Leinster Make Four Changes

After the Captain’s Run at the Aviva Stadium this morning, Leinster head coach Matt O’Connor has announced his team to face Harlequins at the same venue on Saturday (kick-off 7.45pm)

There are four personnel changes in total from last Sunday’s starting line-up with Dominic Ryan, Kane Douglas, Isaac Boss and Zane Kirchner selected from the start, and two positional switches on the back of those changes.

Boss (pictured below) makes his 109th appearance in a Leinster jersey having come off the bench at the Twickenham Stoop. He partners Jimmy Gopperth at half-back.

Outside of the half-backs, Ian Madigan continues in the number 12 shirt with Luke Fitzgerald switching from the left wing to outside centre in place of the injured Gordon D’Arcy who was not able to shake off a slight calf injury.

Madigan has now surpassed 600 points for Leinster. With 624 points to his name, he is now the province’s third highest point scorer behind Jonathan Sexton on 1,027 and Felip Contepomi on 1,225.

As a result of Fitzgerald’s positional switch, Darragh Fanning swaps wings and will start on the left wing with South African Kirchner on the right. Rob Kearney continues at full-back.

In the pack it is as you were in the front row with Jack McGrath, hooker Sean Cronin and Mike Ross again selected, while Australian international Douglas comes into the second row to partner Devin Toner.

Finally, in the back row, Ryan has shaken off his quad injury to take his place at openside flanker with Rhys Ruddock and captain Jamie Heaslip completing the front eight.

Tickets are still on sale at www.leinsterrugby.ie/tickets. They can also be bought on match day from the Ticketmaster outlet in the Ballsbridge Hotel.

LEINSTER (v Harlequins): Rob Kearney; Zane Kirchner, Luke Fitzgerald, Ian Madigan, Darragh Fanning; Jimmy Gopperth, Isaac Boss; Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Kane Douglas, Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan, Jamie Heaslip (capt).

Replacements: Bryan Byrne, Michael Bent, Tadhg Furlong, Mike McCarthy, Jack Conan, Eoin Reddan, Noel Reid, Mick McGrath.