Sheehan at number eight and Carbery at 10: Leinster gamble against Munster

A hooker in the eight shirt

Dan Sheehan captains Leinster from number eight against Munster at the Aviva Stadium tonight (Saturday 24 October, 6pm). Jack Conan got hurt scoring in Clermont last weekend. Rather than call up a specialist, Cullen has moved his two-try hooker into the back row, and Rónan Kelleher takes the number two jersey.

Cullen called this “an ideal time in the season for experimentation”, according to the Irish Times.

Carbery’s homecoming

Sam Prendergast hurt his wrist in training and misses out, so Joey Carbery gets his first Leinster start in eight years. He left in 2018 and spent six injury-hit seasons at Munster before returning. Now he starts against them. Jamison Gibson-Park makes his first start of the season inside him, in place of Fintan Gunne. Jamie Osborne comes in for Garry Ringrose at 13. We previewed Gibson-Park as a doubt earlier in the week (earlier coverage), and that preview is now out of date.

Munster patched up

Clayton McMillan has made seven changes. Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Dan Kelly, Jeremy Loughman and Jack Aungier are all out injured. Tadhg Beirne captains from the second row, and Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes make up a completely new back row.

The teams

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Joey Carbery, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Dan Sheehan (capt). Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Alex Usanov, Thomas Clarkson, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Scott Penny, Fintan Gunne, Caspar Gabriel, Charlie Tector.

Munster: Ben O’Connor; Shay McCarthy, Seán O’Brien, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Charlie O’Shea, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Marnus van der Merwe, Kieran Brookes; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Max Clein, Mark Donnelly, Michael Ala’alatoa, Seán Edogbo, Brian Gleeson, Ben O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, Gordon Wood.

Leinster’s table problem

Leinster go into the game 11th in the URC on 8 points from three games, one place and one point behind Munster, who are 10th on 9 (official URC table). Cullen admitted they have “a hell of a lot of work to do”.

Will Boelo get in the way?

As of our last check (1:30am Saturday), the game is going ahead. The Aviva Stadium still lists the 6pm kick-off, and Met Éireann’s orange warnings are for the west and north-west, not Dublin. Check leinsterrugby.ie before you leave.

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