Rugby – Team news:The Leinster team to face Glasgow in tomorrow night's Magners League game shows a number of changes from the side that defeated Toulouse in last weekend's Heineken Cup semi-final.
Jamie Heaslip, man-of-the-match against Toulouse, will captain the side and will link up with Dominic Ryan and Shane Jennings in the backrow. Kevin McLaughlin switches to secondrow alongside Devin Toner.
Jack McGrath makes his sixth Magners League appearance in the frontrow alongside Richardt Strauss and Stan Wright.
Gordon D’Arcy will form a central partnership with Eoin O’Malley in the absence of Brian O’Driscoll. Fergus McFadden, meanwhile, is set to bring up his half century of Leinster caps.
Cian Healy is one of four international forwards on the bench alongside Nathan Hines, Mike Ross and Rhys Ruddock.
Glasgow centre Mark Bennett will make his professional debut against the Heineken Cup finalists in Dublin as the visitors show five changes from the side which started against the Scarlets last time out.
“The lad has real talent. He’s raw, but he’s good enough, and he’s added a renewed energy to training this week,” said Glasgow head coach Sean Lineen.
“I’ve got no worries about him physically – he’s a young lad but he’s tough. This experience will be good for him. It’ll be a big test but I wouldn’t put him in there unless I thought he was good enough and we’ve had a pretty good track record with the youngsters that we’ve brought through.
“He’s ready and I’m really excited to see what he can bring to the backline.”
Also among the changes is stand-off Duncan Weir – in for Ruaridh Jackson - who is among the front-runners for the Magners League Try of the Season award following his spectacular solo effort against the Scarlets back in October.
“Duncan has a really strong kicking game and he runs well,” added Lineen. “It’s just a matter of developing his shaping of the game and his understanding of the game.
“He’s a top lad, is willing to learn and it is great for him to go over to Dublin and play in between Chris Cusiter and Graeme Morrison against the form team in Europe and measuring himself against some quality players.”
Bennett slots in at outside centre with Peter Murchie moving to fullback, while Bernardo Stortoni drops out of the match-day squad. On the right wing, Stortoni’s Argentine compatriot Federico Aramburu is given the nod ahead of Hefin O’Hare, who also drops out of the travelling party.
Up front, Moray Low is the only frontrow survivor as Ryan Grant got the nod ahead of Kevin Tkachuk and Fergus Thomson is preferred to Dougie Hall.
The Warriors travel in search of their first ever win in Dublin whilst the home side will also be fired-up for the match as a win would guarantee them home advantage in the Magners League play-offs.
“It’s a massive challenge, but one which we are looking forward to,” added Lineen. “I think they are the form team in Europe, they are certainly very consistent, they have a very strong squad and they play a brand of rugby that everyone wants to aspire to.”
Kick-off at the RDS is 7.05pm.
Leinster (v Glasgow): I Nacewa, S Horgan, E O'Malley, G D'Arcy, F McFadden, I Madigan, I Boss, J McGrath, R Strauss, S Wright, K McLaughlin, D Toner, D Ryan, S Jennings, J Heaslip (Capt). Replacements: A Dundon, C Healy, M Ross, N Hines,: R Ruddock, P O'Donohoe, I McKinley, D Kearney
Glasgow (v Leinster):P Murchie, F Aramburu, M Bennett, G Morrison (Capt), DTH van der Merwe, D Weir, C Cusiter, R Grant, F Thomson, M Low, A Muldowney, T Ryder, J Eddie, R Vernon, J Beattie. Replacements: D Hall, J Welsh, K Tkachuk , R Harley, C Fusaro, C Gregor, R Jackson, P Horne
