Celtic League team news: Leinster coach Michael Cheika has had his fair share of bad news regarding player availability lately but he has managed to cobble together a side for the Celtic League game against Edinburgh in Donnybrook tomorrow evening.
With the Six Nations in full swing the Australian is without the usual certainties of Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy et al, as well missing cover in the shape of Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Gleeson, Cameron Jowitt and Ross McCarron.
Malcolm O'Kelly too, is unavailable, though Cheika's opinion on his knee injury appears to differ considerably from Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan's, who has expressed concern for the big lock's future in the game.
Despite the comings and goings, Cheika has named a side that contains four tryscorers from the province's last outing against Llanelli Scarlets.
The tournament's joint highest tryscorer Jamie Heaslip will start at number eight, where he will be partnered in the backrow by Niall Ronan and another on the scoresheet against the Scarlets, Stephen Keogh.
Cheika also welcomes back some of the Ireland A squad who were beaten by England Saxons in Ravenhill at the weekend.
Lock Trevor Hogan will partner six foot 10 inch Devin Toner, while Rob Kearney will start at fullback, with Gary Brown on the right wing and Michael Berne on the blindside.
Chris Whitaker and Felipe Contepomi will form the halfback partnership, and the Argentinean captains the side.
Player of the Month for January Bernard Jackman will start in between Ronan McCormack and Will Green in the frontrow. Cheika has left a vacancy on the bench for another prop which he will address closer to kick-off (7.30pm).
There is also a place on the experienced looking bench for uncapped centre Fergus McFadden.
Meanwhile, Ulster coach Mark McCall has included all seven Irish internationals available to him for tomorrow night's clash with the Dragons at Ravenhill.
Of the Ulster contingent involved against France and the England Saxons, only Rory Best was held back by the Irish team management this weekend.
Isaac Boss, who played the entire match at Croke Park, starts at scrumhalf while substitutes Neil Best and Andrew Trimble have also been included in the starting line-up.
David Humphreys will make his first start since New Year's Eve having fully recovered from an elbow injury while new signing Sam Harding could make the replacement's bench should Roger Wilson fail to prove his fitness.
Frankie Sheahan will start for Munster against the Borders tomorrow night with fellow international Jerry Flannery named on the bench.
Tomas O'Leary and Jeremy Manning will deputise for Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara in the half-backs while Alan Quinlan returns to the back-row for the first time following his recent suspension.
Elsewhere, Connacht coach Michael Bradley has named a 22-man
squad for their trip to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. Darren
Yapp and John Muldoon have overcome injuries and will be fit to
face the Ospreys.
Leinster (v Edingburgh)
:Rob Kearney; Gary Brown, Kieran Lewis, Christian
Warner, Michael Berne; Felipe Contepomi (captain), Chris Whitaker;
Ronan McCormack, Bernard Jackman, Will Green, Trevor Hogan, Devin
Toner; Stephen Keogh, Niall Ronan, Jamie Heaslip
Replacements:A.N. Other, Brian Blaney, Adam
Byrnes, Owen Finegan, Guy Easterby, Jonathan Sexton, Fergus
McFadden
Ulster (v Dragons): Bryn Cunningham; Tommy Bowe, Paul Steinmetz, Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble; David Humphreys, Isaac Boss; Justin Fitzpatrick, Paul Shields, Simon Best; Justin Harrison (captain), Tim Barker; Neil Best, Kieron Dawson, Stephen Ferris. Replacements: Stuart Philpott, Bryan Young, Ryan Caldwell, Roger Wilson / Sam Harding, Kieran Campbell, Kevin Maggs, Paul McKenzie
Munster (v Borders): Christian Cullen; Shaun Payne, Barry Murphy, Lifeimi Mafi, Ian Dowling; Jeremy Manning, Tomas O'Leary; Darragh Hurley, Frankie Sheahan, Federico Pucciariello; Mick O'Driscoll, Chris Wyatt; Alan Quinlan, Tim McGann, James Coughlan. Replacements: Tony Buckley, Jerry Flannery, Donnacha Ryan, Mark Melbourne, Brian O'Meara, Eoghan Hickey, Mossie Lawlor
Connacht squad (v Ospreys): Peter Durcan, Adrian Flavin, John Fogarty, David Gannon, John Hearty, Chris Keane, Stephen Knoop, Matt Lacey, Mark McHugh, John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, Conor O'Loughlin, Colm Rigney, Daniel Riordan, David Slemen, Ryan Strudwick, Brett Sturgess, Michael Swift, Paul Warwick, Brett Wilkinson, Gavin Williams, Darren Yapp.
Edinburgh(v Leinster): Lucio Lopez Fleming; Matt Dey, Ben Cairns, Duncan Hodge (captain), Simon Webster; Alistair Warnock, John Senio; Alasdair Dickinson , Andrew Kelly , Geoff Cross; Matt Mustchin, Chris Bentley; Alasdair Strokosch, Ross Rennie, Allister Hogg
