Leinster coach Michael Cheika has settled on his starting team for Saturday’s must-win Heineken Cup Pool 6 clash with Leicester Tigers (Welford Road, kick-off 3.30pm).
Second row Leo Cullen will be making his 50th Heineken Cup appearance on Saturday against his former club – he has made 37 European appearances with Leinster and 12 for Leicester.
The Newtownmountkennedy man will partner his international colleague Malcolm O’Kelly in the second row.
Guy Easterby will start his 64th and final game for Leinster at scrum half and partners Felipe Contepomi at half-back in the only change to the back-line that started the 20-13 victory over Toulouse last weekend.
Back in form and fresh from his 50th Heineken Cup match, Brian O’Driscoll captains the side and partners Gordon D’Arcy at centre.
There is also one change in the Leinster pack with Stephen Keogh coming in for Keith Gleeson in the back row with Shane Jennings moving to the openside flanker berth.
Gleeson is named on a strong replacements bench which includes returning Springbok front rower Ollie Le Roux as well as Cian Healy and Jonathan Sexton, who were both selected in the Ireland Six Nations squad and the PricewaterhouseCoopers High Performance Select Group arlier this week.
A decision on the final make-up of the replacements bench will be made closer to kick-off. Over 1,000 Leinster supporters are expected to make the trip to Leicester this weekend.
To hear the thoughts of Leinster coach Michael Cheika ahead of the game, please click here.
LEINSTER (v Leicester Tigers): Girvan Dempsey; Luke Fitzgerald, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Gordon D’Arcy, Rob Kearney; Felipe Contepomi, Guy Easterby; Stan Wright, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Knoop, Leo Cullen, Malcolm O’Kelly, Stephen Keogh, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Ollie Le Roux, Cian Healy, Cameron Jowitt, Keith Gleeson, Chris Keane, Jonathan Sexton, Brian Blaney*/Gary Brown**.
* If Blaney is selected he will wear number 16 and the other subs’ numbers will move down one place
** If Brown is selected he will wear number 22 and the other subs’ numbers will remain the same
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