O’Driscoll fails to recover in time for Clermont match

Brian O’Driscoll hasn’t recovered in time to be named in the Leinster team to face Clermont Auvergne in Sunday’s Heineken Cup Pool 2 clash in Stade Marcel Michelin.

Drico’s regular slot at centre will be taken by Eoin O’Malley who impressed in the Magners League match against Scarlets last weekend.

O’Driscoll hasn’t even made the bench as he continues to recover from his jaw injury.

Sunday’s game marks Leinster’s 100^th appearance in the competition and the team will be led once more by Leo Cullen who starts in the second row alongside Scotland's Nathan Hines. Sean O'Brien is named in an all-Ireland back-row alongside Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip.

Gordon D’Arcy will partner O’Malley at centre, while Isaac Boss is named alongside. Jonathan Sexton at half-back. Fergus McFadden lines up in an unchanged back three from the Scarlets game last weekend with Shane Horgan and Isa Nacewa.

Eoin Reddan is one of three Ireland internationals named on the bench alongside Cian Healy and Devin Toner.

Leinster team v Clermont, Sunday 12 December, kick-off at 3pm Irish time):

Isa Nacewa, Shane Horgan, Eoin O'Malley, Gordon D'Arcy, Fergus McFadden, Jonathan Sexton, Isaac Boss; Heinke van der Merwe,  Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen, Nathan Hines, Sean O'Brien, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements:

Jason Harris-Wright, Cian Healy, Clint Newland, Devin Toner, Dominic Ryan, Eoin Reddan, Shaun Berne, David Kearney.