Caelan Doris has been ruled out of Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Sale Sharks at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm, live on Premier Sports 1). In his absence Jack Conan shifts from blindside to number eight and Ryan Baird moves from lock to the backrow as James Ryan returns to the secondrow.
Dan Sheehan will captain the side in the absence of Doris, while Andrew Porter has also been ruled out due to the pectoral injury which forced him off midway through last Sunday’s 49-31 win over Edinburgh.
With Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle long-term absentees, this means that 20-year-old academy prop Alex Usanov will make his first start in the Champions Cup, having replaced Porter at half-time last weekend.
Garry Ringrose also returns, meaning Rieko Ioane moves to the left wing, where he played the last quarter and scored his second try for Leinster to complete last Sunday’s win.
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On the bench, Rónan Kelleher, Jerry Cahir and Scott Penny are also recalled to the match-day squad.
Doris did not attend the post-match press conference after Sunday’s win, Josh van der Flier deputising, and there was no mention of the Leinster captain having any issue in an injury update from the province on Tuesday.
Doris, who played the full 80 minutes against Edinburgh, suffered a head knock during the game.
“Caelan got a bang in the game and had some concussive symptoms during the week,” said head coach Leo Cullen. “So, that’s why he got pulled from the game this week. He’ll go through graduated return to play [protocols] now.”
Noting the returning players, Cullen added: “We have a few changes, but it’s good to have a bit of experience and you’re seeing across a lot of teams there’s a little bit of change there, generally.
“The six-day turnaround obviously makes life a bit more challenging sometimes as well, but it’s good on the positive side to have guys come back in fresh, very, very experienced guys.”
Cullen also heaped praise on Usanov and Cahir. “The two lads have been exceptional. Alex has been great since he’s come into the team. In more recent times, you’re seeing him really kick on, and he’s a young player.
“When you introduce a young player into the team you’re never quite sure how they manage the level. But listen, he’s been excellent, getting better all the time, and getting better quickly.
“Jerry’s just a brilliant story, where he came from, from the AIL in the last season, featuring an A game, and we got him in training during preseason. It’s a fantastic story. The lads have really taken to him as well. So, yeah, it’s great for the two lads.”
Cullen also acknowledged Sale will bring physical edge to the Aviva which Leinster will have to absorb.
“We’ve come across Sale a couple of seasons ago. We’ve watched tons of their games over the last couple of seasons, and there’s a lot of experienced players in their team. A strong South African flavour when you look across their team as well, and guys that we know to be physically confrontational and direct and will attack our defence.
“That’s a good challenge. That’s what you expect. You’re in a quarter-final of the premier competition with all the best teams, so it’s a great place to be.”
Meanwhile, Sale have been forced to reshuffle their frontrow following season-ending injuries suffered by loose head Bevan Rodd and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie in last weekend’s win away to Harlequins. They’re also without replacement hooker Nathan Jibulu, who picked up a six-week suspension for a biting incident, while England internationals Tom and Ben Curry remain out injured.
The 24-year-old hooker Ethan Caine will start his first Champions Cup game, packing down in an all-academy frontrow with Si McIntyre, who was on the bench last week, and England tight head Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who made his comeback from injury in the last round at The Stoop.
Their third change sees Springbok centre Rob du Preez – brother of number eight Dan – return from injury. Academy hooker Alfie Longstaff is joined on the bench by prop Ralph McEachran.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, Rieko Ioane; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Alex Usanov, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan. Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jerry Cahir, Thomas Clarkson, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Robbie Henshaw.
SALE SHARKS: Joe Carpenter; Tom Roebuck, Rob du Preez, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Tom O’Flaherty; George Ford, Gus Warr; Si McIntyre, Ethan Caine, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Ernst van Rhyn (capt) Ben Bamber, Jacques Vermeulen, Sam Dugdale, Dan du Preez. Replacements: Alfie Longstaff, Ralph McEachran, James Harper, Reuben Logan, Jos Gilmore, Dom Hanson, Marius Louw, Alex Wills.
