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Recap: Lyon vs Leinster LIVE | Heineken Champions Cup
By RugbyPass
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Heineken Champions Cup match between Lyon and Leinster at Matmut Stade de Gerland.
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Top 14 leaders Lyon have made eleven changes following their 25-14 opening round defeat at Northampton, starting with a completely changed front row of Xavier Chiocci, Michael Ivaldi and Demba Bamba, Captain Baptiste Couilloud and Jonathan Wisniewski form the half-backs.
Leinster have made five changes following last weekend’s 33-19 home win over Benetton. Rob Kearney makes his first start for the Irish province since returning from the World Cup, with Jordan Larmour moving to the right wing and James Lowe continuing on the left.
Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose are paired together for the first time this season in the centre, with Luke McGrath and captain Johnny Sexton continuing as the half-back pairing.
(Continue reading below…)
In the pack, Cian Healy and Ronan Kelleher are retained from the starting XV last week, with Tadhg Furlong returning from a back injury to start at tighthead. James Ryan is again selected in the second row, with Scott Fardy stepping up for Devin Toner to win his 50th club cap.
In the back row, it’s the same two on the flanks, with Rhys Ruddock at blindside and Josh van der Flier at openside winning his 75th cap, with Max Deegan making his first European start from No8 having come on early last weekend for the injured Caelan Doris.
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The Irish province got their latest Champions Cup campaign up and running against an easy on the eye Benetton on a day of mixed emotions for one family in D4https://t.co/XA7DO54mIT
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 16, 2019
In the replacements, James Tracy is in line to win his 100th cap. The 28-year-old made his Leinster debut off the bench in November 2012. Josh Murphy, meanwhile, is in line to make his European debut off the bench.
LYON: 15. Toby Arnold; 14. Xavier Mignot, 13. Thibaut Regard, 12. Charlie Ngatai, 11. Noa Nakaitaci; 10. Jonathan Wisniewski, 9. Baptiste Couilloud (capt); 1. Xavier Chiocci, 2. Mickael Ivaldi, 3. Demba Bamba, 4. Virgile Bruni, 5. Hendrik Roodt, 6. Julien Puricelli, 7. Liam Gill, 8. Carl Fearns. Reps: 16. Jeremie Maurouard, 17. Raphael Chaume, 18. Francisco Gomez Kodela, 19. Etienne Oosthuizen, 20. Loann Goujon, 21. Jonathan Pelissie, 22. Jean-Marcellin Buttin, 23. Rudi Wulf.
LEINSTER: 15. Rob Kearney; 14. Jordan Larmour, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. James Lowe; 10. Johnny Sexton (capt), 9. Luke McGrath; 1. Cian Healy, 2. Ronan Kelleher, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Scott Fardy, 5. James Ryan, 6. Rhys Ruddock, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Max Deegan. Reps: 16. James Tracy, 17. Ed Byrne, 18. Andrew Porter, 19. Devin Toner, 20. Josh Murphy, 21. Jamison Gibson-Park, 22. Ross Byrne 23. Dave Kearney.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England).
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