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Keenan returns for Leinster's Investec Champions Cup clash with Leicester

By Ian Cameron
Senior coach Jacques Nienaber, left, and Hugo Keenan during Leinster rugby squad training at UCD in Dublin. (Photo By Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Head Coach Leo Cullen has named the Leinster team lineup for the upcoming Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 match against Leicester Tigers.

Over 38,000 tickets have been sold for the game at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow evening.

Caelan Doris will captain Leinster for the first time in European competition, leading a squad that includes Jamison Gibson-Park and Jack Conan, both of whom are poised to make their 50th appearances in the Champions Cup.

The starting XV features three changes from the team that secured a victory over Leicester in January. Hugo Keenan is slated to return as full-back, flanked by wingers Jordan Larmour and James Lowe. The centre partnership will once again see Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Osborne, while Ross Byrne and Gibson-Park will operate as the half-back pairing.

The front row sees Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, and Tadhg Furlong joining forces, a combination not seen since the Guinness Six Nations. Ross Molony and Joe McCarthy will hold down the second row, with Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, and Doris completing the back row.

The bench includes notable names such as academy scrum-half Ben Murphy and the returning Ciarán Frawley, alongside Conan. The match referee will be Pierre Brousset from the French Rugby Federation (FFR).

LEINSTER:

15. Hugo Keenan

14. Jordan Larmour

13. Robbie Henshaw

12. Jamie Osborne

11. James Lowe

10. Ross Byrne

9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Andrew Porter

2. Dan Sheehan

3. Tadhg Furlong

4. Ross Molony

5. Joe McCarthy

6. Ryan Baird

7. Josh van der Flier

8. Caelan Doris CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS:

16. Rónan Kelleher

17. Cian Healy

18. Michael Ala’alatoa

19. Jason Jenkins

20. Jack Conan

21. Ben Murphy

22. Harry Byrne

23. Ciarán Frawley