Rugby:Joe Schmidt will give Jonathan Sexton more time to prove his fitness ahead of the Magners League match against Munster at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (7.30pm). A decision on the outhalf's availability was expected today but the coach will give the outhalf every chance to make the team.
The Ireland international is recovering from quad damage sustained in the warm-up before Leinster’s solitary win of the campaign, against Cardiff on September 11th.
If he does not make it Isa Nacewa will partner scrumhalf Isaac Boss, who replaces Eoin Reddan, and Ian Madigan will come on to the Leinster bench.
In the frontrow, prop Cian Healy replaces Heinke van der Merwe, while Scotland lock Nathan Hines comes in for Ed O’Donoghue.
Having avoided disciplinary action after the defeat to Benetton Treviso, Seán O’Brien returns to the backrow instead of Stephen Keogh and Shane Jennings makes way for number eight and captain Jamie Heaslip.
Outside the halfbacks, the backline is unchanged, meaning an all Irish quintet of fullback Rob Kearney, wingers Shane Horgan and Luke Fitzgerald and centres Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy.
The defeat to Edinburgh last time out was Leinster's third of the season from four games and Schmidt’s side lie ninth in the table as a result. Munster top the table with a 100 per cent record.
Leinster: R Kearney; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton / I Nacewa, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; N Hines, D Toner; D Ryan, S O'Brien, J Heaslip (capt). Replacements: J Harris-Wright, H van der Merwe, S Shawe, M Galarza, R Ruddock, E Reddan, I Nacewa / I Madigan, F McFadden