British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan and Tadhg Furlong to miss URC final six days before first tour game against Argentina

British and Irish Lions Tadhg Furlong and Hugo Keenan will play no part in Leinster’s United Rugby Championship final against the Bulls on Saturday.

Both tight-head prop Furlong and full-back Keenan have been dealing with calf complaints, although fellow Lions Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier are fit to start against the visiting South Africans.

The fixture in Croke Park is the last game before Andy Farrell’s full party for the tour of Australia assemble and will be played six days before the first game against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on 20 June.

Furlong, 32, has struggled with injuries all season, last featuring in Leinster’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton on 3 May and made just nine appearances in 2024-25 for his province and Ireland.

Keenan, 29, did start Leinster’s URC quarter-final against Scarlets on 31 May but missed out against Glasgow Warriors in the semi-finals a week later.

Flanker Van der Flier, who had a hamstring injury, also last featured against the Scarlets, while Garry Ringrose will be making his first appearance since 10 May against Zebre after a calf issue.

The pair are the only changes made by Leo Cullen after the semi-final victory against the Warriors last week, meaning that 10 Lions will be on show in Dublin.

James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan and Jack Conan all also start while Ronan Kelleher is on the bench.

The Bulls make one change from their semi-final victory over Sharks with Marco van Standen coming in at flanker to replace the injured Cameron Hanekom and former Ulster back-row Marcell Coetzee switching from blind-side to number eight.

Leinster are aiming for a ninth URC victory but a first since 2021, while the Bulls are seeking a first title having been beaten in two finals in their four seasons in the competition.