Leo Cullen welcomes back Jamison Gibson-Park to his Leinster team for the final game of the season against Dragons in the Pro14 Rainbow Cup on Friday night (kick-off 8.15pm - live on eir Sport).
As part of a series of test events sanctioned by the Government, 1,200 supporters will be in attendance at the RDS for the first time since February 2020. Garry Ringrose will captain the side, with James Ryan in line to win his 50th cap from the secondrow.
In the back three, Hugo Keenan will start at fullback, with Jordan Larmour on the right wing and Jimmy O'Brien on the left.
Rory O'Loughlin will start beside Ringrose in the centre with Gibson-Park, back from injury and playing for the first time since the Pro14 final win against Munster, partnering Ross Byrne in the halfbacks.
In the pack, Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher and Michael Bent start in the frontrow with this being Bent's final game in blue before retiring. Ryan starts in the secondrow alongside Ryan Baird.
In the backrow Scott Fardy will play his final game in blue from blindside winning his 80th cap for Leinster since arriving in 2017, with Scott Penny at openside and finally Caelan Doris at No 8.
On the bench, there is a welcome return from injury for Vakh Abdaladze who will make his first appearance of the season if introduced and in doing so will become the 60th player used by Leo Cullen this season. Harry Byrne is also back from injury to take his place amongst the replacements.
None of Tadhg Furlong, Jack Conan, Robbie Henshaw or Johnny Sexton were considered for selection this week but all four trained and were available.
The majority of the supporters will be official members, granted tickets by way of a lottery system, but there will also be 100 frontline staff from St Vincent’s University Hospital in attendance.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose (Capt), Rory O'Loughlin, Jimmy O'Brien; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher, Michael Bent; Ryan Baird, James Ryan; Scott Fardy, Scott Penny, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: James Tracy, Michael Milne, Vakh Abdaladze, Devin Toner, Josh van der Flier, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne, Cian Kelleher.
