Starting XV LEINSTER

15 Isa Nacewa

Age: 26 Height: 1.80m (5ft 11in) Weight: 88kg (13st 2lbs) Fiji: 1 cap Leinster: 18 (2 tries)

Historical figure: If he was a historical figure he'd be: Hernan Cortes, the famous Spanish conquistador who brought about the fall of the Aztec empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile. Nacewa is not afraid to explore and could be a central figure in bringing down European behemoths, Leicester.

14 Shane Horgan

Age: 30 Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in)

Weight: 104kg (16st 5 lbs)

Ireland: 64 caps

Leinster: 160 (57 tries)

Historical figure: Edward Teach or Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard, a notorious pirate who sought plunder in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic during the early 18th century, although now that the Leinster player is clean-shaven, it's not quite the same resemblance, although the plundering is equally prolific.

13 Brian O'Driscoll

Age: 30 Height: 1.75m (5ft 9in) Weight: 95kg (15st)

Ireland: 94 caps Leinster: 118 (47 tries)

Historical figure: Brian Boru referred to in certain bibliographies as Emperor of the Irish. It's probably more accurate to say he united most of the country and also had a decent record against visiting teams. Both Boru and O'Driscoll had some big days out in the Clontarf area.

12 Gordon D'Arcy

Age: 29 Height: 1.80m (5ft 11in) Weight: 90kg (14st 2lbs)

Ireland: 41 caps Leinster: 151 (48 tries)

Historical figure: Given his proud Wexford heritage it would have to be Myles Byrne (1780-1862) a leader in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and subsequently a Brigadier General in Napoleon's Irish Legion, winning the Legion of Honour. D'Arcy managed his fair share of good days against the French.

11 Luke Fitzgerald

Age: 21 Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in) Weight: 92kg (14st 7lbs) Ireland: 12 caps Leinster: 58 (18 tries)

Historical figure: Sir Percy Blakeney, aka the Scarlet Pimpernel, a character from the adventure novel by baroness Emmuska Orczy. To tweak a famous reference: "We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Leicester Tigers seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven? Is he in hell? That damned, elusive Pimpernel."

10 Jonathan Sexton

Age: 23 Height: 1.88m (6ft 2in) Weight: 90kg (14st 3lbs)

Leinster: 39 (5 tries) Historical figure: Henry McCarty or William H Bonnie, aka Billy the Kid. Okay, Sexton's not the youngest member of the squad but he is the least experienced at this level and there are obviously sharpshooting parallels to be drawn.

9 Chris Whitaker

Age: 34 Height: 1.78 (5ft 10in) Weight: 82kg (12st 2lbs)

Australia: 31 caps Leinster: 58 (5 tries)

Historical figure: Captain Matthew Flinders was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. He circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent. Whitaker has explored several locations in Europe from his Dublin base.

1 Cian Healy

Age: 21 Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in) Weight: 110kg (17st 4lbs)

Leinster: 37 (2 tries)

Historical figure: Alexander the Great. They both made a big impact at an early age in life, Alexander succeeding his father Phillip at just 20 years of age before going on to a stellar career which saw him undefeated in battle over the next 12 years of his life. Healy shows similar precociousness.

2 Bernard Jackman

Age: 33 Height: 1.83 (6ft) Weight: 112kg (17st 9lbs) Ireland: 9 caps Leinster: 72 (3 tries)

Historical figure: William Dargan. The Carlow native is considered to be the father of Irish railways, constructing the very first one in the country from Dublin to Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire). He was a member of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS).

3 Stan Wright

Age: 30 Height: (6ft 1in) Weight: 122kg (19st 2lbs) Cook Islands: 4 caps Leinster: 61 (1 try)

Historical figure: James Cook after whom the cluster of islands where Wright was born is named. William Bligh is credited with introducing pawpaw to the islands when passing through in 1781 on his ship The Bounty, just before that famous mutiny.

4 Leo Cullen

Age: 31 Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Weight: 110kg (17st 5lbs)

Ireland: 19 caps Leinster: 116 (4 tries)

Historical figure: Michael Collins. Affectionately known as the Big Fellow, Collins was an articulate and highly regarded leader with an unswerving focus on the task in hand. Cullen will hope to avoid being ambushed in Murrayfield today.

5 Malcolm O'Kelly

Age: 34 Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in) Weight: 117kg (18st 8lbs)

Ireland: 92 caps Leinster: 165 (10 tries)

Historical figure: Abraham Lincoln. The 16th president of the US was unusually tall, 6ft 4ins, and that combined with the top hat he wore accentuated the image of a very imposing figure. Not sure whether O'Kelly will refine passages of the Gettysburg address and deliver it in the team huddle prior to today's game.

6 Rocky Elsom

Age: 26 Height: 1.96m (6ft 5in) Weight: 106kg (16st 9lbs)

Australia: 40 caps Leinster: 20 (6 tries)

Historical figure: Achilles. The greatest of all warriors he was unmatched on the field, talking a leading role in all the campaigns in which he took part: equally adept away or at home. Leinster will be hoping that Rocky doesn't display a weakness for his home country or they could end up as the heel in a tug of love between the Irish province and the Australian team.

7 Shane Jennings

Age: 27 Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in) Weight: 103kg (16st 3lbs)

Ireland: 5 caps Leinster: 84 (11 tries)

Historical figure: Joe O'Reilly. He was Michael Collins' right-hand man who was often referred to as the big fellow's "guardian angel". Although it should be pointed out that Jennings is a renowned leader in his own right so casting him in a Sancho Panza role may seem a little misaligned.

8 Jamie Heaslip

Age: 25 Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in) Weight: 109kg (17st 1lb)

Ireland: 18 caps Leinster: 92 (17 tries)

Historical figure: William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was an American soldier, bison hunter and showman and one of the most colourful figures of the American Old West. He was famous for the shows he organised and was known at one point in his career to favour a smig; the Irish name for the goatee also once worn by the Ireland number eight.