Advertisement
"Westminster Abbey rather than the Aviva? You're having a laugh." ©INPHO/James Crombie
Team-sheets

Schmidt sticks with tried and trusted Heineken Cup XV

Paul O’Connell included in Munster’s matchday squad for Harlequins semi.

LEINSTER COACH JOE SCHMIDT has named an unchanged starting fifteen for tomorrow’s crunch Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulouse, unsurprisingly sticking with the same faces who performed so well in the 17-10 victory over the Leicester Tigers three weeks ago.

As expected, Gordon D’Arcy will link up with Royal Wedding absentee Brian O’Driscoll in the centre while up front, Schmidt has the luxury of including no fewer than six Irish internationals in the pack.

Meanwhile, Munster boss Tony McGahan has taken a slight risk by including a less-than-fit Paul O’Connell in his matchday 22 for the province’s Amlin Challenge Cup semi against Harlequins in Thomond Park.

O’Connell had initially been ruled out of the extended squad with an ankle injury but since returning to training earlier this week, the influential second-row managed to convince the Thomond Park medical staff that he was fit enough to be drafted into the panel at the eleventh hour.

McGahan has only made one change to his starting fifteen from the side which beat Brive in the competition’s quarter-final, opting for Paul Warwick in the centre with Sam Tuitupou dropping to the bench.

Leinster (vs. Toulouse): Nacewa; Horgan, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Fitzgerald; Sexton, Reddan; Healy, Strauss, Ross; Cullen (c), Hines; McLaughlin, O’Brien, Heaslip. Replacements: Harris-Wright, van der Merwe, Wright, Toner, Jennings, Boss, Madigan, McFadden.

Munster (vs Brive) : Jones; Howlett, Mafi, Warwick, Earls; O’Gara (c), Murray; du Preez, Varley, Buckley; O’Callaghan, O’Driscoll; Leamy, Wallace, Coughlan. Replacements : Sherry, Horan, Hayes, O’Connell, Ryan, Stringer, Tuitupou, Murphy.

Join us tomorrow afternoon for minute-by-minute coverage of Leinster’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulouse >