The Leinster team to face Ulster in the RaboDirect PRO12 at Ravenhill on Friday (kick-off 7.30pm) has been named.
There are four changes to the team that accounted for Benetton Treviso last time out and there is also a welcome return to the bench for Luke Fitzgerald.
The front and second rows are unchanged with Cian Healy, hooker Sean Cronin and Martin Moore lining out together and Devin Toner and Mike McCarthy locking down behind them. Cronin and Moore will win their 70th and 30th provincial caps respectively.
Shane Jennings comes in for Jordi Murphy in a back row unit which is completed by Rhys Ruddock and Jamie Heaslip who captains the side from the base of the scrum.
Rob Kearney continues at full-back with Zane Kirchner on the right wing but there is a change on the left where Dave Kearney replaces Darragh Fanning, the man-of-the-match from the Treviso game.
Gordon D’Arcy and Brian O’Driscoll are together once again in the centre with Noel Reid the man to make way for D’Arcy following his two-try performance against the Italians.
In the half-back positions, Ian Madigan dons the number 10 jersey in place of Jimmy Gopperth with Isaac Boss beside him at scrum half.
With the situation at the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 extremely tight, Leinster and Ulster both know that a win for either side would offer clarity as they enter the final round of the regular season next week.
In the corresponding fixture in December at a sold-out RDS Leinster won with 13 points to spare on a scoreline of 19-6. Jordi Murphy scored the only try of the game after 37 minutes with Gopperth kicking the rest of the points.
LEINSTER (v Ulster): Rob Kearney; Zane Kirchner, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Dave Kearney; Ian Madigan, Isaac Boss; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Martin Moore, Devin Toner, Mike McCarthy, Rhys Ruddock, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip (capt).
Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Jack McGrath, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen, Jordi Murphy, Luke McGrath, Jimmy Gopperth, Luke Fitzgerald.
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