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Dublin: 11 °C Monday 20 May, 2013

Kearney and Fitzgerald start, O’Driscoll named on the bench

Isa Nacewa has also been deemed fit to be named in the Leinster team which takes on Scarlets at the RDS tomorrow.

O'Driscoall is among the substitutes for tomorrow's game.
O'Driscoall is among the substitutes for tomorrow's game.
Image: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

LEINSTER COACH JOE Schmidt has named Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald in his starting XV while Brian O’Driscoll is among the replacements for tomorrow’s Heineken Cup showdown with Scarlets.

The trio returned from spells on the sidelines in the win over Edinburgh last weekend but while Fitzgerald and Kearney keep their places in the backline, a centre pairing of Gordon D’Arcy and Fergus McFadden is preferred to O’Driscoll’s inclusion.

Isa Nacewa is back on the wing after recovering from injury but there is no place in the squad for hooker Richardt Strauss. Isaac Boss gets the nod in the half-backs and Jonathan Sexton is named at number 10, meanwhile.

An unchanged front row from their last outing means Cian Healy lines out alongside Sean Cronin and Mike Ross, while captain Leo Cullen partners Devin Toner in the second row and Sean O’Brien, Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip make up the back-row.

Leinster : Kearney, Nacewa, McFadden, D’Arcy, Fitzgerald, Sexton, Boss, Healy, Cronin, Ross, Cullen, Toner, O’Brien, Jennings, Heaslip.

Replacements: Dundon, van der Merwe, Bent, Denton, Ruddock, Reddan, Madigan, O’Driscoll.

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Comments (15 Comments)

  • Given he played a full 80 last week I’m surprised to see BOD on the bench because I haven’t heard of any recurrence of his injury? McFadden has been playing very well all year tho and I trust him to do the job. Great to see SOB at 6, he was immense last week at getting go-forward ball. Boss too has been playing well, could see the plan being though to wear them down and spring reddan in the last 20 to speed up the pace and get the necessary tries in the last 20 minutes, a la ulster last week against the Scarlets.

    Reply
  • Like RTE Morning Ireland this morning, only three Irish provinces discussed. Any news on the CONNACHT team ?
    CONNACHT are also competing tomorrow in the Heiniken against Harlequins.
    Best of luck Connacht,

    Reply
  • damian 11/01/13 #

    The game is in the RDS, not Lansdowne Road!

    Reply
  • Oh yeah bout the second rows think something should be done in Ireland bout good players sitting on benches when they could be playing. Munster prob hav to many second rows Leinster prob hav a lot of back row talent for the good of the Irish team they should be divided up like in New Zealand

    Reply
  • Schmidt making the call Penney can’t. very interesting that bod is on the bench and rog starts

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  • I hope that all the Leinster fans out there don’t give out about Kidney having Munster bias next time he picks the Irish team if Murray is on it cause Reddan can’t make this important game team. All i hear now is good call bring him on for the last 20 mins not like that when a Munster player is picked ahead of him..

    Reply
    • Eh Leinster are fielding 14 irish players and 20 in the squad of 23
      So if you lend us a couple of secondrows we can a Irish team without much help.
      Kidney doesn’t have a Munster bias he’s just an out dated coach who’s ideas are pass their sell by date.

      Reply
    • damian 11/01/13 #

      Horses for courses. Leinster have 2 quality scrum halves that offer different types of style and game play… Boss starting makes sense and is in great form. Bring on Reddan in the second half when Scarlets start to get tired…. Ramp up the intensity with Reddan’s quick game. There are squads for a reason. Reddan is still a better option than Murray any day.

      Reply
  • BOD is either fit or he is not fit. Either way he should not be on the bench.

    This is now the most important game Leinster have to play this season and they should have picked BOD from the start. Leinster have not been scoring tries in the H Cup and they need 80 mins of BOD to clear the first of two difficult hurdles.

    ITT (Ignore the Trolls)

    Reply
  • Chris i don’t think there is anything wrong with bringing him on with 50 mins i think he should be starting. Im just saying that kidney gets slated for picking Murray on these pages even tho he plays all the games and when Schmidt drops Reddan its a good thing..

    Reply

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