Brian O'Driscoll has failed to recover from his back problems and will miss Leinster's Amlin Challenge Cup decider against Stade Francais at the RDS on Friday night.
O’Driscoll, who signed a new one-year contract extension with Ireland and Leinster today, went off after just 13 minutes of last weekend’s Pro12 semi-final victory over Glasgow Warriors and missed the Lions get together in London to receive treatment.
With the Pro12 decider to come against Ulster the weekend after and of course a Lions tour following that, it may have been decided not to risk inflaming the injury.
Fergus McFadden moves in off the right wing to replace O'Driscoll, with Ian Madigan taking over from Gordon D'Arcy after his season was ended against Glasgow after suffering a torn calf muscle.
Andrew Conway, who scored a hat-trick in his last start, comes in on the right wing, with the rest of the backline unchanged from the tight 17-15 win over the Warriors.
There are five changes in the pack, with Schmidt starting Cian Healy, Richardt Strauss and Leo Cullen on the bench in what seems to hint that next week's Pro 12 decider against Ulster s the number one target for the province.
Jack McGrath takes over from Healy at loosehead, Seán Cronin takes over from Strauss, while Quinn Roux comes in for Cullen to partner Devin Toner .
Rhys Ruddock replaces Kevin McLaughlin at blindside after he picked up an eye injury against Glasgow, while Seán O'Brien returns from a calf injury and takes over from Shane Jennings at openside. Jamie Heaslip will captain the side from number eight.
Stade Francais have named an unchanged side from the one that beat Perpignan away in the semi-finals on April 26th.
The French side are aiming for a third away win in the knockout stages when they face Leinster, with Italian star Sergio Parisse leading the side from number eight.
Former Trinity student Scott Lavalla starts in the secondrow, while former Leinster prop Stan Wright and Munster back Paul Warwick are named on the bench.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Andrew Conway, Fergus McFadden, Ian Madigan, Isa Nacewa; Jonathan Sexton, Isaac Boss; Jack McGrath, Seán Cronin, Mike Ross; Quinn Roux, Devin Toner; Rhys Ruddock, Seán O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip (Captain). Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Cian Healy, Jamie Hagan, Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings, John Cooney, Andrew Goodman, Dave Kearney.
STADE FRANCAIS PARIS: Jérôme Porical; Jeremy Sinzelle, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Paul Williams, Hugo Bonneval; Jules Plisson, Julien Dupuy; Aled De Malmanche, Laurent Sempere, Rabah Slimani; Scott Lavalla, Gerhard Mostert; David Lyons, Pierre Rabadan, Sergio Parisse (capt). Replacements: Remy Bonfils, Stanley Wright, Jeremy Becasseau, Anton van Zyl, Lei Tomiki, Waisea Nayacalevu, Julien Arias, Paul Warwick.
