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Thursday 8 June 2023 Dublin: 11°C

# First XV

All time
# Champions Cup
Two European debutants start as Sexton returns for Leinster's crunch clash with Saracens
Sean Cronin also earns the nods after the line-out struggles against Ulster.
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Sep 18th 2020, 12:19 PM
# First XV
Room for just one Kiwi as 'Boks and England dominate international Rugby Team of the Year
No Irish players made the cut this time around, but there was still a lot to love about rugby in 2019.
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Dec 26th 2019, 11:00 AM
# Champions Cup
Captain Butler back to bolster Connacht for Gloucester trip
A training ground injury for Matt Healy has forced Friend to switch John Porch to fullback.
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Dec 6th 2019, 12:27 PM
# First XV
Mo'unga and Murray pull the strings in The42's RWC Team of the Weekend
A brilliant weekend of rugby delivered no shortage of back-line options
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Sep 23rd 2019, 5:10 PM
# First XV
Kleyn primed for Ireland debut, Carbery takes 10 shirt for Italy warm-up
Munster’s Mike Haley is also set for his first international cap as he takes up a spot among the replacements.
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Aug 8th 2019, 2:00 PM
# First XV
Jack Carty named out-half in Pro14 Dream Team
The Connacht star is one of seven Irish-based players in the tournament’s team of the year.
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Updated
May 23rd 2019, 9:22 PM
# our picks
AWJ +14: It's The42's Six Nations Team of the Championship
Here’s who stood out for us since the start of February.
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Mar 17th 2019, 12:28 PM
# slambusters
Beirne and O'Brien in harness as Ireland bid to halt Welsh title bid
Joe Schmidt has also recalled Andrew Porter, Kieran Marmion and Quinn Roux to his squad for his final Six Nations match.
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Mar 14th 2019, 2:21 PM
# First XV
Back in business: It's The42's Six Nations Team of the Week
Here’s who shone brightest on the penultimate weekend of the Six Nations.
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Mar 11th 2019, 12:19 PM
# First XV
It's AWJ's world, we just live in it: The42's Six Nations Team of the Week
The second row was an irresistible force in leading Wales to a seismic win over England.
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Feb 25th 2019, 11:19 AM
# First XV
That's a bit more like it: Here's The42's Six Nations Team of the Week
Who shone brightest for you in week two?
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Feb 11th 2019, 11:30 AM
# First XV
Baloucoune back from ban to make European debut in Ulster's daunting date with Racing
Simon Zebo will start opposite Jacob Stockdale as last season’s runners-up bid to seal their passage to the knockout stage.
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Jan 11th 2019, 12:12 PM
# Front Liners
Baloucoune in for Stockdale, but Ulster retain strength for Munster clash
Rory Best is among the replacements as Dan McFarland has been able to name a team with just three changes.
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Dec 20th 2018, 12:17 PM
# Team-Sheet
Tommy O'Donnell among injury returns as much-changed Munster head to Ulster
Only Mike Haley and Sam Arnold have been asked to start twice in the space of six days for the province.
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Dec 20th 2018, 12:01 PM
# Round 3
After wins for three Irish provinces, who makes your Champions Cup Team of the Week?
We could have squeezed a few more Ulstermen into our first XV from round 3.
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Dec 10th 2018, 1:37 PM
# First XV
Locks away! It's our Champions Cup Team of the Week
Munster were the only Irish province to take a win from the European weekend, so we’ve turned to Racing and Toulouse to fill big chunks in our team.
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Oct 22nd 2018, 1:42 PM
# First XV
10 Irish-based players made our Champions Cup Team of the Week
The provinces are well represented after going unbeaten through round one.
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Oct 15th 2018, 2:12 PM
# Open season
Leinster deploy both Leavy and JVDF as they open Champions Cup defence against Wasps
Leo Cullen’s had close to a full-strength squad to choose from for the RDS curtain-raiser.
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Oct 11th 2018, 12:03 PM
# staying sharp
No rest required for Furlong and Healy as they lead Leinster into Zebre clash
On the bench, the son of former Ireland and Lions centre Brendan Mullin is in line to make his provincial debut.
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Apr 6th 2018, 12:22 PM
# Round 2
Terrific Thomas, excellent Earls and the rest of our Six Nations Team of the Week
Scotland got back in the winners’ circle. England and Ireland marched on. But who stood out for you?
