Leinster Make Five Changes For Montpellier Tie
With over 17,000 tickets sold ahead of an expected sold-out fixture, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has named his team to face Montpellier in Friday’s Champions Cup round 5 clash at the RDS (kick-off 7.45pm).
There are five changes in total to the side that defeated Zebre in the GUINNESS PRO12 last weekend with one in the backs and four in the pack. Captain Isa Nacewa comes in at full-back but it is as you were elsewhere in the back-line.
Adam Byrne and Rory O’Loughlin continue on the wings with Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose again forming the midfield partnership. The fit-again Jonathan Sexton has Luke McGrath alongside him at half-back.
In the front row Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong start this weekend with James Tracy continuing at hooker. Devin Toner and Hayden Triggs again line up in the second row behind them.
In the back row only Jack Conan is retained but he moves to blindside flanker from number 8, while Josh van der Flier, who missed out on selection last weekend through illness, slots back in at openside with Sean O’Brien sidelined by a tight calf. Finally, Jamie Heaslip, who scored a try off the bench against Zebre, returns to the number 8 jersey.
Leo Cullen said: “Sean O’Brien just has a bit of tightness in his calf this week so we didn’t take any risks with him. He should be available next week. Sean Cronin will be out for a few weeks anyway, so he won’t be back for this period.
“We’ll see exactly how long that is next week. It’s not ideal. It (Cronin’s hamstring injury) looked reasonably innocuous at the time but he’s done a bit of damage there. We’ll get a full report next week.
“Johnny (Sexton) has looked sharp in training. In the lead-in to Zebre he trained the previous couple of weeks. He’s been fully involved in the running of the team.
“It was good to get that bit of game-time under his belt last week. He’s training well again this week – he had no ill-effects from the weekend. He’s in a good place and would have got plenty of confidence from last week.”
The last few remaining Leinster v Montpellier tickets can be bought at leinsterrugby.ie/tickets as Cullen’s men look to seal their place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
LEINSTER (v Montpellier): Isa Nacewa (capt); Adam Byrne, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Rory O’Loughlin; Jonathan Sexton, Luke McGrath; Jack McGrath, James Tracy, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Hayden Triggs, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Cian Healy, Michael Bent, Ross Molony, Dan Leavy, Jamison Gibson Park, Ross Byrne, Rob Kearney.