Byrne And Porter Both Start As Leinster Make Eleven Changes

Ciarán Frawley, try scorers Rieko Ioane and James Lowe, and James Ryan, who made his 100th appearance, are the only survivors from the starting XV for last week’s 24-20 comeback win over Ulster at the Aviva Stadium.

Club captain Caelan Doris is back to lead the team from number 8 as they look to avenge October’s 31-14 loss to Munster at Croke Park. Jack Conan, the player he replaces, is sidelined this week due to a knee injury.

Max Deegan and Josh van der Flier complete the back row, Joe McCarthy joins Ryan in the engine room, and Porter is set to make his first Leinster appearance since October, alongside Rónan Kelleher and Thomas Clarkson.

Harry Byrne is rewarded with a start at out-half – his fifth of the season for the province – and will have Jamison Gibson-Park, who made his seasonal debut against Munster two months ago, as his half-back partner.

It is the same back-line from Leinster’s recent Investec Champions Cup victory over Leicester Tigers, so New Zealander Ioane will team up with Robbie Henshaw in the centre for the second time in three matches.

The back-three is made up of centurion Frawley, Tommy O’Brien, and Lowe, who is closing in on the 100-cap mark, sitting on 96 appearances to date, the same amount as skipper Doris.

Ireland and Lions tighthead Tadhg Furlong and Scott Penny provide the vast majority of the experience on the bench for Leo Cullen’s charges, with 251 appearances between them.

The replacements include three players who were involved in the Leinster ‘A’ team’s draw with Munster ‘A’ in Tipperary last week – John McKee, the ‘A’ side’s captain, Diarmuid Mangan, and Andrew Osborne.

Paddy McCarthy, Fintan Gunne, and Charlie Tector are the other options available to Cullen and his fellow coaches. Leinster, who are sixth in the table and lie eight points behind Munster, are chasing their sixth straight win in all competitions.

Speaking ahead of the festive interpro tussle, hooker Kelleher said: “They’ve always been very close, hard-fought games. The intensity is right up there and it’s one that we never take lightly.

“Obviously, that all adds to the disappointment that was Croke Park (in October). It’s just making sure that we right those wrongs and make sure that we’re on the right side of the result this weekend.

“Maybe to the outside, it probably doesn’t feel as much of a rivalry as it was, but inside our camp and I’m sure inside their camp, it’s still a massive rivalry. It’s our biggest rival and that has never changed for us.

“We were off it probably a bit physically (against Munster in Croke Park). They got their tails up and then they grew into the game as well.

“It was hard to wrestle back that momentum. It was a difficult day for us. We know we got a lot wrong that day and it’s very important for us that we try and right that this weekend.”

LEINSTER (v Munster): Ciarán Frawley; Tommy O’Brien, Rieko Ioane, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: John McKee, Paddy McCarthy, Tadhg Furlong, Diarmuid Mangan, Scott Penny, Fintan Gunne, Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne.