Rugby: Ireland number eight Jamie Heaslip will captain European champions against Benetton Treviso at the Stadio di Monigo tomorrow evening (6.05pm), as Leinster welcome a number of internationals back from the summer break.
On a landmark day for lock Devin Toner, who will make his 100th appearance for the province, Brian O’Driscoll, Fergus McFadden, Eoin Reddan and Jonathan Sexton return to the backline.
Toner joins Damian Browne in the secondrow, while Heaslip, Kevin McLaughlin and Shane Jennings for the backrow.
A further three Irish internationals – Leo Cullen, Sean Cronin and Cian Healy – are among the replacements, while Isa Nacewa makes way for Ian Madigan at fullback where a youthful back three sees Fionn Carr and Andrew Conway continuing on the wings after starting Leinster’s 45-25 victory over the Dragons last weekend.
Eric Elwood has made six changes to his Connacht side for the visit of table-toppers Scarlets to the Sportsground tomorrow afternoon (3pm) and insisted his side need to “step it up” from their 30-17 win over Zebre last weekend.
"We played well in Zebre scoring three tries away from home and securing our first win of the season,” said Elwood today. “The lads showed huge character in Italy, especially when we were forced into making so many changes in the second half. Tomorrow poses another challenge as Scarlets are top of the league and are playing very well.
“They've had a great start to the season, scoring 10 tries in the process. We will really have to step it up against this Scarlets side but the lads are well up for the challenge."
Injury has forced the former Ireland outhalf’s hand in a selection that sees an entirely different backrow to the one that took to the field for the game in Parma. Included are Andrew Browne - for his first game back since he was injured in pre-season of 2011 - Willie Faloon and Eoin McKeon.
Brett Wilkinson will start at loosehead prop, while new signing Nathan White gets his first start tomorrow at tighthead. In the backline, Dave McSharry replaces Mata Fifita in the centre.
Scarlets attack coach Mark Jones says the league leaders will need to be "ruthless" after two narrow losses on their most recent trips to Galway.
"There is certainly no complacency in this side and absolutely no expectation on winning. What we expect is for the boys to perform to the level they have this season, improve on the margins and then we are in with a chance," sid Jones.
“Our only expectation is on the performance – that should then take care of the result.”
LEINSTER (v Treviso): I Madigan; A Conway, B O'Driscoll, F McFadden, F Carr; J Sexton, E Reddan; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, M Ross; D Browne, D Toner; K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip (c). Replacements: S Cronin, C Healy, J Hagan, L Cullen, J Murphy, J Cooney, N Reid, I Nacewa
BENETTON TREVISO (v Leinster): L McLean; E Gori, T Benvenuti, A Sgarbi, L Nitoglia; A Di Bernardo, T Botes; A De Marchi, L Ghiraldini, I Fernandez-Rouyet; F Minto; C Van Zyl (c), A Zanni, R Barbieri. Replacements: D Sbaraglini, M Rizzo, L Cittadini, V Bernabò, D Budd, M Filippucci, F Semenzato, K Burton
CONNACHT (V Scarlets): G Duffy (c); T O'Halloran, E Griffin, D McSharry, F Vainikolo; M Nikora, K Marmion; B Wilkinson, E Reynecke, N White; M Swift, M McCarthy; A Browne, W Faloon, E McKeon. Replacements: A Flavin, D Buckley, R Ah You, D Gannon, J O'Connor, D Moore, M Jarvis, R Henshaw
SCARLETS (v Connacht):J Williams, G North, J Davies (c), S Williams, N Reynolds; R Priestland, G Davies; P John, M Rees, S Lee, S Timani, R Kelly, J Turnbull, J Edwards, K Murphy. Replacements: K Owens, P Edwards, D Manu, J Ball, R McCusker, A Davies, A Thomas, G Maule.
