FORMER LEINSTER OUT-HALF Jimmy Gopperth will line out against his former side for a second time when Wasps visit the Aviva Stadium chasing a spot in the Champions Cup semi-finals tomorrow (15.15, BT Sport).
The Kiwi featured in last season’s 51-10 pool-stage drubbing of Leinster at the Ricoh Arena having missed the previous 33-6 victory at the RDS through injury.
Gopperth will get another chance to get one over against his former team-mates in Dublin tomorrow as part of a formidable visiting backline.
Wasps certainly won’t be short on playmaking options with Australian star Kurtley Beale at fullback and Danny Cipriani at fly-half to complement Gopperth’s skill-set at inside centre.
Gopperth is joined in midfield by England international Elliot Daly while Wasps also boast plenty of ammunition out wide in the form of Springbok Willie le Roux and England flyer Christian Wade.
Dai Young’s side won’t be short of nous or grunt in the pack either with recent Six Nations champions Nathan Hughes, James Haskell and Joe Launchbury returning to the Aviva just two weeks after being denied a Grand Slam by Ireland.
Former Leinster prop Marty Moore is named on the bench while ex-centre Brendan Macken didn’t make the match-day 23.
Wasps
15. Kurtley Beale
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Jimmy Gopperth
11. Willie Le Roux
10. Danny Cipriani
9. Dan Robson
1. Matt Mullan
2. Tommy Taylor
3. Jake Cooper-Woolley
4. Joe Launchbury (c)
5. Kearnan Myall
6. James Haskell
7. Thomas Young
8. Nathan Hughes
Replacements:
16. Ashley Johnson
17. Simon McIntyre
18. Marty Moore
19. Matt Symons
20. Alex Rieder
21. Joe Simpson
22. Alapati Leiua
23. Josh Bassett
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Sexton and Carbery both start for Leinster’s Champions Cup clash with Wasps
Murray fit to start, while Munster also bring back Earls, Zebo and Ryan
