Rugby:Joe Schmidt could be forgiven for feeling like he has been waiting for a bus these last few weeks. You wait for what seems like an eternity and then three come along at once. The Leinster coach has been without Brian O'Driscoll since October while skipper Leo Cullen has been out since January.

But both will make their long-awaited comebacks against the Ospreys tomorrow evening after being named in the starting line-up for the Pro12 leaders.

Throw in a debut for World Cup winning second row Brad Thorn plus the return of Fergus McFadden after his involvement with Ireland in the Six Nations duty and Schmidt has plenty plenty of firepower available for the visit of the Welsh region.

Schmidt will be without the Irish internationals who started last weekend’s defeat to England with Rob Kearney, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan Cian Healy, Mike Ross, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip kept in reserve until next week’s trip to Munster.

But Welsh Grand Slam winners Alun Wyn Jones and Ryan Jones will be pressed straight back into action for the visitors as they seek to recover from back-to-back defeats that saw them lose ground on the Irish province.

Leinster:Isa Nacewa; David Kearney, Brian O'Driscoll, Fergus McFadden, Luke Fitzgerald; Ian Madigan, Isaac Boss; Heinke van der Merwe, Richardt Strauss, Nathan White; Leo Cullen, Brad Thorn; Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan, Leo Auva'a. Replacements:Sean Cronin, Jack McGrath, Jamie Hagan, Damian Browne, Kevin McLaughlin, John Cooney, Eoin O'Malley, Fionn Carr.

Ospreys:Richard Fussell; Hanno Dirksen, Andrew Bishop, Ashley Beck, Eli Walker; Dan Biggar, Kahn Fotuali'I; Paul James, Richard Hibbard, Aaron Jarvis; Ryan Jones, Alun Wyn Jones; Tom Smith, Justin Tipuric, George Stowers. Replacements:Scott Baldwin, Ryan Bevington, Adam Jones, Ian Evans, James King, Rhys Webb, Matthew Morgan, Tom Isaacs.