Rugby Celtic League news: Shane Jennings will captain Leinster for their trip to The Borders on Friday as they seek their second successive win in the Celtic League. The dynamic young openside flanker took over the captaincy last Friday in Donnybrook when Leo Cullen departed against Connacht.
Full back Gordon D'Arcy and member of the Ireland under-19 World Cup winning team in 1998, Aidan Kearney, will returning to the line-up.
D'Arcy is back after suffering from a bruised cheek, which he picked up against Ulster a few weeks ago, while second row Kearney comes straight in for Cullen.
Brendan Burke, who started at full back in Donnybrook, fails to make the travelling party but is likely to be back next week.
Just as important for coach Gary Ella, however, is the precarious position of one of Leinster's star performers, Des Dillon.
The former UCD number eight is now on two yellow cards (picked up against Cardiff and Connacht). One more will bring an automatic suspension.
Leinster have now lifted themselves off the bottom of the table and Friday's match against The Borders and the following game against struggling Glasgow are seen as critical if they wish to occupy a more respectable position.
That word "rotation" comes into play as Ulster take on Edinburgh at Meadowbank on Friday, Alan Solomons' side hoping to preserve their second-place position behind Ospreys.
As a result, the team shows a number of changes from that which defeated the Celtic Warriors at Ravenhill last week.
Former Irish winger, James Topping, replaces Scott Young in his first start since mid-September, with Ryan Constable returning to the centre in place of Seamus Mallon.
Loosehead prop Bryan Young replaces Ronan McCormack, who has struggled with an ankle injury and has been named on the bench.
Ulster are just two points ahead of their hosts, who are hoping to recover from last week's heavy defeat to Ospreys.
"The side is selected from the same 22 that have featured over the past few matches, however there are three changes to the starting XV from last week where I have taken an opportunity to rotate some of the players," said Solomons.
Jonathon Bell, who had to pull out of the Irish World Cup squad after an Achilles problem flared up, underwent surgery on Monday at Stafford Hospital in Stoke. It now looks like the centre will miss the majority of the Ulster season with an anticipated lay-off of approximately six months.
Munster, who name their team today, have several concerns for their match on Friday against Glasgow at Musgrave Park. Eddie Halvey, who came on against Gwent Dragons last week for less than five minutes, twisted his knee and must now undergo a scan, while Dominic Crotty injured a thumb.
Coach Alan Gaffney also hopes Shaun Payne will have recovered from a knee injury and that flanker Denis Leamy will be fit to resume his place in the starting team. Leamy has been injured since late September.
Connacht coach Michael Bradley has made two changes to the side for their meeting with Llanelli at Dubarry Park in Athlone on Friday.
Mike Walls, who missed the defeat against Leinster through injury, returns to the side at scrumhalf while Paul Neville also comes back at blindside flanker.
This will be Connacht's first game at the Athlone venue since last January's Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final against Pontypridd. They are due to play at least two more games at the venue
CONNACHT (v Llanelli): M McHugh; M Mostyn, D Yapp, T Allnutt, C McPhillips; E Elwood, M Walls; R Hogan, B Jackman, F Boiroux, D Browne, A Farley, P Neville, T Carter, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: J Fogarty, A Clarke, M McCarthy, M Swift, C O'Loughlin, D Hewitt, S Moore.
ULSTER (v Edinburgh): B Cunningham: J Topping, R Constable, S Stewart, T Howe; A Larkin, K Campbell; B Young, P Shields, R Moore, M Mustchin, M McCullough, A Ward (Captain), N Best, T McWhirter. Replacements: M Sexton, R McCormack, R Frost, R Wilson, R Spee, S Mallon, S Young.
LEINSTER (v The Borders): G D'Arcy; J McWeeney, J Downey, D Quinlan, G Brown; M Leek, B O'Meara; E Byrne, G Hickie, P Coyle, A Kearney, B Gissing, N Breslin, S Jennings (Capt), D Dillon. Replacements: N Treston, D Blaney, J O'Donovan, N Ronan, B O'Riordan, P McKenna, D O'Shea.
