Leinster welcome back Ireland heavyweights

Leinster have made five changes to the side that was beaten by Munster ahead of their clash with Ulster at the RDS on Saturday.

Four of those changes come in the pack, where the return of captain Jamie Heaslip, lock Devin Toner and props Jack McGrath and Mike Ross reinforce the front eight with a quarter of international pedigree.

In the backline, Fergus McFadden, fit again after surgery on a thumb injury, replaces Darragh Fanning on the right wing. Dave Kearney is named on the left, with Zane Kirchner at fullback.

Leinster fans are also likely to get a second glance at Ben Te’o, who fractured his arm on his debut against Edinburgh in October and is named among the replacements for tomorrow’s game.

Ian Madigan will again partner Isaac Boss at halfback.

Ulster will also welcome back some heavyweights of their own, with Ruan Pienaar, Rory Best, Tommy Bowe and Stuart Olding coming back into the starting XV.

After recovering from injury, South African maestro Pienaar will start at scrumhalf, inside Paddy Jackson, who has Olding outside him at number 12. Bowe is named on the right wing.

In the pack, captain and hooker Best returns to the frontrow alongside Callum Black and Wiehahn Herbst.

Roger wilson has recovered from the knock he took in the 13-10 win over Connacht to take his place at number eight, in an unchanged backrow that features Robbie Diack at blindside and Clive Ross at openside.

Leinster: Z Kirchner; F McFadden, L Fitzgerald, G D'Arcy, D Kearney; I Madigan, I Boss; J McGrath, R Strauss, M Ross; D Toner, M McCarthy; J Conan, S Jennings, J Heaslip (captain).

Replacements: S Cronin, M Bent, T Furlong, K Douglas, J Murphy, L McGrath, J Gopperth, B Te'o

Ulster: P Nelson; T Bowe, D Cave, S Olding, C Gilroy, P Jackson, R Pienaar; (1-8): C Black, R Best (Capt), W Herbst, D Tuohy, F vd Merwe, R Diack, C Ross, R Wilson;

Replacements: R Herring, A Warwick, B Ross, A O'Connor, S Reidy, P Marshall, I Humphreys, L Marshall.