<notforsyndication>Listen to live coverage of Leinster v Connacht on Saturday sport from 5.00pm.</notforsyndication>
Kevin McLaughlin is named in the Leinster starting line-up for the first time this season as the province face Connacht in the Magners League at the RDS on New Year's Day, kick-off, 5.30pm.
McLaughlin forms an all-Ireland back-row alongside Sean O’Brien and Shane Jennings, who leads the side. Nathan Hines lines up alongside Devin Toner at second row, with Heinke van der Merwe starting in the front row alongside Richardt Strauss and Clint Newland.
Andrew Conway starts on the right wing in a back three which also includes Dave Kearney and Isa Nacewa, with Eoin O’Malley taking his place in the midfield with Fergus McFadden. Paul O’Donohoe makes his 14thLeinster appearance and links up with Shaun Berne at half-back.
Eric Elwood has opted for change after Connacht's narrow defeat to Munster last Monday.
Brett Wilkinson returns from injury and replaces Rob Sweeney in the front row. Wilkinson injured his shoulder playing against Harlequins in the Amlin Challenge Cup at the start of December and the 27-year-old prop, who has been capped 106 times for Connacht and played for the Irish Wolfhounds in 2009, will look to return to form.
Hooker Adrian Flavin replaces Sean Cronin, who is being rested as part of the IRFU player welfare management programme. Flavin, who has played U-19, U-21 and for Ireland A, has been capped 90 times for Connacht since joining from London Irish in 2006.
Eoin McKeon replaces injured Ezra Taylor at No 8. Taylor fractured his hand last weekend against Munster and McKeon, a 19 year- old member of the Connacht Academy, will look to build on the impressive form he showed against Samoa back in November and make the most of the opportunity with John Muldoon also ruled out of contention with a fractured forearm.
Miah Nikora has recovered from the illness that ruled him out of last weekend’s clash with Munster and the 25 year old out-half from New Zealand is joined on the wing by Brian Tuohy, who scored two tries against Edinburgh in November with the versatile Ian Keatley moving to outside centre.
Connacht Academy graduate Eoin Griffin returns after a hand injury sidelined the 20 year-old winger during Connacht’s game against Edinburgh. Griffin has played for Ireland U-19 and U20 and has 5 caps for Connacht.
The side will be captained by Keith Matthews, the 28 year-old Limerick born centre is deputising in the absence of the injured John Muldoon for the second game in succession.
Leinster XV:
Isa Nacewa, Andrew Conway, Eoin O’Malley, Fergus McFadden, Dave Kearney, Shaun Berne, Paul O’Donohoe, Heinke van der Merwe, Richardt Strauss, Clint Newland, Nathan Hines, Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Shane Jennings (capt), Sean O’Brien,
Replacements: Tom Sexton, Jack McGrath, Mike Ross, 19: Ed O’Donoghue, Stephen Keogh, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Niall Morris
Connacht XV
Brett Wilkinson, Adrian Flavin, Jamie Hagan, Michael Swift,
Michael McCarthy, Andrew Browne, Johnny O’Connor, Eoin McKeon, Cillian Willis, Miah Nikora, Brian Tuohy, Keith Matthews (capt), Ian Keatley, Eoin Griffin, Troy Nathan
Dermot Murphy, Rodney Ah You, Dylan Rogers, Bernie Upton,
Shane Conneely, Frank Murphy, Niva Ta’auso, Fionn Carr
