LEO CULLEN HAS made five changes to the Leinster team that lost to Glasgow Warriors, as the province face the Sharks in the URC on Saturday in the RDS Arena (KO: 4:55pm, RTÉ2 and Premier Sports 1).

There are two changes in the backline, with Jamie Osborne and Cormac Foley coming into the starting lineup. 

In the forwards, Michael Ala’alatoa returns to the team for his first appearance since starring for Samoa in the Rugby World Cup. Lee Barron and Rhys Ruddock also come into the pack.

Ciarán Frawley starts at full-back, with Tommy O’Brien and Jordan Larmour on the wings. Osborne joins Charlie Ngatai in the centre, with Harry Byrne and Foley completing the back line.

In the pack, Jack Boyle starts alongside Barron and Ala’alatoa in the front row. Ross Molony and Jason Jenkins retain their places in the second row with Ruddock, captain Scott Penny and Max Deegan – making his 100th Leinster appearance – in the back row.

Among the replacements, Clontarf hooker Dylan Donnellan is in line to make his Leinster debut, while Paddy McCarthy, Rory McGuire, Ben Murphy and Sam Prendergast look set to play for Leinster in the RDS for the first time.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks team to tackle Leinster in our second game of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship 🦈

Full article: https://t.co/Spz8nH2W0I#FearTheFin @Vodacom #URC #LEIvSHA pic.twitter.com/H5RX5H9JoG

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) October 27, 2023

Leinster: 

• 15. Ciarán Frawley 
• 14. Tommy O’Brien
• 13. Jamie Osborne 
• 12. Charlie Ngatai
• 11. Jordan Larmour
• 10. Harry Byrne 
• 9. Cormac Foley 

• 1. Jack Boyle
• 2. Lee Barron
• 3. Michael Ala’alatoa
• 4. Ross Molony
• 5. Jason Jenkins
• 6. Rhys Ruddock 
• 7. Scott Penny (capt)
• 8. Max Deegan 

Replacements:

• 16. Dylan Donnellan 
• 17. Paddy McCarthy
• 18. Rory McGuire
• 19. Brian Deeny 
• 20. Will Connors 
• 21. Ben Murphy
• 22. Sam Prendergast
• 23. Rob Russell

Ref: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)