The coaches Andy Wood and Simon Broughton have taken their knowledge from Belvedere College and Clontarf – Broughton has since moved on to be an Elite Player Development Officer at Leinster – and imparted it to a promising group of players.

The quality of the squad has led to a competitive environment through the summer, training three times-a-week, and on into a run of pre-competition matches, beginning with an eye-catching 36-0 victory over Worcester last Friday week.

Three days later, a completely different selection gave the Leinster U20s all they could handle in a 17-3 defeat in Donnybrook.

Since then, Leinster made their way to England for a two-match tour last week on which they took care of Worcester (54-5) and Bath (41-5) with the minimum of fuss.

However, Wood and Broughton could be forgiven for lamenting the lack of a stronger test in order to have their players match-hardened.

They have shown themselves to be a high Rugby IQ group which absorbs information quickly from their coaches and adapts to the problems posed to them.

“The squad has been committed to coming together since the summer and they have gone well in the matches leading up to the Interpros,” said Team Manager Noel McKenna.

“We will start out away to Munster on Saturday and that is about as difficult as it gets. But, the boys have shown they are quick learners.”

Two-time Leinster Schools Senior Cup winner David Hawkshaw will captain from his pivotal role at fly-half.

There are half-a-dozen representatives from St Michael’s and four from St Mary’s to aid the transition into a coherent team unit with two from the Leinster Clubs in Skerries half-back Hugo Lennox and Kilkenny prop Conan Dunne.

There are seven involved with Ireland Schools experience from the U18 International series in Wales last April, namely front rower Niall McEniff, second row Ryan Baird, flanker Scott Penny, number eight Dan O’Donovan, scrum-half Cormac Foley and centres David Ryan and Liam Turner.

The under-the-radar preparations of Munster’s Under-19s comes with a health warning attached. There is no greater challenge than to travel south for the first of the three Interprovincial fixtures.

Leinster U19

15. Robert Russell (St Michael’s College)
14. Jeff O’Loughlin (St Michael’s College)
13. Liam Turner (Blackrock College)
12. David Ryan (St Michael’s College)
11. Ruairi Shields (St Mary’s College)
10. David Hawkshaw (Belvedere College) CAPTAIN
9. Cormac Foley (St Gerard’s School)
1. Niall McEniff (St Mary’s College)
2. Richard Bergin (St Mary’s College)
3. Michael Milne (Cistercian College, Roscrea)
4. Adam Melia (Terenure College)
5. Ryan Baird (St Michael’s College)
6. Reuben Pim (Kilkenny College) VICE-CAPTAIN
7. Scott Penny (St Michael’s College)
8. Ruadhan Byron (Belvedere College)

Replacements

16. Declan Adamson (St Fintan’s High School)
17. Abdel-Aziz Nasir (St Fintan’s High School)
18. Conan Dunne (Kilkenny RFC)
19. Ronan Watters (St Mary’s College)
20. Dan O’Donovan (St Michael’s College)
21. Hugo Lennox (Skerries RFC)
22. Conor Kelly (Cistercian College, Roscrea)
23. Brian O’Donnell (Gonzaga College)

Leinster U19 fixtures

Munster v Leinster, Saturday, 2nd September, Cork IT, 2.30pm
Leinster v Ulster, Saturday, 9th September, Donnybrook, 2.30pm
Leinster v Connacht, Saturday, 16th September, Donnybrook, 3pm