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Feb 12th 2018, 11:24 AM
# First XV
Wonderful Welsh dominate our Six Nations Team of the Week
Who stood out for you?
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Feb 5th 2018, 10:29 AM
# November Tests
Henshaw hammer blow and more talking points from Ireland's XV to face Argentina
Adam Byrne has had to work hard for this opportunity.
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Nov 23rd 2017, 2:13 PM
# November Tests
Nadolo back in town as Fiji pack a punch in side to face Ireland
John McKee has made four changes to the side who lost to Italy last weekend.
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Nov 16th 2017, 6:27 PM
# First XV
Aki in for Ireland as injury takes Earls out of 'Boks clash
Uncapped Munster man Darren Sweetnam is named among the replacements.
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Nov 9th 2017, 1:51 PM
# Team-sheets
Keatley and Carter in the 10 shirts as Kleyn bolsters pack for Munster's clash with Racing
Tyler Bleyendaal and Niall Scannell will miss the crucial Champions Cup clash through injury.
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Oct 20th 2017, 12:01 PM
# First XV
France and England dominate our WRWC Team of the Pool Stage, but one Irish woman made the cut
Who would you have in your tournament dream team so far?
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Aug 18th 2017, 5:35 PM
# bolter
Late addition Barron straight into Ireland side to face Italy in U20 championship opener
Jack Kelly has shrugged off a shoulder injury to take up a role at fullback.
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May 30th 2017, 2:17 PM
# First XV
Munster dominate Pro12 'Dream Team' with six selections
Leinster and Ulster received two picks apiece with Tiernan O’Halloran the sole representative from Connacht.
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May 5th 2017, 9:53 AM
# send-off
Lam rings changes as he bids farewell to Sportsground
There are welcome returns to action for Marnitz Boshoff, Darragh Leader and Cian Kelleher.
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Apr 28th 2017, 12:30 PM
# First XV
Sexton and Carbery both start Leinster's Champions Cup clash with Wasps
Jack Conan has been able to shake off a calf issue to start alongside Sean O’Brien in the back row.
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Mar 31st 2017, 12:08 PM
# First XV
Carbery continues at fullback as Cullen tweaks three for visit of Scarlets
Luke McGrath, Dan Leavy and Jack Conan have also been cleared to play despite being in Joe Schmidt’s Ireland squad.
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Mar 3rd 2017, 12:25 PM
# First XV
Here's The42's Ireland XV to start the 6 Nations
Taking injuries into account, here’s who we’d pick to face Scotland in February.
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Dec 27th 2016, 6:00 PM
# Team-sheets
Holland starts among returning internationals as Munster take aim at Zebre and play-off spot
Simon Zebo, Keith Earls, Donnacha Ryan and Tommy O’Donnell start after returning from Ireland duty.
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Mar 24th 2016, 12:29 PM
# First XV
CJ Stander and the rest of The42's Six Nations Team of the Week
There was the tightest of tight calls at number eight, while we found room for five Irishmen after the draw against Wales.
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Feb 8th 2016, 12:00 PM
# best in the west
Henshaw at fullback as AJ MacGinty prepares to make Connacht debut from the bench
All aboard. This is Connacht’s last stop before the 12,000 KM round trip to Krasnoyarsk.
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Nov 5th 2015, 12:32 PM
# Wholesale
Just the 15 changes for Leinster mean starts for Ringrose and Kelleher with returning internationals
Leinster can move to within a point of the league leaders if everything goes to plan tomorrow night.
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Nov 5th 2015, 12:21 PM
# Top XV
Here's The42's Team of the RWC semi-finals
Who were your top performers in this weekend’s two games?
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Oct 25th 2015, 7:59 PM
# knockout kings
One Ireland player made our Team of the RWC quarter-finals
Scotland are well represented after their heartbreaking exit.
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Oct 19th 2015, 1:13 PM
# top men
Our RWC Team of the Weekend is heavy on opensides, wings and Welsh warriors
There’s also a man who played his way in before being forced to retire prematurely.
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Sep 28th 2015, 11:02 AM
# Team-sheets
Jack Carty leads exciting Connacht backline with Henshaw and Aki paired again
Pat Lam has made three changes to the side that lost to Ulster.
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Apr 24th 2015, 12:08 PM
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