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©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Heineken Cup

Reddan returns for Clermont showdown

Joe Schmidt has made four changes for tomorrow’s Pool 5 clash in the Aviva Stadium.

EOIN REDDAN RETURNS to the starting XV for Leinster’s revenge mission against Clermont Auvergne.

Reddan starts ahead of Isaac Boss at scrum-half as Joe Schmidt looks to bounce back from Sunday’s loss in the Stade Marcel Michelin, the champions’ first defeat in the Heineken Cup since May 2010.

Otherwise it’s an unchanged back line for tomorrow’s make-or-break clash in the Aviva Stadium, with Andrew Goodman continuing his partnership with Gordon D’Arcy in midfield.

Heinke van der Merwe and Richardt Strauss come back in to head up the scrum while Shane Jennings is named at openside in a back-row reshuffle which sees Sean O’Brien switch to six.

Kevin McLaughlin, who took a big hit in the closing stages of the 15-12 defeat in France, trained lightly on Thursday and is passed fit to take his place among the replacements, as is David Kearney.

Leinster: Ian Madigan; Fergus McFadden, Gordon D’Arcy, Andrew Goodman, Isa Nacewa; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Heinke van der Merwe, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross; Leo Cullen (c), Damian Browne; Sean O’Brien, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Sean Cronin, Cian Healy, Michael Bent, Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Isaac Boss, Andrew Conway, David Kearney.

HEINEKEN CUP>> Schmidt: Precision key against ‘liberated’ Clermont