lines up alongside Séan Cronin and Michael Bent in the front row.

Ross Molony starts in the second row alongside Toner. Toner made his debut against Border Reivers in January 2006 and has since gone on to play a further 259 times for his province. He has also been capped 70 times by Ireland and when he takes to the field he will equal Gordon D’Arcy’s record of 261 which he set in May 2015 when he came off the bench and played his last game in blue against Benetton Rugby in the RDS.

In the back row, Josh Murphy starts at number eight for the first time in his Leinster Rugby career, with Fardy captaining the side from blindside flanker and Scott Penny starting at openside.

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets)

15. Max O’Reilly (6)
14. Rory O’Loughlin (78)
13. Jamie Osborne (5)
12. Ciarán Frawley (33)
11. Dave Kearney (163)
10. Harry Byrne (21)
9. Rowan Osborne (9)
1. Peter Dooley (89)
2. Seán Cronin (192)
3. Michael Bent (154)
4. Ross Molony (110)
5. Devin Toner (260)
6. Scott Fardy (73) CAPTAIN
7. Scott Penny (24)
8. Josh Murphy (44)

16. Dan Sheehan (9)
17. Marcus Hanan (2)
18. Thomas Clarkson (9)
19. Jack Dunne (14)
20. Seán O’Brien (1)
21. Hugh O’Sullivan (27)
22. Tim Corkery (1)
23. Andrew Smith (1)