Leinster Announce Extended Squad

The Leinster squad to face London Wasps in Saturday’s Heineken Cup Pool 2 encounter at Twickenham (kick-off 5.30pm) has been named.

Most notably, Bernard Jackman returns to the extended Leinster panel for Saturday’s showdown.

The Ireland hooker is named in an experienced-looking squad which includes three players who have made over 150 appearances for the province – Malcolm O’Kelly (156), Girvan Dempsey (151) and Shane Horgan (150).

Horgan became the latest player to reach the milestone in last weekend’s 21-20 Magners League victory over the Cardiff Blues.

The team and replacements will be confirmed by coach Michael Cheika on Friday.

Meanwhile, it is estimated that the number of Leinster supporters travelling from Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe this weekend will eclipse the figure of 7,000 who travelled to Toulouse for the Heineken Cup quarter-final in 2006.

LEINSTER Squad (v London Wasps): Backs (12) – Chris Keane, Chris Whitaker, Isa Nacewa, Jonathan Sexton, Gordon D’Arcy, Simon Keogh, Felipe Contepomi, Luke Fitzgerald, Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey, Rob Kearney.

Forwards (14) – Cian Healy, Stan Wright, Bernard Jackman, John Fogarty, Ollie Le Roux, CJ Van Der Linde, Leo Cullen, Devin Toner, Trevor Hogan, Malcolm O’Kelly, Rocky Elsom, Stephen Keogh, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip.