Leo Cullen has made seven changes to his side for Saturday's BKT United Rugby Championship meeting with the Bulls in Pretoria.
The Leinster head coach has reacted to last week’s 35-0 hammering against the Stormers by changing almost half of his starting team for this repeat of last season’s final.
Among the changes, British and Irish Lions prop Thomas Clarkson comes into the starting team.
The tighthead dominated the Bulls when the sides met in last season’s final, before he went on to earn a late Lions call-up in the summer.
He’s one of five changes in the pack. Props Rabah Slimani and Jack Boyle drop to the bench after Leinster’s scrum struggled in Cape Town last week, with Clarkson and Paddy McCarthy coming in at prop, and Gus McCarthy continuing at hooker.
Ryan Baird moves up to the second row where he partners Brian Deeny, while Diarmuid Mangan drops to the bench.
The swap means it’s a fully changed back row for Leinster, with Alex Soroka and Will Connors at flanker, and Max Deegan starting at number 8.
The half-back partnership is unchanged, with Luke McGrath captaining the team at scrum-half, and Sam Prendergast starting at 10.
Hugh Cooney comes into the backline to replace Ciaran Frawley, with Cooney at 13 and Robbie Henshaw shifting to inside centre.
Andrew Osborne starts ahead of the injured Jordan Larmour on the left wing with Tommy O’Brien on the right wing, and Jimmy O’Brien continuing at full-back.
Cullen has also gone with a 6:2 bench split to deal with the Bulls’ power, with Frawley and Fintan Gunne the backline replacements.
Leinster: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Hugh Cooney, Robbie Henshaw, Andrew Osborne; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath (capt); Paddy McCarthy, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson; Brian Deeny, Ryan Baird; Alex Soroka, Will Connors, Max Deegan.
Replacements: John McKee, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, Diarmuid Mangan, Scott Penny, James Culhane, Fintan Gunne, Ciaran Frawley.
Connacht have welcomed several Ireland internationals back into their team, as Stuart Lancaster makes nine changes for the visit of Scarlets to Dexcom Stadium.
While they are still without their British and Irish Lions trio, captain Cian Prendergast (above) starts in the back row, while Jack Aungier, Darragh Murray and Hugh Gavin are all in the matchday squad after making their Ireland debuts in the summer.
It’s an all-new front row, with Aungier and Denis Buckley starting at prop for their first appearances of the season, while Dave Heffernan comes in at hooker after featuring from the bench last week.
The second row partnership is also rotated, with Darragh Murray and Joe Joyce the starting pair this week, as Niall Murray and Josh Murphy drop out.
Sean Jansen and Paul Boyle keep their places in the back row, with Boyle shifting to openside flanker, while Prendergast replaces Shamus Hurley-Langton and starts on the blindside.
Ben Murphy comes in for Caolin Blade at scrum-half, with Jack Carty starting at 10 as Josh Ioane misses out due to concussion.
The other change to the backline is at outside centre, where David Hawkshaw starts ahead of Byron Ralston, partnering Cathal Forde.
Sean Naughton continues at full-back after impressing in his first URC start last week, while Chay Mullins and Shayne Bolton go again on the wings.
Connacht: Sean Naughton; Chay Mullins, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Shayne Bolton; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier; Darragh Murray, Joe Joyce; Cian Prendergast (capt), Paul Boyle (capt), Sean Jansen.
Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Jordan Duggan, Sam Illo, David O’Connor, Sean O’Brien, Matthew Devine, Hugh Gavin, Finn Treacy.
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