Magners League team news: Paul O'Connell will have to wait another week for his first taste of action this season. The Lions captain is carrying a hamstring injury and will miss Sunday's meeting with the Newport-Gwent Dragons.
O’Connell’s fellow Lions - Ronan O’Gara, Keith Earls and Donncha O’Callaghan – are named in the starting line-up. Jean de Villiers, a key player for the Springboks during the summer, is expected to make his debut from the replacements bench.
O’Connell will now have to wait until next week, and the small matter of a derby against Leinster, to get back on the paddock in a match will also feature Brian O’Driscoll’s comeback for Leinster.
Although the Ireland skipper has been in reserve due to a pinched nerve in his neck this weekend, Cheika has utilised all the returning Lions at his disposal for the trip to the Scottish capital.
Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald all return as Leinster attempt to stop Magners League pacesetters Edinburgh in their tracks at Murrayfield tomorrow.
Shaun Berne moves from the centre to outhalf with Jonathon Sexton dropping to the replacements bench while skipper Leo Cullen returns to the front line in place of Malcolm O’Kelly.
Kevin McLaughlin keeps his place in the back row and will look to build on an impressive start to the season for the youngster.
“If you look at the back row you have players like Sean O'Brien, Stephen Keogh, Shane Jennings and now Jamie Heaslip all fighting for places and that level of competition is healthy because you know that you have to perform every time you step out on to the field,” the former Academy player said today.
"Rocky (Elsom's) departure certainly provided me with an opportunity and I'm enjoying every minute of it.”
Edinburgh have proved a thorn in the Leinster side over the years and McLaughlin is expecting a tough contest.
"We have played against Edinburgh so often now that we know each other well. They play an expansive game and they're not afraid to use a fast offload game, so we will need to cut down on the space they have to manoeuvre in what I'm sure will be an open contest.”
Leinster: Rob Kearney; Shane Horgan, Fergus McFadden, Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; Shaun Berne, Eoin Reddan; Cian Healy, John Fogarty, Stan Wright; Leo Cullen, Nathan Hines; Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements(from): Bernard Jackman, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Shane Jennings, Dominic Ryan, Simon Keogh, Jonathan Sexton, Girvan Dempsey
Munster: Keith Earls; Felix Jones, Barry Murphy, Lifeimi Mafi, Denis Hurley; Ronan O'Gara, Tomas O'Leary; Marcus Horan,Denis Fogarty, Tony Buckley; Mick O'Driscoll, Donncha O'Callaghan; Alan Quinlan, Tommy O'Donnell, Nick Williams. Replacements: Damian Varley, Julien Brugnaut, Donnacha Ryan, James Coughlan, Toby Morland, Jeremy Manning, Jean de Villiers.
