Leinster v Munster - Preview

Jonathan Sexton returns in one of nine Leinster changes for the Pro12 derby against Munster.

Zane Kirchner, Dave Kearney, Eoin Reddan, Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Devin Toner, Jordi Murphy and Jamie Heaslip also come in for the hosts.

Second-placed Leinster are seven points clear of Irish rivals Munster, who make five changes.

Conor Murray, Francis Saili and Andrew Conway return, along with James Cronin and CJ Stander, who is named captain.

Murray partners Johnny Holland at half-back, with Saili overcoming a bang to the shoulder to resume his midfield partnership with Rory Scannell.

As a result, Keith Earls makes a positional switch to the wing and joins Conway and full-back Simon Zebo in the back three.

Munster are boosted by the return of Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray for the Aviva Stadium derby

Munster have Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray back for the Aviva Stadium derby

Cronin will start alongside Niall Scannell and Stephen Archer in the front row, with Stander coming in to join Dave O'Callaghan and Tommy O'Donnell in the back row.

With Kirchner returning at full-back, Leinster captain Isa Nacewa moves to the right wing with Kearney also back in the equation on the left wing.

There are two new half backs in Reddan and Sexton - back in the Leinster side for the first time since the defeat by Wasps in January - while five changes in the pack include two in the front row, with McGrath and Cronin starting alongside Tadhg Furlong.

Toner returns to partner Hayden Triggs in the second row, while in the back row Rhys Ruddock is again selected - but moves from number eight to blindside flanker.

Murphy comes in at open-side while Heaslip completes the pack at number eight.

Leinster

Zane Kirchner; Isa Nacewa (capt), Garry Ringrose, Ben Te'o, Dave Kearney; Johnny Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Hayden Triggs, Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Cian Healy, Mike Ross, Ross Molony, Josh van der Flier, Luke McGrath, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden.

Munster

Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Francis Saili, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Johnny Holland, Conor Murray; James Cronin, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland; Dave O'Callaghan, Tommy O'Donnell, CJ Stander (capt).

Replacements: Mike Sherry, Dave Kilcoyne, John Ryan, Robin Copeland, Jack O'Donoghue, Tomás O'Leary, Ian Keatley, Darren Sweetnam.

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Connacht v Leinster - Preview

Peter Robb will make his Pro12 debut for leaders Connacht while Luke Fitzgerald returns for Leinster for Saturday's top-of-the-table contest.

Connacht's two changes from the win over Edinburgh see Robb, 21, and Niyi Adeolokun replacing Craig Ronaldson and Danie Poolman in the backs.

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw is named in the Connacht replacements.

Fitzgerald's inclusion after injury is one of eight Leinster changes from last Friday's defeat by Glasgow. The wing missed Ireland's entire Six Nations campaign because of a medial ligament injury.

Fitzgerald is joined in the backline by Ian Madigan and Fergus McFadden who both featured as replacements in Ireland's win over Scotland.

Richardt Strauss, Cian Healy and Rhys Ruddock will also start for Leinster in Galway after being introduced by Ireland last weekend while another of Joe Schmidt's Six Nations players Josh van der Flier is named in the back row.

A strong Leinster bench includes Ireland players Jamie Heaslip, Jack McGrath, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Sean Cronin and Eoin Reddan.

Henshaw is joined in the Connacht replacements by another Ireland squad member Finlay Bealham.

Nathan White, who featured in all five of Ireland's Six Nations games, will start in the Connacht front row while youngster Sean O'Brien is again named in the back row alongside Jake Heenan and skipper John Muldoon.

Connacht go into the Sportsground contest a point ahead of Leo Cullen's Leinster side.

Connacht

T O'Halloran; N Adeolokun, B Aki, P Robb, M Healy; AJ MacGinty, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, N White; Q Roux , A Muldowney; S O'Brien, J Heenan, J Muldoon (capt) 

Replacements: D Heffernan, R Loughney, F Bealham, A Browne, E McKeon, C Blade, S O'Leary, R Henshaw.

Leinster

I Nacewa (capt); F McFadden, G Ringrose, B Te'o, L Fitzgerald; I Madigan, L McGrath; C Healy, R Strauss, T Furlong; R Molony, H Triggs; D Ryan, J van der Flier, R Ruddock

Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Ross, D Toner, J Heaslip, E Reddan, N Reid, Z Kirchner

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Schmidt Names Oldies But Goodies

Joe Schmidt has named the oldest starting line-up in World Cup history for Ireland’s second Pool D match against Romania, with the coach making 12 changes from the side that beat Canada 50-7 last Saturday.

Robbie Henshaw has failed to recover from hamstring trouble and Schmidt believes pitching the 21-year-old into action against Romania on Sunday could have risked the centre’s entire World Cup, but he is confident Henshaw will be ready to face Italy in Ireland’s third Pool D match, at the Olympic Stadium next month. Darren Cave slots in at 12 in his stead with Cian Healy also recalled at loosehead prop.

“At the start of the week we felt we had to take it a little bit easier than we first thought with Robbie,” said Schmidt, whose line-up has an average age of 29 years and 245 days. “He is fully running now and we just felt we’d rather not push ahead. Soft tissue injuries can be quite complicated.

“If you get a re-injury on the same site then you are in a situation where his World Cup could be in doubt. So we’ve taken no risk. There are times to take risks but this is a great opportunity for Darren Cave.”

Romania lost out 38-11 to France at the Olympic Stadium on Thursday and will be pressed into action only four days later against Ireland. Uneven rest periods have once again become a World Cup bugbear, with Japan suffering 45-10 defeat to Scotland just four days after stunning South Africa 34-32 in Brighton.

Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony and Iain Henderson all returned to full training for Ireland on Friday after light knocks, but will not be considered for Sunday’s match.

Surprised to learn Ireland had set a new record for the World Cup’s oldest starting XV, Schmidt joked that the 34-year-old scrum-half Eoin Reddan may have skewed the stats. “Well Eoin Reddan has probably contributed to that. Is it really?” said a bemused Schmidt. “Hopefully the team won’t show its age.”

Schmidt has named four World Cup debutants in his side: Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, Jordi Murphy and Cave. Henshaw will remain the only man of Ireland’s squad not to feature in the competition should Schmidt empty his full bench at Wembley.

The versatile playmaker Ian Madigan will start at fly-half but Schmidt admitted the Leinster player could move to scrum-half during the course of the match. Madigan is Ireland’s third and emergency scrum-half, covering for Conor Murray and Reddan, with Schmidt keen to hand him a first Test run at scrum-half this weekend.

“We want Ian and Paddy [Jackson] both to have some time at No10,” said Schmidt. “But if the game’s going in a direction where we feel Ian would benefit from 15 minutes at No9, then that’s possible.”

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