United Rugby Championship round five: Connacht v Leinster – Dexcom Stadium, Saturday, 7.35pm. Coverage on TG4 and Premier Sports 1
Leinster have made seven changes to the team that started their 26-12 win over Munster at Croke Park last weekend for their game against Connacht, with Rabah Slimani making his first start for the province since his move from Clermont Auvergne.
Leo Cullen’s side travel to Galway on Saturday (kick-off 7.35pm) for round five of the United Rugby Championship.
Slimani will be joined in Leinster’s frontrow by Jack Boyle and Academy hooker Gus McCarthy.
In the secondrow, RG Snyman partners James Ryan, who captains the side in the absence of Caelan Doris, replaced at number eight by James Culhane, who is returning from Emerging Ireland’s successful tour of South Africa, while Max Deegan and Will Connors come in as flankers.
Jamison Gibson-Park and Ciarán Frawley continue their halfback relationship, as do Jamie Osborne and Garry Ringrose in the centre. Hugo Keenan holds on at fullback, and Liam Turner is joined on the wing by Andrew Osborne, coming in for James Lowe.
Connacht meanwhile have stuck with a largely unchanged starting XV from their away defeat to Ulster last Saturday – Darragh Murray coming in to the secondrow and David Hawkshaw starts at outside centre.
A hip injury has ruled Mack Hansen out, forcing a reshuffle among the Connacht backs. Piers O’Connor shifts to fullback, making space for Santiago Cordero to partner Shayne Bolton on the wing, whie Bundee Aki remains at inside centre.
Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham once again are the frontrow trio, Joe Joyce is alongside Murray in the second, and captain Cian Prendergast is with Sean O’Brien and Paul Boyle at the back of the pack.
CONNACHT: Piers O’Conor; Shayne Bolton, David Hawkshaw, Bundee Aki, Santiago Cordero; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Joe Joyce, Darragh Murray; Cian Prendergast (capt), Sean O’Brien, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Jack Aungier, Niall Murray, Sean Jansen, Caolin Blade, Cathal Forde, Hugh Gavin*.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Liam Turner, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, Andrew Osborne; Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani; RG Snyman, James Ryan (capt); Max Deegan, Will Connors, James Culhane.
Replacements: Stephen Smyth*, Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, Scott Penny, Fintan Gunne, Ross Byrne, Hugh Cooney*.
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU).
*Uncapped
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