Ahead of tomorrow’s Round 2 Guinness PRO12 game against Glasgow Warriors in Scotstoun Stadium (Kick Off: 3.00pm – live on SKY Sports) Leinster Rugby Head Coach Leo Cullen has named his match day 23 for the first away trip of the season.
There are three changes in personnel from the team that won their first game of the season last Friday in the RDS against Benetton Treviso with one change in the backs and two in the forwards.
Rob Kearney continues at full back but his brother Dave makes his first appearance of the campiagn having returned from a shoulder injury that cost him a place on the Ireland tour to South Africa. Dave will start on the left wing with Fergus McFadden switching wings from last week to start on the right.
Noel Reid and Garry Ringrose are once again selected in the centre while Luke McGrath will captain the side from scrumhalf. Last week’s Guinness Man of the Match Joey Carbery will make his first start away from home outside him at ten.
In the pack both Cian Healy and Michael Bent continue at loose head and tight head, but James Tracy comes in to start at hooker. Tracy came off the bench last week to score Leinster’s third try.
Ross Molony and Mike McCarthy continue in the second row and the final change is in the back row where Jordi Murphy starts his first game of the season from number eight, flanked by Dan Leavy and Josh van der Flier.
Amongst the replacements there is a welcome return from injury for second row Mick Kearney, while Peter Dooley and Tadhg Furlong are involved in a match day squad for the first time this season.
Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):
15. Rob Kearney (177)
14. Fergus McFadden (143)
13. Garry Ringrose (23)
12. Noel Reid (60)
11. Dave Kearney (103)
10. Joey Carbery (2)
9. Luke McGrath CAPTAIN (51)
1. Cian Healy (154)
2. James Tracy (17)
3. Michael Bent (64)
4. Mike McCarthy(64)
5. Ross Molony (24)
6. Dan Leavy (14)
7. Josh van der Flier (25)
8. Jordi Murphy (81)
16. Bryan Byrne (13)
17. Peter Dooley (22)
18. Tadhg Furlong (51)
19. Mick Kearney (9)
20. Dominic Ryan (105)
21. Jamison Gibson Park (1)
22. Cathal Marsh (14)
23. Zane Kirchner (66)