Leinster Team Named For Quarter-Final
The Leinster team to face Leicester Tigers in Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 6pm) has been named.
Sean O’Brien will make his 50th Leinster appearance in Saturday’s showdown with Leicester Tigers. He continues in the back row alongside fellow Ireland internationals Jamie Heaslip and Kevin McLaughlin.
Scrum half Eoin Reddan’s inclusion at the expense of Isaac Boss is the only change to the Leinster team that lost to Munster last Saturday night.
Leo Cullen leads the side and partners Nathan Hines once again in the second row, with Cian Healy, Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross completing the pack.
Gordon D’Arcy links up with Brian O’Driscoll in a back-line which features six Ireland internationals, including the competition’s top points scorer so far this season, out-half Jonathan Sexton (76 points).
The Ireland-capped Boss, Fergus McFadden and Devin Toner have been named amongst the replacements, with the fit-again Stan Wright poised to make his first Heineken Cup appearance since last May.
Leinster captain Leo Cullen, who spent two years playing for Leicester, said: “Their game is based on physicality. That’s the way Leicester prepare and try to live their lives day to day. It is reflected in their performance.
“It’s a tough environment over there. They tend to kick lumps out of each other when they train and they try to replicate that when they play, so we know it’s going to be a massively physical confrontation.
“There’s some days Leicester might go out (to train) and say we’re doing 50 scrums here today. That mentality was there when I was there. It’s old school in many ways.
“It’s a massive emphasis on the basics. When you have the basics right and you are winning collisions, rugby can be quite an easy game.”
Supporters are reminded that Saturday’s match is a sell-out and to use public transport as there will be delays around the ground. Gates open at 4.30pm.
LEINSTER (v Leicester Tigers): Isa Nacewa; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Cian Healy, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen (capt), Nathan Hines, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Jason Harris-Wright, Heinke van der Merwe, Stan Wright, Devin Toner, Dominic Ryan, Isaac Boss, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden.