Leo Cullen has opted to heavily refresh his team for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship game against Ulster at the Aviva Stadium (7.35pm, live on TG4 and Premier Sports 1). Leinster have made a dozen changes to the starting team that laid the platform for last week’s 52-0 Champions Cup quarter-final win over Glasgow.
Winger Tommy O’Brien, centre Garry Ringrose and lock Joe McCarthy are the only players retained from that starting line-up, eight of whom have been rested for this interpro derby, namely Hugo Keenan, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan.
Luke McGrath captains the side from scrumhalf, with Ciarán Frawley named at outhalf for Saturday’s game. After making his 100th appearance for Leinster off the bench, Robbie Henshaw is reunited with Ringrose in midfield from the start, with Jimmy O’Brien named on the left wing and Jamie Osborne at full-back.
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Jack Boyle, academy hooker Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson form a new front-row, with academy lock Diarmuid Mangan also starting a week after making his European debut. Alex Soroka, Scott Penny and James Culhane complete a new-look back row.
Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are the front-row replacements alongside RG Snyman and Max Deegan, with academy scrumhalf Fintan Gunne, Sam Prendergast and Liam Turner completing the bench.
Ulster welcome back Ireland international Cormac Izuchukwu into the second row and centre Jude Postlethwaite into the starting XV after their respective injuries. The latter’s return is timely given James Hume has joined a lengthy injury list. Scrumhalf Nathan Doak is also recalled in the only other change from the starting XV for the 43-31 Champions Cup Round of 16 loss to Bordeaux-Bègles a fortnight ago.
Kieran Treadwell and John Cooney drop to the bench, where Richie Murphy has opted for a 6-2 split.
“We are preparing to go down there and win the game,” said the Ulster head coach. “We have a clear plan and it’s up to us to see if we can implement that and put them under pressure.”
Leinster: Jamie Osborne; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Ciarán Frawley, Luke McGrath (capt): Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, Diarmuid Mangan, Alex Soroka, Scott Penny, James Culhane. Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Fintan Gunne, Sam Prendergast, Liam Turner.
Ulster: Michael Lowry; Zac Ward, Jude Postlethwaite, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu, James McNabney, Nick Timoney, David McCann. Replacements: Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Matthew Dalton, Kieran Treadwell, John Cooney, Stewart Moore, Matty Rea.
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
