RUGBY:THE UNFORTUNATE Luke Fitzgerald is the only survivor from the Leinster starting XV that faced the Northampton Saints in May's Heineken Cup final in Cardiff. Most of the others are ensconced in the Ireland camp although Declan Kidney did release Seán Cronin for his Leinster debut along with Isaac Boss for tonight's game in Donnybrook (7pm).
It seems likely that neither the hooker nor the scrumhalf will see much game time in New Zealand so this provides Cronin and Boss with a valuable run-out should they be required against Russia on September 25th.
For Cronin it also provides an opportunity to lay down a marker at his new club before Richardt Strauss returns to action.
Shane Jennings, another to have just missed out on the World Cup squad, is named on the bench with Dominic Ryan at openside alongside Kevin McLaughlin and Rhys Ruddock, who captains the side in Leo Cullen’s absence.
The arrival of Damien Browne and Steven Sykes sees Devon Toner demoted to the bench while Andrew Conway is given an opportunity at fullback and Eoin O’Malley at outside centre.
Ian Madigan gets an opportunity at outhalf despite an impressive debut last week from Kiwi Matt Berquist.
Marcus Horan is named in the Munster frontrow for the visit of London Irish at Thomond Park tonight (kick-off 7pm). Tomás O’Leary and John Hayes were also returned by the Ireland squad last week but neither was considered for selection. Hayes, it seems, will not retire until Ireland’s World Cup campaign is over.
Stephen Archer gets the nod at tighthead prop ahead of Peter Borlase with Tony McGahan preferring Duncan Williams over Peter Stringer at scrumhalf. Danny Barnes at centre and Ian Nagle at lock are others given a chance to impress in the Munster team.
LEINSTER(v Northampton Saints) : A Conway; F Carr, E O'Malley, E Sheridan, L Fitzgerald; I Madigan, I Boss; H van der Merwe, S Cronin, J Hagan; D Browne, S Sykes; K McLaughlin, D Ryan, R Ruddock (capt). Replacements: A Dundon, J McGrath/S Shawe, J O'Connell, D Toner, S Jennings, J Cooney/C Willis, M Berquist, B Macken, J Harris-Wright, M Flanagan, L Auva'a, D Hudson.
MUNSTER(v London Irish): S Scanlon; D Howlett, D Barnes, L Mafi, D Hurley; I Keatley, D Williams; M Horan, M Sherry, S Archer; M O'Driscoll, I Nagle; B Holland, N Ronan, P O'Mahony. Replacements: D Varley, W du Preez, P Borlase, T O'Donnell, D O'Callaghan, P Stringer, S Zebo, S Deasy.
ULSTER(v Harlequins): A D'Arcy; C Gaston, D Cave, N Spence, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, P Marshall; P McAllister, A Kyriacou, J Cronin; L Stevenson, N McComb; P Wannenburg, W Faloon, C Henry (capt). Replacements: N Brady, C Black, A Macklin, T Barker, D Tuohy, R Diack, I Porter, P Jackson, I Whitten, L Marshall, P Nelson.
HARLEQUINS(v Ulster): M Brown; R Chisholm, G Lowe, J Turner-Hall, U Monye; N Evans, K Dickson; J Marler, J Gray, J Johnston; O Kohn, G Robson; C Robshaw (capt), W Skinner, T Guest.
