LEINSTER WILL BE hoping to extend their winning run in all competitions to five games when they face Benetton Treviso on Sunday and they’ve been boosted by the timely return of long-term absentees Dave Kearney and Jordi Murphy.
Kearney has not played since the final Pro12 game of last season due to a knee injury but is included by Matt O’Connor in a team that shows two changes in personnel to the one that beat Edinburgh last time out.
With Kearney returning to the left wing, Luke Fitzgerald moves to outside centre for the first time since last November. Luke McGrath once again gets the nod at scrum-half to partner Jimmy Gopperthy with Isaac Boss forced to settle for a place on the bench.
Richardt Strauss has been released from the Ireland squad and partners Michael Bent and Tadhg Furlong in the front-row.
Murphy comes into the backline to replace Dominic Ryan at openside flanker for his first appearance since suffering a shoulder injury during Ireland’s summer tour of Argentina.
Jamie Hagan, who arrived during the week on a short-term loan deal from London Irish, is named among the replacements.
Treviso, meanwhile, have to contend without several of their Italian players as the Azzurri finish their November series against South Africa this weekend.
The Italians have lost all seven of their Pro12 games this term. The game kicks off at 2.30pm Irish time on Sunday and is live on Sky Sports.
Leinster:
15. Zane Kirchner
14. Darragh Fanning
13. Luke Fitzgerald
12. Noel Reid
11. Dave Kearney
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Luke McGrath
1. Michael Bent
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Tom Denton
5. Kane Douglas
6. Kevin McLaughlin (captain)
7. Jordi Murphy
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Bryan Byrne
17. Peter Dooley
18. Jamie Hagan
19. Ben Marshall
20. Dominic Ryan
21. Isaac Boss
22. Cathal Marsh
23. Brendan Macken
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