There are changes aplenty ahead of Leinster and Munster’s URC showdown at Croke Park on Saturday (kick-off 5.15pm), Leinster making seven alterations following their first win of the season against the Sharks last weekend while Munster go for 10 changes to the side that narrowly defeated Edinburgh.
Leo Cullen’s side welcome the return of four further British & Irish Lions after Josh van der Flier, Tadhg Furlong, Rónan Kelleher, James Lowe and Jamie Osborne featured in last Saturday’s 31-5 win at the Aviva Stadium.
Number eight Jack Conan captains the province, with his fellow returnees James Ryan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Garry Ringrose joining him in the starting XV while Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter are named among the replacements.
Munster are also buoyed by a returning Lions tourist, Player of the Series Tadhg Beirne captaining the side, joining Jack O’Donoghue and Brian Gleeson in the backrow.
READ MORE
Likely to add fuel to the Ireland outhalf debate, Sam Prendergast will take over from Harry Byrne (unavailable due to a “minor back injury”) at outhalf for Leinster, the in-form Jack Crowley his opposite number in red.
Prendergast has Gibson-Park for company in the halfback line, while Crowley is joined by scrumhalf Ethan Coughlan as Craig Casey remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Fresh from his Rugby Championship win with South Africa, RG Snyman will face his former club, starting alongside Ryan in the secondrow for Leinster.
LEINSTER: J Osborne; T O’Brien, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; P McCarthy, R Kelleher, T Furlong; RG Snyman, J Ryan; A Soroka, J van der Flier, J Conan (capt).
Replacements: D Sheehan, A Porter, T Clarkson, B Deeny, M Deegan, S Penny, F Gunne, C Frawley.
MUNSTER: S Daly; A Smith, T Farrell, F Kelly, T Abrahams; J Crowley, E Coughlan; M Milne, D Barron, J Ryan; E Edogbo, F Wycherley; T Beirne (capt), J O’Donoghue, B Gleeson.
Replacements: L Barron, J Loughman, R Foxe, J Kleyn, G Coombes, P Patterson, JJ Hanrahan, A Nankivell.
