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Robbie Henshaw and Jean Kleyn.

Henshaw and Conan return for Leinster as Munster welcome back World Cup winner Kleyn

The two provinces meet at Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

LEINSTER AND MUNSTER have both named their starting teams for tomorrow’s URC meeting at Aviva Stadium [KO 6.30pm, Premier Sports/TG4/URC TV].

The hosts are set to welcome back two more Ireland internationals as Robbie Henshaw and Jack Conan make their first appearances of the season. Tadhg Furlong will make his first start of the campaign after coming off the bench against the Scarlets.

Garry Ringrose and James Ryan co-captain a team that includes 15 Ireland internationals, with five changes from the win over the Scarlets last weekend.

Hugo Keenan continues at fullback, with Jordan Larmour and Jimmy O’Brien on the wings. Ringrose and Henshaw start together in the centre positions for the first time this season.

Ross Byrne returns at out-half with Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half.

In the front row, Ireland trio Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Furlong start together for the first time since returning from the World Cup.

Ryan and Joe McCarthy continue in the second row as Conan joins Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris in the backrow.

Diarmuid Barron captains Munster as Graham Rowntree’s side look to make it back-to-back wins against Leinster. Munster won a gripping URC semi-final 16-15 when the two teams last met in Dublin back in May.

Rowntree has made six changes from the team that beat the Stormers last weekend, with Barron, Simon Zebo, Rory Scannell, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn and Tom Ahern all coming into the side.

Peter O’Mahony and Jack O’Donoghue both miss out through injury.

Archer becomes Munster’s most-capped player of all-time as he makes his 269th appearance for the province.

Kleyn makes his first apperance of the URC season since winning the World Cup with South Africa. He joins Tadhg Beirne in the second row, as Tom Ahern moves to six for his first ever start in the Munster back row. 

Zebo also starts for the first time this season, starting at fullback for the first time since 2018.

Calvin Nash and Shane Daly complete the back three with Scannell and Antoine Frisch in midfield. Craig Casey and Jack Crowley start in the half-backs.

Jeremy Loughman, Barron and Archer pack down in the front row while John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes join Ahern in the backrow.

Leinster:

  • 15. Hugo Keenan
  • 14. Jordan Larmour 
  • 13. Garry Ringrose (co-captain)
  • 12. Robbie Henshaw
  • 11. Jimmy O’Brien 
  • 10. Ross Byrne 
  • 9. Jamison Gibson-Park
  • 1. Andrew Porter 
  • 2. Dan Sheehan 
  • 3. Tadhg Furlong 
  • 4. Joe McCarthy 
  • 5. James Ryan (co-captain)
  • 6. Jack Conan
  • 7. Josh van der Flier
  • 8. Caelan Doris 

Replacements:

  • 16. Rónan Kelleher
  • 17. Jack Boyle
  • 18. Michael Ala’alatoa 
  • 19. Ross Molony 
  • 20. James Culhane
  • 21. Ben Murphy 
  • 22. Ciarán Frawley
  • 23. Scott Penny 

Munster:

  • 15. Simon Zebo
  • 14. Calvin Nash
  • 13. Antoine Frisch
  • 12. Rory Scannell
  • 11. Shane Daly
  • 10. Jack Crowley
  • 9. Craig Casey
  • 1. Jeremy Loughman
  • 2. Diarmuid Barron (captain)
  • 3. Stephen Archer
  • 4. Jean Kleyn
  • 5. Tadhg Beirne
  • 6. Tom Ahern
  • 7. John Hodnett
  • 8. Gavin Coombes

Replacements:

  • 16. Scott Buckley
  • 17. Dave Kilcoyne
  • 18. John Ryan
  • 19. Brian Gleeson
  • 20. Alex Kendellen
  • 21. Conor Murray
  • 22. Tony Butler
  • 23. Shay McCarthy

Referee: Chris Busby [IRFU]

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