BOTH LEINSTER and Connacht have named their starting 15's for their Heineken Champions Cup game on Friday night
Some notable team news for Leinster includes the likes of Johnny Sexton returning for the first time since the Six Nations, while Jamison Gibson-Park won't start at scrum-half, that role will go to Luke McGrath.
The team news for Leinster and Connacht's game is as follows
Leinster
Leinster's front row will consist of Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, and Tadhg Furlong
Behind them Ross Maloney and Josh Murphy make up the two locks.
The Six Nation's first choice back row of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, and Jack Conan make up the front eight.
The half backs are Johnny Sexton at 10 and Luke Mcgrath at nine.
Midfield will consist of Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose.
Jimmy O' Brien and James Lowe will form a back three with Hugo Keenan at fullback.
Leinster's replacements are James Tracy , Ed Byrne, Michael Ala’alatoa, Devin Toner ,Max Deegan ,Jamison Gibson-Park ,Ross Byrne Ciarán Frawley
🚨 | 𝕋𝕖𝕒𝕞 𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 — Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) April 7, 2022
Here is your #LeinsterRugby 23 to take on @connachtrugby in the @ChampionsCup Round of 16 first leg tomorrow 👇#CONvLEI #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/wHvJyIy6Ni
Connacht
Andy Friend said they would "shake up Leinster this weekend" and judging by his selection, he means business.
Friend has named seven Ireland internationals in his side that include the likes of Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki and Tiernan O’Halloran.
The team goes like this:
Matthew Burke, Dave Heffernan, and Finaly Bealham makeup Friend's front row
Gavin Thornbury and Leva Fifta will play in the second row
The back row of Cian Pendergast, Connor Oliver, and Jarrad Butler complete the forwards.
Kieran Marmion starts at Scrum half, while Jack Carty starts at out-half and as captain for the side.
The midfield partnership of Bundee Aki and Tom Farrell will play
While Mack Hansen and John Porch will take up matters on the wing.
Tiernan O' Halloran will start at fullback.
Connacht's replacements are Dylan Tierney-Martin, Tietie Tuimauga, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Abraham Papali’i, Caolin Blade, Conor Fitzgerald, Sammy Arnold
🟢 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 🟢 — Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) April 7, 2022
Meet the Connacht 23 for tomorrow's 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 @ChampionsCup meeting with @leinsterrugby! 👊#CONvLEI | #HeinekenChampionsCup
Full story: https://t.co/H4uBS8hVEJ pic.twitter.com/eYg7w1oGOH
The game on Friday night at the Galway Sportsgrounds is just the first of two legs, with the return fixture taking place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin the following Friday
