Leinster change two, but Ringrose and Keenan remain absent

Leo Cullen has made two changes to his Investec Champions Cup semi-final XV to host Northampton in Dublin on Saturday from the Leinster team that dethroned La Rochelle in last month’s quarter-finals.

The Irish province swatted aside their French rivals, winning 40-13 after successive narrow defeats to Ronan O’Gara’s team in the 2022 and 2023 finals.

Leinster sent a second-string squad to South Africa where they were beaten by the Lions (12-44) and the Stormers (12-42) in recent weeks in the URC.

Nemani Nadolo on his peak and once being considered “too big”

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Nemani Nadolo on his peak and once being considered “too big”

Former Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo chats to Liam Heagney about when he reached his peak and how he was actually at one stage considered too big to play rugby.

Now, ahead of a semi-final that will attract a sold-out 82,300 attendance to Croke Park, Cullen has unveiled a selection that shows two switches in the pack from their frontline team named three weeks ago in their previous Champions Cup outing.

Midfielder Garry Ringrose, who missed out in the quarter-finals, was declared fit at the start of this week after his recent shoulder issue but he hasn’t been included in the match day 23. Neither has full-back Hugo Keenan, whose hip injury was said last Monday to be under further assessment.

Fixture

Investec Champions Cup

Leinster

20 - 17

Full-time

Northampton

All Stats and Data

That means Leinster have named the same backline that took apart La Rochelle, but they have made alterations in their pack with Ross Molony named in the second row and Jason Jenkins benched.

Josh van der Flier has also been promoted from the replacements to be this weekend’s starting openside, with Will Connors losing out.

Against La Rochelle, Leinster went with a six/two forwards/backs split but that now reverts to a five-three split to face Northampton as Jimmy O’Brien has been chosen as an extra backline option.

Loosehead Cian Healy, who didn’t feature the last day, is restored to the bench with Michael Milne missing. If he plays, Healy will become the all-time appearance holder in the history of the Champions Cup as he is currently on 110 alongside O’Gara.

Leinster (vs Northampton, Saturday)
15. Ciaran Frawley (83)
14. Jordan Larmour (103)
13. Robbie Henshaw (87)
12. Jamie Osborne (42)
11. James Lowe (77)
10. Ross Byrne (157)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (137)
1. Andrew Porter (117)
2. Dan Sheehan (58)
3. Tadhg Furlong (142)
4. Ross Molony (178)
5. Joe McCarthy (31)
6. Ryan Baird (65)
7. Josh van der Flier (138)
8. Caelan Doris (78) CAPTAIN

Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (58)
17. Cian Healy (274)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (66)
19. Jason Jenkins (36)
20. Jack Conan (142)
21. Luke McGrath (207)
22. Harry Byrne (65)
23. Jimmy O’Brien (76)