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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Leinster Singing in Rain at Liberty

Leinster made it seven straight Guinness PRO12 wins with a hard-fought 22-9 victory over Ospreys at a rain-drenched Liberty Stadium.

The win, Leinster's first in Swansea since 2009, saw the Irishmen go back to the top of the table as replacement Noel Reid also crossed to go with winger Dave Kearney's brace and Jonny Sexton kicked a penalty and two conversions.

There were concerns for both Leinster and Ireland, though, with Jamie Heaslip and Luke Fitzgerald going off with head and shoulder injuries respectively.

Ospreys, who had won their previous five PRO12 games, missed out on a losing bonus point with their scores coming from the boot of fly-half Dan Biggar thanks to two penalties and a drop goal.

Leinster just about edged the first half to lead 10-6 at the break, but it was far from comfortable and after going through 20 phases at the start of the match the visitors failed to get any change out of the home team's solid defence.

And it was Ospreys who broke the deadlock when Biggar fired over a drop goal from 30 metres.

Leinster's cause was not helped by the loss of Jamie Heaslip after a clash of heads but their kicking game was always a threat to Ospreys and it was a cross-kick from Sexton that led to the game's opening try.

Sexton picked out Kearney and he outsmarted Jeff Hassler and replacement Sam Davies to get over the line. Sexton converted to give his side a 7-3 lead after 18 minutes.

Bigger reduced the deficit to one point with a 24th-minute penalty after Rhys Ruddock was caught collapsing a maul following a fine break by Ospreys centre Owen Watkin, but Sexton restored his side's advantage three minutes later after Brendon Leonard had infringed at a ruck.

But despite increasingly wet conditions Leinster scored a fine try to put space between the two teams, created by centre Ben Te'o and finished off by Reid.

Sexton's conversion rebounded off an upright to keep Ospreys within losing bonus point range, but that was taken away from the hosts when Kearney slid in for his second try, converted by Sexton, three minutes from the end.

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Lucky Thirteen for Leinster Flier

Josh van der Flier’s controversially-awarded try helped Leinster to grind out a 13-0 Guinness PRO12 win over Connacht at a wet and windy RDS Arena.

The young flanker’s converted score on the hour mark was awarded by referee George Clancy and TMO Marshall Kilgore, despite no clear grounding of the ball on the replays, with Connacht captain John Muldoon appearing to hold him up.

But Leinster deserved their sixth league victory on the trot, with man-of-the-match Eoin Reddan, Devin Toner and lively replacement Sean O’Brien, making his 100th provincial appearance, driving them to a hard-earned result.

Jonny Sexton’s penalty on the quarter hour mark was the only score of a bruising, rain-soaked first half, with Connacht digging deep to prevent wind-backed Leinster from crossing their line.

The westerners, second in the table before kick-off, struggled for accuracy in attack, though, and Van der Flier’s effort, coupled with a 74th-minute penalty from replacement Ian Madigan, sealed the points for Leo Cullen’s men.

With a strong wind behind them, Leinster forced a series of early penalties, but the white-shirted visitors doggedly defended three lineout mauls in quick succession.

The pressure had to tell eventually and following two further Connacht infringements, Sexton slotted a straightforward 14th-minute penalty from in front of the posts.

A threatening break from Garry Ringrose amounted to nothing as Craig Ronaldson brought him down and then gobbled up a loose ball, and Eoghan Masterson won a relieving ruck penalty after another Leinster maul was halted.

A turgid spell was broken up by a couple of sniping runs from Eoin Reddan, who started in place of Luke McGrath (foot infection), but Connacht’s excellent number eight Masterson poached a ruck ball to release the pressure.

It was Leinster’s turn to feel the heat close to half-time, Niyi Adeolokun racing up to almost score from a Tiernan O’Halloran grubber kick towards the right corner. Having initially failed to gather the greasy ball, Dave Kearney recovered well to tackle Adeolokun into touch.

Into the second period, Connacht survived a slick midfield surge from Ringrose, a knock-on spoiling Leinster’s latest attack, and O’Halloran hoovered up at the end of a Rob Kearney-initiated kick chase.

However, Kearney’s younger brother Dave soon sliced open the Connacht defence on the left, powering into the 22 to set up a prolonged attacking spell. After a series of pick and goes, Van der Flier was adjudged to have forced his way over, with Sexton converting.

Bundee Aki tried to inject some pace into the Connacht attack, but he lacked support and some questionable decisions by Clancy also thwarted their progress.

The influence of Toner and O’Brien up front kept Leinster on course and Madigan knocked over the clinching penalty with six minutes left, confirming the province’s rise to second place — just a point behind the table-topping Scarlets, with a game in hand.

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