Leinster name strong side for Ulster clash

A late injury to Eoin O’Malley is the only real issue for Leinster ahead for their trip to Ravenhill to play Ulster tomorrow night.

With the Heineken semi-finals looming we wondered what sort of team Ulster and Leinster would put out in the PRO12 this week.

With Brian McLaughlin’s team needing a win to keep their hopes of a play-off place alive, we expect the home side to almost at full strength, but what about Leinster.

The visitors sit on top of the table and we thought Joe Schmidt might give a few of his guys a night off. The Leinster coach has obliged but the team is hardly any weaker as a result.

In the backs, from the team that crushed Edinburgh last week, out goes Isa Nacewa, Gordon D’Arcy and Fionn Carr, but they are replaced by Rob Kearney, Brian O’Driscoll and Luke Fitzgerald respectively. Not a bad set of replacements.

Jamie Heaslip also doesn’t make the trip to Belfast so Sean O’Brien slots in at No 8 and a brand new front row of Cian Healy, Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross will pack down ahead of Brad Thorn and captain Leo Cullen.

The only small headache for Schmidt was the late withdrawal of centre Eoin O’Malley after he picked up a calf strain in training, meaning Fergus McFadden makes his 70th start for Leinster.

Leinster team: R Kearney; D Kearney, B O’Driscoll, F McFadden, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen, B Thorn; K McLaughlin, D Ryan, S O’Brien.

Replacements: S Cronin, H Van der Merwe, N White, D Toner, S Jennings, I Boss, I Madigan, F Carr.