Rugby:Leo Cullen will not be risked by the Leinster management for tomorrow's Heineken Cup opener against French newcomers Racing Metro-92 at the RDS. While the Leinster skipper's influence won't extend beyond the sidelines, Jonathan Sexton will make his first start of the season for Joe Schmidt's side.
Cullen is approaching full fitness after recovering from a shoulder operation he had over the summer but this game comes a week too soon. Devon Toner will partner Nathan Hines in the second row in Cullen’s continued absence.
There was better news for Schmidt regarding Sexton, who suffered no adverse reaction to his quad injury during his cameo against Munster last weekend. Whether the outhalf resumes place-kicking duties – the action was believed to be aggravating the problem – remains to be seen with Isa Nacewa on standby.
Despite the South African missing training earlier in the week, Leinster will have to contend with the massive boot of Frans Steyn after he was named at full-back for the Paris club.
With problems at outhalf, where big-money signing Juan Martin Hernandez and Jonathan Wiesnewski are both injured, regular scrumhalf Jerome Fillol moves to number 10 with Nicolas Durand starting alongside him. French international Benjamin Fall, who they acquired from Bayonne over the summer, is another on the Racing injury list but there remains a real potency behind the scrum.
Racing have no such injury concerns in the engine room, and a front row of Benjamin Noirot, Juan Pablo Orlandi and Andrea Lo Cicero is capable of causing the Leinster scrum all sorts of problems. France captain Lionel Nalet is restored to the side after sitting out the Top 14 clash with Toulouse.
Leinster:R Kearney; I Nacewa, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; H Van Der Merwe, R Strauss, M Ross; N Hines, D Toner; S O'Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements:J Harris-Wright, C Healy, S Shawe, M Galarza, D Ryan, I Boss, F McFadden, S Horgan
Racing Metro-92:F Steyn; S Bobo, A VuliVuli, A Masi, J Saubade; J Fillol, N Durand; A Lo Cicero, B Noirot, J Orlandi; L Nalet, J Qovu, J Leo'o, J Cronje, S Chabal. Replacements:C Festuccia, S Zimmermman, J Brugnaut, S Dellape, M Loree, M Bergamasco, R Vaquin, AN Other